Comic-Con Non-Badge Activities

Getting a badge to the exhibits inside the convention center is pretty hard, but there is a ton of things Comic-Con-related things to do all around the area. In fact, this year's non-badge activities were probably just as big or even bigger than the ones inside the convention center. Here are some of the things I saw yesterday outside of the Comic-Con going on at the convention center.

First, I started at the Embarcadero. This was were a special "Con-X" hosted by the E! entertainment channel was going on. Plenty of free stuff and food there.

They had a lot of good guest speakers. Here, Al Jean talked about the upcoming season of the Simpsons. I believe Adam Nimoy was also going to be there later that night, but I was too tired to stick around.

Even though you can't go in without a badge, you can see a lot just hanging around the outside. The Game of Thrones production was holding a panel on the inside of the convention center. On the outside, a group of people doing Game of Thrones cosplay posed for photos on the convention steps. Also nearby was the "Abigail" yacht from the Walking Dead. It had lots of zombie noises coming from it and at least one person was in makeup.

I popped into Comic-Con HQ and not only were there games, there was a panel going on there as well. Here, Robert Picardo, who played the holographic doctor in Star Trek Voyager as well as Richard Woolsey in Stargate, talks about his love of science and space.

Tons of stuff to do around Petco Park. Here's a sample of the interactive South Park display:

If you love games, then you'll have plenty of places to try out the new one. I tried to see the Star Trek art exhibit, but they had already closed. I had plans to photograph part of the Zombie walk, but I couldn't find it. The problem was that by 5 PM, there were so many people that if it happened, I probably wouldn't have seen it because of the crowds. There were tons of people everywhere at that time and it was hard enough walking down the street.

Comic Con!

Comic Con in 2012
Kevin Dooley
Flickr/Creative Commons

Being in San Diego, I'm almost front and center for the world famous San Diego Comic Con. Unfortunately, getting a badge there is very difficult. There are other giveaways and you can volunteer, but even those opportunities can disappear faster than they come. It also turns the downtown area into a complete madhouse. So, it doesn't look I'll be going over there this year.

Luckily, our local media does hours and hours of live shows and interviews while Comic Con is going on. I swear they interview just about everyone there, plus they have a lot of inside shots and interesting facts. So, living in this town has some perks.

If you're planning to go down to gawk at all the people, please keep these tips in mind:

• The streets will be so packed that it will be hard for you to see anyone
• The front door area of the convention center is usually blocked from view unless you're on that side of the street, so you won't really see anyone
• There are also signs and exhibits that block views
• Many of the nearby restaurants will be packed and may have restricted access
• Off-site Comic Con presentations (like that at the library) usually require you to have a badge unless otherwise noted (the library does have one Comic Con presentation open to the public, but the rest are closed)
• Unless you have a badge, your chance of seeing a celebrity in that area is slim

So, your best bet is to watch the local news stations if you want to see anyone or anything interesting if you don't have a badge. However, you might want to go downtown if:

• You like to watch the gawkers
• You like the party atmosphere
• To tell people that you were there
• To perhaps see something interesting (by chance)

If you go, be aware that selfie-sticks are not allowed, even when viewing from across the street. Also, good luck getting there by car. Try taking public transport, which will probably be packed early in the morning.

Edit:

OK, a friend of mine pointed this out on her Instagram account. It's free and not too far from Comic Con if you want to go.

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