Keeping Comic Con Fresh

I hope everyone had fun at Salt Lake Comic Con. I had an interesting experience bringing some of my clients from work to Comic Con for the first time. This was my fourth Comic Con and as such going in I felt like there wasn't much for me to see or do. Been there, done that. However, since I was going for work, I was there anyway. It definitely got me thinking though about ways I can still have fun at Comic Con, despite having done it all. So here are some thoughts about keeping Comic Con fresh, even if you're a seasoned veteran.

Mormon Geeks at Comic Con

1.    Bring a friend: Bringing my guys to Comic Con, I got to see Comic Con brand new from their eyes. They got to meet celebrities and see cosplays for the first time. So if you need a refresher at why Comic Con is so cool, bring a friend who has never been before and feed off their enthusiasm.

2.    Check out Artist Alley: The artwork at Artist Alley is always changing. Even though I see some of the same artwork from Con to Con, I'll almost always see new stuff. Fair warning though: if you go to Artist Alley, have a budget, leave your credit card at home, only carry cash, etc. It's really easy to blow a lot of money at Artist Alley, so go with a strategy.

3.    Go people watching: Cosplay is always my favorite part of Comic Con. Costumes are always changing. After Civil War and Pokemon Go this year, I saw several Black Panthers and I saw an increase in Pokemon trainers. So with ever changing cosplays, there's always something new to see.

Apparently, I will never bring my family honor. xD

4.    Try cosplaying: If you've never cosplayed before, give it a shot. It's not as hard as I once thought and I've given pointers on how to keep it cheap. That's one thing I like about Comic Con, I've debuted a new costume each time I've done Comic Con. It keeps things interesting, because I never exactly know who will recognize me.

5.    Meet a celebrity: If there's someone who really draws you in, go meet them! Not all celebrities that come to Comic Con are as expensive as Chris Evans or Mark Hamill. Most of the celebrities I've met have been under $60. I'll typically budget for one photo op (though sometimes celebrities will also do a photo at autographs too).

I got to meet Jason David Frank at the press conference!
Go go Power Rangers!

6.    Attend a celebrity panel: Celebrity panels can be just amazing. It's fun to ask them a question and they have great stories to tell too. My favorite celebrity panels have been Mark Hamill, Peter Davison, and Sylvester McCoy.

7.    Attend other panels: Comic Con also has plenty of other panels on various subjects from the 50th Star Trek anniversary this year to cosplaying in a budget. They will typically have some podcasters, bloggers, authors, etc. to be on the panels for these. You won't get any spoilers on your favorite tv show, but you could get some new insights to your favorite character.

8.    Free photo ops: Comic Con has plenty of free photo ops that you can do, including the TARDIS, professional cosplayers, etc. They're fun and it's always interesting to see what I can put together.

Off to the DigiWorld via TARDIS

9.    Take pictures: If you see a cosplayer you like, ask to get a picture. Most cosplayers are fine with people taking pictures with or of them. I personally take it as a compliment whenever someone asks for my picture. It means I did a great job on my costume and that someone recognized my character.

Any other ways you like to keep Comic Con fresh? What keeps bringing you back each Con?

I found my doppelganger!