With Emerald City Comic Con and the entire convention season approaching, now is a good time for me to share some of the lessons I learned during my first trip to New York Comic-Con (NYCC) last October. These are not the usual tips about checking schedules in advance and wearing comfortable shoes, which you definitely should do, for the record. No, these tips are aimed at your prototypically shy, perhaps socially awkward nerd.
If you’re more comfortable in a quiet corner of the comic book shop but still want to brave a major con, read on!
Tip #1: Be Prepared for Crowds
I know you think you know this. I thought I knew this. I’ve been to Disney World. I can handle crowds. No problem.
Friends, I was not prepared.
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I spent a significant portion of my day shuffling along shoulder to shoulder in the midst of a veritable hoard of geeks. It was constantly noisy: I practically had to shout to be heard by the people I was there with, despite them being right next to me. Every booth was besieged by fans checking out the merchandise or burrowing through longboxes like squirrels in search of an acorn. There were long lines for everything.
Weirdly enough, I did enjoy my day, but I wish I had understood how big NYCC was ahead of time.
Prepare yourself by knowing that, however loud and busy you think it’s going to be, it will be more. I also recommend showing up as early as possible: I had to wait in line for the con to open, but once I got to the con floor, it was way less crowded than it ended up being later.
Also like Disney World, you will not be able to do everything. There is way too much stuff and way too many people to wade through. Pick out a couple of must-dos and try not to stress about the rest.
NYCC and other large conventions typically have a “quiet room.” This is just what it sounds like: a place where you can escape the noise for a while and recharge your batteries, literally and figuratively. If you feel like you might need a break, find out where the quiet room is ahead of time. You could also leave the convention hall and stand outside for a while, though I can’t guarantee the neighborhood or the weather will be very nice. As long as you have your badge, they will let you back in.
Tip #2: Plan to Spend More Than One Day There
This might sound counterintuitive. Why would I want to spend MORE time in a jam-packed warehouse of a building?! But here’s the thing: I was so bowled over by the crowds and the noise and the sheer size of the place that I spent the first hour or two wandering around in an ineffective stupor. If I had had a full day to acclimate, then I would have gone into day two fully prepared and been able to do more of the stuff I really wanted to.
I therefore recommend checking which days are least crowded and planning to be there on those days. This will give you one day to freak out and one day to fully immerse yourself in the fun!
Tip #3: Rehearse What You Want to Say Ahead of Time
Comic-cons are rare opportunities for fans to interact one-on-one with creators they admire. But, at least in my limited experience, the creators won’t typically start up a conversation with you. As the fan, you have to initiate the discussion. Terrifying, I know.
One thing that might have helped me is rehearsing what to say ahead of time. I did reread some books that I thought I might like to discuss, but I didn’t pinpoint what about them I liked and wanted to bring up. When the time came, I was so overwhelmed that all of my thoughts flew out of the nonexistent windows. It’s what I regret most.
You can still have a good time if you don’t have any personal talks with the creators, of course. No one punishes you if you quietly buy a book, barely manage to make eye contact, and say thank you as you leave the booth. But if there’s a creator or a book you love, it’s worth your time to come up with a simple script to get you started, like “I love the way you drew [character] in Comic-Con Tips for the Shy and Retiring Nerd,” or “[Title] meant so much to me because [reasons].”
And again, remember Tip #1: it is crowded in there, so you will need to SPEAK LOUD.
Perhaps most importantly: enjoy yourself!
Don’t miss this handy guide to comic-cons that can help you through your first event, and enjoy this piece on how cosplay and comic-cons helped one reader find their place.
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