Tips to Survive Your First Comic-Con Experience

june 27, 2019

Source: Wikimedia Comic-cons are staged on an ever increasingly ambitious basis in larger and larger arenas. As such, they can be pretty overwhelming even if you have been to one before. Some of the biggest convention centres around the world are now hired to stage them, such as the large one in San Diego, California. As such, you need to be at least a little prepared before you turn up to your first comic-con. Want to release your inner geek and enjoy everything that a festival of popular culture has to offer? If so, then read on to discover the advice of a well-seasoned comic-con attendee.

Plan Your Time

Like any large event, a comic-con can mean that you turn up and spend hours and hours simply wandering about the place taking it all in. After all, there is plenty to see that will catch your attention. However, with limited time on your hands, you won't necessarily be able to get to everything you want, especially with talks and question and answer panels which are often only available at certain times of the day. Get your hands on a schedule to begin with and mark off the times and locations of two or three must-see sessions and plan the rest of your day around them.

Take a Break

You can get an overwhelming feeling when you throw yourself into a comic-con wholeheartedly. Take some time out and return to the action later, especially if you are attending over the course of several days. Because many of the large arenas and convention centres that are used for big comic-con events are close to top-quality hotels, you should use them as a bolthole you can escape too. In fact, many will have a casino attached, too, so you can kick back with a game of blackjack, roulette or whichever game takes your fancy.

Enjoy Cosplay But Don't Overdo It

Some of the costumes of famous characters you will see at any comic-con event are undeniably fantastic. People really do spend huge amounts of time to get all the details of their outfits as authentic as possible. However, if you are new to comic-cons, then you can spend too much time focussing on your costume and end up missing out on the event itself. Go for an outfit that is relatively easy to put on and which is going to be comfortable throughout the course of the day. It is best to be a little under-ambitious if you are a newbie. After all, you can always up the ante with next year's cosplay outfit! Source: Wikimedia

Stay Cool

One of the major attractions of attending a comic-con is that there are likely to be celebrities there from the world of comic books, TV and even Hollywood movies. Sometimes, seeing a star you have admired for a long time can make you go a little weak at the knees. It is no joke because even relatively minor celebrities who work in a niche that inspires a great deal of fandom will tell you that devotees tend to get tongue-tied when they do book signings of meet-and-greet sessions. Take it easy, take a deep breath and remember that when you meet your hero or heroine that they're just human, too.

Take Comfortable Footwear

Attending any comic-con means you will be on your feet for hours and hours, whether it is looking around or queuing for special events. Regardless of whether you have chosen to dress up as a character or not, you should have something on your feet that reflects the fact that you will be standing up for hours on end. If that means that you need to take another pair of shoes with you in a bag, then so be it! Slipping into something more comfortable later in the day can be invaluable to your overall enjoyment of the event.