Salutations, traveler of The Internets! Welcome to William's Bloody Hell, so named after our founder, Sir Bloody William.
He is seen in the likeness above in a rare, 19th century woodcut. This
image was rumoured to have been
commissioned after a bout of unpleasantness
in the White Chapel district of London. Do enjoy your stay and peruse our many, varied offerings, much of which cannot be found elsewhere!
::Today's soundtrack: Cat Stevens "Sing Out" ::
I have gone to a few comic book conventions in my time. I do recall when I was off to my very first convention that I had no idea what to expect. As a public service, here are some bits of advice and observations from me to help YOU all out should you decide to take in your first comic con.
William the Bloody's Guide to Comic Cons
1. Bring a document tube. Trust me. If you buy a poster or art work, it's going to be handy to have a place to put it where you don't have to worry about it getting folded or crinkled. Tubes are also loads more convenient than a protective sleeve!
2. Bring extra comic book bags and boards. You never know if the comics you're going to buy will come already bagged or boarded or not, so it's best to be prepared. Plus, backing boards can be perfect to give an artist to draw something on!
3. Ghostbusters are reaching Stormtrooper status. Seriously, it was practically a law that every comic con should have Star Wars Stormtrooper representation. The 501st regimen of fan Stormtroopers is very active at conventions and their costumes are reknown for their near-professional quality looks. Well, the fan made Ghostbusters are getting there, too. Places are starting to have "official" Ghostbuster groups with practically professional looking proton packs that light up and everything! If you DON'T see a Ghostbuster at a comic con, I'll pay you five dollars.
4. Wear comfortable shoes. Conventions can go on for over eight hours, and sometimes you'll be there for the whole duration. There is so much to see, buy and do and comfortable shoes are the best way to get you to everything and keep you from getting cranky.
5. Don't spend it all in one place. Be careful with your money and don't spend too much too soon. Like I mentioned in number 4, there is SO MUCH to buy! Frequently, more than one booth will have the same item, so shop around for the best price. If you can, it is a great idea to walk through the ENTIRE convention once without spending ANY money just so you know exactly what's out there. There may be a something you hadn't anticipated being able to buy and if you had spent you money at the first booth you came to, you would be out of luck with your rare find. If the convention is more than one day, usually on the last day vendors will drastically reduce prices in order to clear inventory just so they don't have to pack it up, especially on trade paperbacks!
6. Be kind to Artist's Alley! Loads of new/amateur/undiscovered/self-published/small-press/web-comic artists go to conventions to try and get noticed by both major publishers and you, the public. You honestly never know what kind of stuff you'll find in there, and who knows, it could be your next favourite thing! I have found many surprise talents in Artist's Alley, including The Sentinels, a self published comic book that SHOULD be published by a major company. Sometimes recognizable "big name" artists will be in there self promoting as well and this could be your chance to talk and get an autograph! Most of the artists in the alley will draw practically anything you want... for a fee. Look it over, and if an artist has talent, support them by buying their work or commissioning something.
7. Don't be afraid to go in costume. If you're afraid of looking dumb, or being the only one: DON'T. You do not have to have the best looking costume out there to have a good time. So long as you put some effort into it, it'll show. If you DO choose to attend a convention in costume, be prepared for strange people to come up to you and talk to you about it. Seriously, a costume is like an open invitation for conversation. You might meet another person who is a fan of that character, or someone who has no idea who you're supposed to be but wants to find out. You may get random shout outs from passers by ("The Shadow!! Wooo! Awesome!!") or folks may want to have their photo taken with you. Be prepared, and BE COURTEOUS! You CAN turn down for photos in a polite way!
8. Don't be afraid OF the people in costume. Conversely, quite a few of comic book convention attendees DO choose to go in costume. Don't be afraid of them or treat them like freaks or lepers. We're all just trying to have a good time here. Most costumers won't mind to be asked to pose for pictures or answer questions about the outfit so go ahead! I think you'll find most to be very friendly and approachable.
9. Be prepared to wait. Much of comic book conventions can be waiting in long lines. The line to buy tickets. The line to actually get in. The line at a famous person's table for autographs. The line for food. Et cetera. Have a watch, something to drink, maybe a small snack on you, and possibly even something to read. If the doors are opening to a famous person's Q & A panel at noon, but you arrive at 11:30 hoping to get a good seat and so did 30 other people, having a watch may make you the most popular person in line. (see also number 4)
10. Wrestlers are represented more than you might think. Over the years, I have noticed a very steady INCREASE in the number of pro and ex-pro wrestlers who have booths at comic conventions just waiting to meet-and-greet and sign autographs. I had no idea there was such a big cross over of interest, but there seems to really be a strong one. If you like wrestling, a comic book convention may have the pros you've been waiting to meet with shorter lines than at a wrestling themed event.
11. Have enough room! Make sure when you prepare for this trip that you'll have enough space in your luggage and/or bags for whatever crap you're going to buy. It might be a good idea to bring an entire extra suitcase if you're a big spender or looking for large items like certain action figures or Hero Clix. having a small-ish bag to carry around with you at the con isn't a bad idea either. Sure, most places will hand out free plastic bags, but if you're buying hard cover books, costume pieces or action figures, that little plastic bag may not cut it, and you'll find yourself carrying these things around with you awkwardly all day long.
12. Know the convention area. At the very start it is a very plan to figure out where all your exits, bathrooms, food vendors, and panel discussion rooms are. It is VERY helpful to know where these things are BEFORE you NEED to be there! If you are going to see a panel at 1pm in room 406, it might be nice to know where room 406 IS before 1pm so you won't miss anything, savvy?
Alrighty! There you go! I hope you will find this helpful should you decide to finally go for it and attend your first comic book convention! If anyone else has any tip, ideas, observations or whathaveyou to add, I'm sure it would be appreciated.
William the Bloody (conventional traveler)
