Jul 10, 2012 First Rule of Comic-Con. There Is No Comic-Con.
Comic-Con International, effectively known as “San Diego” in the comics industry, officially opens its doors tomorrow. The pedestrian traffic and blistering heat+synthetically conditioned air can make this ostensible publishing convention a do-or-die ordeal. Here are some tips on how to survive.
1. Be prepared to walk at a snail’s pace and don’t get upset when a local team of The Avengers suddenly improvises a photo session. They will pay you the same respect when you suddenly stop to take a secret-picture of Slave Princess Leia.
2. Dressing up as Slave Princess Leia is not an invitation to rape. Do NOT touch/hoot at/mouth-breathe while starting at the female cosplayers.
3. Always ask permission to take pictures. Not everyone is necessarily in cosplay. Some of us get dressed in the dark because we don’t know any better.
4. Go the extra distance on personal hygiene. You’ll be tempted to blame the rest of the world for that special bouquet of nerd odor but as they say in the old testament, “he who smelt it, dealt it.”
5. Stay hydrated or find another reason to hang out in the bathroom. There is a dissertation’s worth of information to be gleaned on the sociology of “the fringe” in the ladies room.
6. Harass every Hollywood personality you run into. Hollywood ruined our precious Comic-Con. Let’s ruin theirs.