Comic-Con 2015 is about to kick off, and once again I'm here in San Diego to cover it for Big Picture Big Sound. This will be my fourth year at the world's largest comic/movie/tv/pop culture gathering, and I've got enough perspective by now to be able to say this: it just keeps getting bigger.
The con itself takes place over four-plus days and is headquartered at the massive (2.6 million square feet, according to its website) San Diego Convention Center, with official events also scheduled at several adjacent hotels and nearby grounds. A growing number of "outside Comic-Con" events are also increasing the reach and scope of the con, to the point where most of downtown San Diego is engaged somehow in the world-famous, once a year party.
Regional Comic Cons have started cropping up in other parts of the country, so it's now possible to get a taste of the frenzy in such diverse cities as Baltimore, Seattle, Austin, New York and Washington, DC. But for die-hard fans, only the official west coast original will do. Competition for tickets is fierce: in 2015, the 130,000 available passes went on sale in February via an online-only ticketing process, and the entire event sold out in about an hour. Prices for the Con aren't bad; day prices range from $18 to $50. But, given the enormous interest in Comic-Con and the ever-growing number of fans competing for access, getting your hands on passes seems to get tougher year after year.
Once ticketed, there are additional obstacles to navigate, including the infamous Comic-Con hotel lottery, variably known as "Hoteloween" or "Hotelpocalypse", wherein available rooms in downtown and downtown-adjacent hotels are battled over as fiercely as the con passes themselves, as are local parking opportunities, which are becoming just as prized and difficult to obtain. Then, of course, you've got to get yourself to San Diego, and all along, as schedule info leaks out, there are tough decisions to make about what you'd like to see, what you're willing to skip, and what you're committed to spending hours - perhaps days - in line to experience (Doctor Who in Hall H, anyone?).
Why jump through all these hoops? Well, for one, passing these madcap milestones on the way to Comic-Con becomes kind of a rite of passage all its own - if you make it here, you've earned it. And, once you do get to San Diego and see what the big show is really all about, it is SO worth the hassle. There is something to see and do in every corner of the city, and you never know what to expect next. The con itself hosts around 700 official offerings - panels, demonstrations, art shows, collectible sales, exhibits, signings, meet & greets - and movie studios, production companies, and publishing houses also get in the game with a staggering array of related events. So, even if you've found your way to San Diego without any access to Comic-Con itself, there are plenty of screenings, Q&As, promotions, pop-up shops, and parties, parties, parties, outside the con to keep you busy to the point of exhaustion.
Each year's Comic-Con brings several large "tentpole" offerings, an array of classic panels, loads of new game previews, comic book releases, and tons of opportunities to pick up merchandise such as costumes and collectibles. This year Hall H, which at 6,500 seats is the largest of the con's presentation spaces, will host panels on "The Hunger Games", "Doctor Who", "The Walking Dead", "Game of Thrones", "American Horror Story", and "Supernatural", as well as sessions with Quentin Tarantino and Joss Whedon. There's also a Lucasfilm presentation on the docket for Friday, where fans will get a special look at the forthcoming "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" provided by director J.J. Abrams and writer Lawrence Kasdan. Want to get into Hall H? You may already be too late: fans started lining up for the venue as of noon on Tuesday.
As an attendee I usually stay away from Hall H and concentrate instead on smaller panels and presentations, which are always interesting and don't require a commitment to a night of bunking on the lawn for access. Comic-Con schedules are ever-evolving, but as of now it looks like I'll be checking out events from Syfy and Discovery, previewing a couple of new horror movies, spending time with the cast of "Hannibal", viewing a new cut of "X-Men: Days of Future Past", getting an up-close look at the "FX Fearless Arena" Fan Experience, and walking the con floor to be dazzled by the sights, sounds, costumes, and sheer inventiveness on display. I'll also be spending plenty of time at NerdHQ, which has grown over the past few years to become THE premier outside-con destination. It's part of The Nerd Machine, a fundraising venture started by actor Zachary Levi ("Chuck") to support Operation Smile. NerdHQ sets up an offsite, con-adjacent location and offers its signature series, "Conversations for a Cause", consisting of small (200 seat) panels that complement the content available at the larger Comic-Con venues. The "Conversation" experiences are highly sought-after, and I'm looking forward to covering sessions on "Doctor Who", and "Star Wars: Battlefront", as well as spending some quality time with Mr. Nathan Fillion ("Firefly", "Castle").
When I tell people that I've attended and written about Comic-Con they often ask, "What's your most memorable moment?" I'm at a loss to answer because there are so many: as a Trek fanatic I was overcome to find myself in a roundtable interview with William Shatner during my first con; listening to Guillermo del Toro talk eloquently and with obvious passion last year about contemporary filmmaking while promoting "The Book of Life" was amazing; the opportunity last year to hear Bryan Fuller describe what goes on behind the scenes of "Hannibal" was an absolute privilege; waiting for the start of a small press event with the cast of "Firefly" in 2012 had me literally shaking with excitement; and every, every time I see Joss Whedon at Comic-Con I get teary because I'm so moved by his creativity, intelligence, and all-around goodness. Those are moments you just don't get in everyday life.
I'm hoping that this year will yield some equally incredible experiences, and I'm looking forward to sharing as much of Comic-Con 2015 as I can with the readers of Big Picture Big Sound. So, here we go; and, as we say every year around this time, the con is on!
Related Articles:
