If you’ve read our What is a Comic Con? and What is there to do at a Comic Con? blogs, you are well on your way to becoming a Comic Con pro!
We even have your bases covered if you are Going to a Comic Con on a budget.
But how do you survive the weekend? Here are some great tips and items to bring with you to make sure you make it to class or work on Monday!
Tips:
- Don’t start your day out too early! Everyone has the same idea, they want to get there first, that’s usually why the line is long during the opening hour of a convention. If you want to save yourself some waiting around, take a leisurely stroll in a few hours after open, your feet will thank you!
- Get a good breakfast in. We all know that break fest is for champions and you…well you’re a super hero! So you will need double the breakfast! All joking aside, you’re going to be racking up those steps on your fitbit on the concrete floors of a large convention hall–most likely. So that means you will need energy to burn, and not the empty kind of caffeine energy either, we are talking cold hard calories!
- Get your prep on. Like Batman, some good prep will do you a lot of good. Think about how you will carry your purchases, where you will meet up with your friends and family if you get lost in the mayhem, when and where will you go to lunch, how you will budget your expenses for the day and how not to burn out too early–cause trust us, burning out early is easy to do at a convention!
- Map out the show floor. Be smart about how you visit the people you came to see. Budget enough time for the longer waits for celebrities or comic book royalty. Many times you won’t get to see the whole convention if you are stuck in line for a Stan Lee signature or Norman Reedus signature for a few hours–trust us that is more common than you’d think!
- Do a little perusing beyond what you normally would like. Chances are there are some awesome, yet undiscovered independent or little known artists, creators and writers, vending their wares. You can get the drop on all your friends by going through the artist’s alley and giving a new book a chance. When you discover the next Walking Dead, imagine how much love you’ll get from your friends when you share!
Things to Bring:
- Most shows should allow you to bring in snacks and a bottled water or two in a book bag. Do it! These will be all too important when you are waiting in line for your next Stan Lee or George Perez autograph. The hunger pain will kick in and if you don’t quench it the hangriness will win. Don’t let the hangriness ruin your convention experience. So make sure you have some easy to grab food items like granola bars or energy bars to get you through the long haul.
- Wear comfy shoes! Trust us, we know. Your feet will thank us later and those dogs won’t be barkin’–old school pun. That concrete will not only do a number on your footsies but also your back and your shoulders, especially if you are doing the whole day or multiple days. Convention halls weren’t built for luxury, they were built for space and utility. Pack some extra cushy insoles. If you have to wear some flip flops or the like, be sure to pack a change of shoes, even if you are cosplaying. The public will forgive you!
- Bring a phone and an extra battery–or charger! Nothings worse than getting lost in the midst of 50,000 square feet–and then panic sets in. Bring an easy way to connect with your friends and family, whether they are attending the show or not. Have that charger handy or an extra battery ready to roll because with all those tweets and instagrams and snap chats you’ll be sure to post, it can drain your power, fast!
- Bring a sketch book. If your art muse isn’t inspired by all of the wondrous things you’ll see at the show–or you draw terrible stick figures like me–you can always use it as a journal or a place for your favorite artists to do a little doodle in. If you bring your own stock, chances are they will cut you a break on the the sketch. If you can’t afford the sketch, maybe they will sign your book as a way to remember your day by!
With these tips your chances of survival will dramatically improve and you’ll live to tell about all of your great experiences on Monday!
Joseph A. Michael
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