Comic conventions are back—and how!
COMIC CONVENTIONS HAE RETURNED
As things slowly return to normal after the pandemic, it does this fan’s heart good to see comic cons gearing back up for 2023!
For instance, this past weekend had more than I can track down, but we had Planet Comic Con in Kansas City and Collective Con in Jacksonville, just to mention two!
The big convention near me will be MEGACON in Orlando from March 30 to April 2. I had a great time there last year, and I will be roaming the floor again on Friday this year! A word of advice? Saturday will be wall-to-wall people, so go another day if you can!
THE BIG EVENTS ARE HAPPENING AGAIN
For fans like me, it’s good to know that the bigger events are back this year, and that includes Wondercon in California, C2E2 in Chicago, Comic Con International in San Diego, Dragon Con in Atlanta, and especially New York Comic Con in the Big Apple, my favorite!
Of course, the one I’m most excited about is New York, and I might again be helping my friend Richard Rivera in Artist Alley (crossing my fingers). This always means Uber rides and Airbnb, and those often help me learn more about the area. Looking forward to it!
Sadly, I’m not traveling the con circuit as much as I had been. I miss them, believe me, but sometimes real life gets in the way of comics, and that is pulling my attention from cons more these days! Ah, well! It was fun while it lasted!
BEHAVING RESPONSIBLYS
Yes, many of us live in a variety of circumstances, with many continuing to live under important pandemic safety rules. We need to respect each other’s health and preferences as we venture out among other fans. Follow the guidelines the cons are employing! They likely mirror regulations the local government there is making happen to keep their citizens safe and healthy!
Me, I’ve been keeping my vaccinations up to date. However, several months back, I finally came down with COVID-19, so I took the meds my doctor prescribed, drank lots of fluids, and got plenty of bed rest. I no longer test positive for that, haven’t for a long time, but it’s still important to take care of myself and others!
Let me give my usual advice to prepare for attending a con—walk! Many of us don’t get the exercise we should, so we need to get ready by walking as much as we can! I remember the first time I went to SDCC—it took a week for me to recover after all that running around! These days, I walk at least a mile or two each day, often more, as I look forward to a con experience!
Also, plan ahead especially when it comes to finances. You will be tempted to bust your budget when you get on the con floor, but be sure to allocate some “mad money”—funds you can satisfy that occasional nagging itch! This way you’ll have fun and bring some treasures back without later worrying how to pay your electric bill or rent!
If you are going to a con this year, have fun, go with good friends, and be respectful of the pros, the vendors, the staffing, and other fans! That way we all come out of the cons as winners!
What do you think? Are you going to a con this year? If so, which one? If not, what needs to happen before you will go to one? Whatever your opinions, be sure to share them in the space below!
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Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.