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Top Ten Tips To Blag Your Way Into San Diego

Published Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:00:06 -0500

Last updated Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:28:12 -0500

Okay. So San Diego Comic Con is officially sold out. And you've suddenly decided you want to go. So what do you do?

1) Wait. San Diego often hold back one day passes until closer to the convention, and sell them at standard price, in order to beat the ticket touts. They will be limited but they will be available. Sit tight.

2) Find a ticket tout. Despite all sorts of measures against them, tickets will have been bought in blocks ready to sell on at outrageous prices. Often picked up by fans with too much money and no planning skills, or studios who suddenly decide they want thirty more people there trawling Artists Alley and the bars.

3) Volunteer for Con. For a few hours work a day, not only will you gain free entrance to the convention, get an instant social network, and enjoy the volunteer parties, but you also get to boss people around and help out celebrities. So if you fancy escorting Matt Smith around, or pushing Wookies out of the way, this is your opportunity. A perfect choice for starfucker or mini-Hitler alike.

4) Volunteer for Vendor. This is the best choice if you are young, female and potentially buxom. A few hours booth time a day helping out retailers, studios, publishers wearing a tight T-shirt and the con is yours. Again, you'll get an instant social network for the show, get access before the convention opens. But watch out, they may want you to pack up afterwards.

5) Become a comics creator. You haven't got long. But if you can rip some pages off of Digital Webbing, add your name as a credit and get someone to print it up as a likely looking book – this could work. Especially if you can mock up a website and send a few press releases out to easy sites like Newsarama and CBR.

6) Become a comics journalist. Possibly the easiest of the lot. Set up a blog. Write something outrageous and get other people to link to you. Run something about comics and breasts, that's the easiest way. Now you are media. Try for media accreditation.

7) Just hang out in the Hyatt. If its creators you want to meet, why go to the convention at all? Save your money and spend it on $9 vodka and cokes in the Hyatt bar, Befriend the staff while you're at it and you'll become invaluable to drink-sozzled comics creators later in the night.

8) Get invited onto a panel. Seriously they give panels to all sorts of people, including prominent fans and their websites. I bet you can persuade one of them to invite you along as a guest commentator.

9) Go next year instead. Spend the money on the ones you love. And follow the con on Twitter.

10) Pack some heat. There hasn't been a mass shootout at a comics convention to date, but with a higher percentage of social malcontents, and all those realistic-looking weaponry, how hard is it to dress as Terminator, walk in with a shotgun and start blowing away staff and attendees alike. You'll get in free, but getting out again may cost you.