San Diego Archives - RipCordless

Comic Con is over for 2013, but I find myself looking forward to 2014 already. Why? Because the Con (as it is referred to by attendees) is a splendid time. Joss Whedon said it best, when you visit in the Con, you feel like you’ve found your “tribe” for the first time — and the 2.6 million square feet of the San Diego Convention Center barely holds the 130,000 who make the pilgrimage.

There is some confusion over what Comic Con is all about. The easiest answer? Comic Con is a popular culture convention, co-opted by Hollywood but with a heavy influence of entertainment while not forgetting the comic roots. If you can find it in the world of entertainment, you will probably find it at the Con. The stars of film and television attend en masse to promote their latest projects and ingratiate themselves into the public consciousness. Never before have I seen so many stars in one place.

And 2013 was no different. Along with the various Hollywood types, there were comics, graphic novels, books, toys, posters, artwork, memorabilia, games & computer games, gadgets, t-shirts, collectables, costumes, and still more costumes. A small handful of attendees like to dress up as their favorite <insert character here>. You will find anything from Star Wars to Star Trek, from Harry Potter to Doctor Who. Video game characters come alive, as does anything zombie related. Some odds mashups also exists — who knew there was such a thing as a Steampunk Zombi Jedi!?

Just today, I was stomping around, flying the flag (read: wearing a Comic Con t-shirt) and was stopped by two people in the space of an hour asking about the Con. They both asked how it was, lamenting their lack of attendance. It just feels right going to the Con. I’ve been twice and will continue to go until I’m unable. If you have the means and it sounds like something you’d be interested in, I highly recommend making the journey. Might change your life.

After attending my first San Diego Comic Con, I have returned with a new understanding and appreciation of the event. Not a comic book convention by any stretch of the imagination, Comic Con is the pinnacle of pop-culture conventions. There you will find stars of television and film, books, toys, displays, previews, comics, artists, props, costumes, games, and anything to do with entertainment in the modern age. The Comic Con atmosphere crackles with electricity, with anticipation, and exuberance. It is a visual feast of cosplay and people-watching. It is a festival of sights, sounds, emotion, and intrigue as you are swept along with the crowd to be informed, entertained, and bewildered.

At the conclusion of each day, you cash out, exhausted from walking for hours and being tossed here and there on the waves of 130,000 people going 130,000 different directions — but you don’t care. You crash for perhaps four or five hours but wake the next day, eager for the experience to continue. But what to do? For the uninitiated, allow me to break down the basics of Comic Con, on its most fundamental level.

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