Comic-Con 2011
It’s coming: the largest convention in the country. From July 21-24, San Diego’s most legendary convention will be active. Comic-Con 2011 – which covers film, games, anime, and more – boasts enough programming to make your eyes bleed and so many activities that chances are you’ll have to starve for the duration of the convention… and then still not get in everything you want to do.
The convention has invited 63 special guests and counting. They include everyone from various writers, artists, historians, and more. Some of the names you may recognize, including Paul Levitz, Cameron Stuart, Alan Davis, Jo Chen, and more.
Comic-Con is holding a masquerade competition again this year. While the name implies that it’s a ball of some sort, it’s actually more similar to a cosplay costume contest. The prizes are of a higher caliber than your usual con freebies as well – expensive collectibles and top dollar cash prizes can be won.
There’s also an art show, which houses more than just paintings. You can also find jewelry, sculptures, and several oddities being auctioned off. It includes works by both amateurs and professionals. The items are sold via silent auction, voice auction, or quick sale. While you do have to be 18 year old with a valid identification to purchase anything, it’s worth checking out even if you’re not just because of the some of the intriguing items you can see. If you’re intent on only going where you can buy, the Artists’ Alley has over 100 artists displayed, both famous and obscure, for your purchasing pleasures.
Because Comic-Con is so large, it has the added benefit of being able to offer a lot of features that most other conventions can’t – child care, shuttles, a blood drive, and disability services, for example.
Since there is so much to do, we recommend taking full advantage of their MySCHED feature (http://mysched.comic-con.org/) on their website, which is also iPad compatible. You can create an account and mark off all of the activities you’re interested in so that it’s easier to keep track once you’re actually at the con. (Looking at this con schedule in its entirety is quite daunting…)
This convention comes highly recommended by just about anyone and is definitely worth experiencing at least once in your life. If you’re considering going, take a chance and go for it. Worst case scenario is you meet a million new friends during the weekend, pass out Sunday on the way home, and decide not to go back next year.
