Comic Con 2011 - The Aftermath

If you have ever been to Comic Con in San Diego, you will understand the series of emotions you go through after the event has finished its run.

Part of you is glad it is over. After all you have just shared the San Diego Convention Center with over a hundred thousand people for however many days you attended. Walking through parts of the main floor is like walking through a Japanese subway on a busy weekday morning. People are going in all directions....left, right, with you against you, and people just standing around. You are overwhelmed by the visual overstimulation of the senses. You see some of the most incredible costumes this side of a movie studio. Trailers of the newest video games are showing on giant screens all over the place. Dance parties are taking place right next to the booth where your favorite TV show is being peviewed. There are some of most incredible artists doodling masterpieces as you stand there watching in amazement. Icons of their industry are being mobbed right in front of you, and you have no clue who they are. There are vendors hawking collectibles of every type you could imagine, and many you never could have thought of. This thing we call Comic Con is an assualt, but the most pleasurable assualt you will ever experience

By the way, the scene just described all occured in just five minutes. Imagine experiencing that for 5, 6, or 9 straight hours. It is exhausting and you are practically a zombie as you walk out each day. Here is the catch. Even though you are tired and would love to get some rest, you don't want to miss anything and there is only so much time, so keep going. If you have passes for multiple days, or have a 4 day pass, you are ever so tired by the end.

So you ask, why would you do this over and over again? Why would you put yourself through this torture day after day. The answer is simple, but that will have to wait for another day

Comic Con 2011

Here it is. Comic Con 2011.  To try to avoid the crowds at the Convention Center, I sent a few friends to the alternate site at The Town & Country Hotel in Mission Valley....Bad idea.  Not only was the traffic a nightmare, but it took over an hour and a half to get your badge once you got in.

I left for work and bailed on getting to the Town and Country when I saw the lines just getting off the freeway.  I went straight to the San Diego Convention Center and I literally walked up and got my badge.  I heard later it took people over 2 1/2 hours to get their badge from that location. 

So, I get my badge and then they had me the famous Comic Con Swag Bag.  You have all seen them.  They are big and come in all sorts of themes.  I happened to get Vampire Diaries.  Not my favorite, but when I asked for another kind, I was told in no uncertain terms....NO!!!

So just past where you got your bags was the worlds busiest barter center.  If you did not like your badge, which you could not tell till after you got out of line, you then had to trade your way over to the bag you wanted.  Vampire Diaries was not real popular and nobody wanted to trade.  I wanted to get either the Lego Harry Potter or Big Bang Theory, but it was going to take some effort.

After a while I was able to get this person to take my Vampire Diaries bag and got a Thunder Cats bag...great, I knew someone who wanted that bag.  I found her but she already traded for it.  I kept at it and found someone willing to give up a Big Bang Theory for Thunder Cats....Bang...Deal!!!

Twenty Minutes later I was out of there with my bag.  I then headed to the floor.

Honestly, I did not think it would be as crowded as it was, and this was just Preview Night, but the energy was high and happiness reigned.  I took a few pictures, but tonight was about buying Steampunk garb.  Before I new it the intercom stated it was 15 minutes till closing and to make our way to the exits.  I could not believe it had been 3 hours, but time flies when you are having fun.

It is late and I have to get up early.  So till tomorrow.