I’ve been a nerd my entire life. Not so much the math science or history type but more of a pop culture enthusiast. Despite my self-proclaimed nerd status this was my very fist year attending New
1. Invest In A Multi-Day Pass– As amazing as one day of the event may be it really is far to large a space to see in just one day. Unless you have only one specific booth to see, you will run the risk of missing the best the show has to offer if you try to do it all in just one afternoon.
2. Explore– If you followed my advice in step one use day one to simply explore the lay out. As stated there is a lot to see. If your intent is to see a specific celebrity or panel you could miss it if you aren’t prepared.
3. Be Comfy– As great as it is to be stylish, this ain’t fashion week! There is a tremendous amount of walking and standing around. There are only a few places to sit and the odds of you getting a chance to rest is pretty slim. I went on a Saturday afternoon and I logged over five-mile on my pedometer in no time at all. Go ahead and wear what you want but be forewarned rubber soles are your friend.
4. Leave The Wet Blanket– Do not bring someone to Comic Con who doesn’t want to be there. I am usually a complainer, any one of my friends can attest to that. However at NYCC, I was much more relaxed and ready for whatever. The fact is when someone is engaged and interested in something they can deal with just about anything. This convention is loud, exhausting and swarming with excited often pushy people. Do yourself a favor and invite someone who will be truly excited to be a part of it. Someone who isn’t into it will drive you crazy and completely ruin the experience with their whining and negativity.
5. Be Courteous– If you are going to attend in costume, be prepared for excited fans to want a photo of you or possibly with you. Most people are nice but as with anywhere else on this planet there are a few jerks. Thankfully the nice people outnumber the jerks, so you can rest assured you will meet more nice than naughty. If you are attended as you own scary self, be courteous to the folks you want photos with, ask politely and steer clear of other photographers. We only had one incident with another photog. We were attempting to get a photo of two lovely vixens when this lunatic came out of nowhere blocking our lenses with his odd gymnastic moves. I’m not sure what he was attempting to capture but I hope he got it before he broke his back trying. Our exchange with him went a little something like this:
xoJohn: Excuse you, you’re pushing me.
[No Response from the Dumb Photog]xoJohn (to self): Let’s get out of the way so Peter Parker can get his shot.
Dumb Photog: (shouts) I may not be Peter Parker but I do work for The Daily News.
xoJohn: Good for you jerk (followed by a slow dramatic clap like you see in the movie)
6. Be Patient– There are a lot of panels and signings but there are more people than panels so expect to wait….alot. A good chunk of your time will be spent waiting around, and though there is plenty to see on-line, waiting around probably isn’t the best use of your time. On my visit I wanted to sit in on the Adult Swim Panel but a 3-hour wait would mean 180 minutes of wasted people watching. So I skipped it, there was just too much to see to waste that much time. Unless you are a super fan and you absolutely have to see a panel guest skip the panel on your first visit. Wait until you are a seasoned vet before attempting a panel.
7. Let Your Geek Flag Fly– At Comic Con you will be surrounded by like-minded fun-loving people, so let loose get geeky, let it all hang out. This convention is a judgement free zone so don’t be afraid to get excited and dive deep into fandom.
The convention may be over but the fun is all year round take a look at some our favorite cosplay from NYCC 2014