Comic-Con

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ATTENTION COMIC-CON ATTENDEES AND ORGANIZERS: San Diegans truly appreciate your business and we don't want you go to Anaheim. No Mickey Mouse stuff here!

Editor's Note: Comic-Con is a dynamic convention that only expands its programming as we get closer to the start date. We will put links into certain areas such as autograph schedules, special guests, and programming. We will try to update celebrity appearances as much as possible, but we ask that you please check the Official Comic-Con Schedule on a daily basis for the most up-to-date information.

This annual festival of animation and the popular arts begins with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 21st and continues with the full convention on Thursday, July 22nd and concludes on Sunday, July 25th, 2010.

Thousands of people, many dressed as their favorite comic or video game characters, descend on downtown San Diego to interact with each other, to buy and trade collectibles, and to hear the latest news on their favorite forms of entertainment, whether in print or in 3-D.

For those of you not familiar with the Comic-Con phenomenon in San Diego, listen up. It all started in San Diego in 1970 when some avid fans of the animated arts gathered at a 1-day meeting. First known as San Diego Comic-Con, the Comic-Con we know today is the longest continually running comic convention in the world.

During the four days of Comic-Con, an amazing influx of creative people come together to commune with each other. From our experience last year attending Comic-Con, no other convention in San Diego has quite the visual impact like the Comic-Con attendees. This is your chance to embrace the inner geek or the inner super hero in you and let it all hang out. Got a costume? Wear it, and pose for the cameras!

We have designed this guide to accommodate the needs of a variety of people, including people that will be attending the event, tourists that will be visiting Downtown San Diego during the event, as well as people that live in San Diego and are interested in learning more about it.

Attendees

How Big is Comic-Con?

It's really big. In 2009, over 125,000 eager fans, professionals, and exhibitors attended Comic-Con in San Diego.  Like last year, this year's Comic-Con 4-day festival passes and 1-day passes have sold out in advance. The reason: there is something for everyone and for every age group.

If this is your first time at Comic-Con, let us give you a bit of advice. Despite the largesse of this international convention, attendees are remarkably polite and respectful. Many families attend the convention as part of their summer vacation and many more individuals attend because they are devoted fans of their favorite popular arts. This is prime people-watching and the looking is encouraged, not discouraged. Tolerance of long lines and tolerance of different kinds of costumes is a must. Leave your judgement at home and just come to take in the experience.

The Comic-Con experience extends beyond the San Diego Convention Center and it literally spills out onto the streets and sidewalks of the Gaslamp District. For example, last year traffic was held up briefly so that an unofficial light saber duel could take place.

As we mentioned, the San Diego Convention Center is completely consumed by Comic-Con. You should consult a map or download the official Comic-Con App to your smart phone/communicator. Here is an Exhibit Hall Map that you can refer to during your Comic-Con experience.

Celebrity Spotting at Comic-Con 2010

One of the most intriguing aspects of Comic-Con is that famous celebrities attend the convention in costume and sometimes even try out an act with the public. It has become a given that major movie studios and TV networks have come to Comic-Con to show previews and make presentations that showcase cult, favorite and brand new shows. In fact, so many appearances are made that we don't even have the final list at press time. If you want the latest information, be sure to go to Comic-Con's ever-changing special guest list.

Panels With Celebrities

Thursday, July 22nd

• "The Expendables" Panel - Co-writer/director/star Sylvester Stallone will be available along with cast members Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Steve Austin and Terry Crews in Hall H from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
• "The Anti-Heroes of Showtime" Panel -  Michael C. Hall, David Duchovny, and Mary-Louise Parker and Paul Schulze will join executive producers/creators of Dexter, Californication, Weeds and Nurse Jackie  from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in Ballroom 20. Q&A session with featuring the stars and executive producers of Dexter to follow from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Friday, July 23rd

• "Spartacus: Blood and Sand"Panel - Andy Whitfield (Spartacus), Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), John Hannah (Batiatus), Viva Bianca (Ilythia), and Executive Producer and Head Writer Steven S. DeKnight will appear on a panel at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con. Time to be announced.
• "Drive Angry" in 3D Panel - Writer/Director Patrick Lussier, stars Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard and William Fichtner will be speaking in Hall H from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• "Super" Panel -   Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Nathan Fillion, and Michael Rooker will talk about their new movie from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Hall H.
• "Falling Skies" Panel - Noah Wyle and Moon Bloodgood will join co-executive producer and writer Mark Verheiden in a screening followed by a Q&A panel session from 4:45 p.m. to  5:45 p.m. in Room 6A. They will also be available for an autograph signing (TBA).

Saturday, July 24th

• "Sid & Marty Krofft" Panel - Join Sid and Marty Krofft as they participate in a panel and Q&A with Joe Ruby and Ken Spears from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Room 24ABC. After the panel, Sid & Marty Krofft, Joe Ruby and Ken Spears will appear in Huckleberry's booth # 4149 for a signing from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Autographs - Comic-Con 2010 will also be featuring a wide spectrum of guests that will be on hand to sign autographs. Located upstairs in the Sails Pavilion, the Autograph Area is the place to go for a special memento from a variety of artists, authors, and actors from every era of popular culture.

The Autograph Area is open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Comic-Con - What, Where and When?

What: Comic-Con 2010 will feature more than 400 events during its 4-day run. Programs include major comics publisher presentations, "Spotlight" panels featuring all the special guests, and a plethora of events geared toward the entire spectrum of comics and animation.

Where: Most Comic-Con programs will take place in Rooms 3 through 9 on the top floor of the older part of the Convention Center, in rooms 24ABC, 25ABC, and 26AB on the Cityside Corridor of the new section of the Convention Center, and 30CDE and 32AB in the Bayside Corridor of the new section.

The locations for movie and TV programming are Ballroom 20 and Hall H.

Two other locations close to the San Diego Convention Center will also be holding Comic-Con-related programs and special events.

• The Hilton San Diego Bayfront (directly across Park Boulevard at the south end of the Convention Center)
• The San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina (next door to the San Diego Convention Center).

New Locations for Comic-Con Film Festivals for 2010 - The Anime and the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival rooms have moved to the Marriott Hotel and Marina, right next door to the Convention Center, at the north (Hall A) end. Please note that The Fan Group meeting room has also moved to the Santa Rosa Room in the Marriott.

USS Enterprise

In addition to the regular programming, Comic-Con 2010 also features special themed nights. On Friday night, it's the comic book industry's version of the Oscars, the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards; and on Saturday night, it's the gala Comic-Con Masquerade, and on Sunday, it's the San Diego International Children's Film Festival.

While the regular events go on at Comic-Con, a special film festival will be taking place. The Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival (CCIIFF) commences on Thursday, July 22nd and culminates in an Awards Program on Sunday, July 25th in  at 11:30 a.m. The Awards Program will be followed by a line-up of more films on Sunday afternoon. There is no extra charge to attend the CCI-IFF if you already possess a badge to attend Comic-Con.

When:

• Wednesday, July 21st (Preview Night) - 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (4-Day Memberships ONLY)
• Thursday, July 22nd - 9:30 a.m. to 7:00p.m. *
• Friday, July 23rd - 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. *
• Saturday, July 24th - 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. *
• Sunday, July 25th - 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

* Additional nighttime events and programming run until after midnight.

What Has Changed in Downtown San Diego Since Comic-Con 2009

Bondi - The Australian bar/restaurant on Fifth Avenue that hosted a True Blood event closed this year.

Fuddrucker's - Located on Broadway, this burger chain could not make a go of it and had to shut its doors.

The owners of Dakota's Grill & Spirits (5th and E) closed it and reopened it as a chain fondue restaurant called The Melting Pot. Fondue-ing is fun and communal.

Searsucker - Set to open the week that Comic-Con begins, former Top Chef contestant, Brian Malarkey will be firing up the grills of his new American classic cuisine concept restaurant at 611 Fifth Avenue (Fifth and Market). It has been the talk of foodies for months now.

Proper Gastropub and Wine Steals East Village - This dynamic duo is just beyond left field of Petco Park (the San Diego Padres play here) and it is a great place for a pint or for a flight. The owners of Wine Steals have been wanting to open up downtown for some years now - they really picked a perfect location. If the Padres are in town, the Petco Park area will be hopping.

Carne Asada Fries at La Puerta - We discovered this decadent combination of fries with carne asada strips, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and shredded cheese this year and we are hooked. La Puerta has a great happy hour and very good authentic Mexican fare. Check out their taps for Cucapa beer - it is craft brewed in Mexicali.

Happy Hours Abound in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter - Let's face it, the downturn in the economy has really multiplied the availability of happy hours at most of the Gaslamp Quarter's popular restaurants and bars. When you need a break from all the hoopla inside the Convention Center, make a dash across the trolley tracks and check out the happy hours. The Gaslamp Quarter Association maintains a current list of happy hours in the Gaslamp.

The Pedestrian Bridge to Nowhere - See that piece of construction across from the Hilton Bayfront? It is a pedestrian bridge that was supposed to have been completed by the time you all returned. Is that the case? Obviously not. Evidently, there was a problem in the engineering of the span and construction ceased. So, visitors to Comic-Con will need to still cross the trolley tracks and use the traffic signals to get them across. Mind your manners and remember to look both ways!

COMIC-CON LOGISTICS

Comic-Con 2010 Parking Information - Parking in downtown San Diego is limited but there are a number of paid parking lots that you can secure if you arrive early. Don't bother trying to park at a meter because there aren't enough long-term meters near the San Diego Convention Center, although you can always give it a try.

New This Year - You can now purchase an official Comic-Con Parking Pass in advance and online through Comic-Con. There are various parking lots (both on-site and off-site) that are participating in this demonstration project.

Comic-Con Can Shuttle You for Free - If you are one of the thousands that plan to travel to San Diego for Comic-Con, please take advantage of Comic-Con's free shuttle service. Comic-Con knows just how impacted parking can get in the downtown area. In order to ease congestion and increase convenience, Comic-Con has chartered specially marked buses to shuttle between various convention hotels and the San Diego Convention Center.

The good folks at Comic-Con have also taken locals into account - even if you're not staying at a downtown hotel, you can still utilize this service by parking your car at a structure away from the Convention Center and taking the shuttle.

Comic-Con and Public Transportation - The San Diego Metropolitan Transit Service (MTS) will be providing Red Line special event service from Qualcomm Stadium to the Convention Center every 15 minutes all four days of Comic Con. Parking is free and plentiful at Qualcomm Stadium (this is where the San Diego Chargers football team play).

Insider's Tip: Transit riders should purchase a day pass for $5. Better yet, buy a four-day pass for only $15.

Comic-Con Transit Schedule:

• Wednesday, July 21st - 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Thursday, July 22nd -  9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Friday, July 23rd - 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, July 24th - 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Sunday, July 25th - 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Hotel Accommodations - If you have not booked your hotel room yet, be sure to visit Comic-Con's official hotel information page.  Last minute discounts for hotel rooms may be available.

You can also try booking rooms in nearby Chula Vista which has a trolley stop at H Street. Chula Vista is about a 10-minute car drive away from downtown San Diego. If you can't find accommodations in downtown San Diego and don't mind less glitz and glam, give it a go.

Disabled Services - At last year's Comic-Con, we got a chance to talk with one of the team members of Comic-Con's Disabled Services Department. Their goal is to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable as possible at Comic-Con. Special attention is paid to attendees who need assistance with mobility and language.

• Wheelchairs are available for loan in 2-3-hour increments on a first-come, first-serve basis at the San Diego Convention Center with a picture ID and a $20 deposit.
• A special rest area for the disabled, elderly, expectant moms, and parents with babies.
• Cold storage of medications.
• American Sign Language interpreters for the deaf during the large panels and the Masquerade.
• Special limited seating for the disabled for large programming events and the Masquerade.

Comic-Con and Children - Comic-Con is very accommodating toward families. In fact, Comic-Con has a long-standing tradition of providing a childcare vendor (KiddieCorp) to service those conventioneers who wish to give their kids a break from all the action.

Child care services for Comic-Con will be provided on Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Thursday-Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The on-site registration rates are as follows: $11/hour for children ages 6 months to 2 years and $9/hour for children ages 3-12 years. To find out more about Comic-Con's on-site childcare services, please call KiddieCorp at (858) 455-1718, register online or send them an email at info@kiddiecorp.com.

May the Force Be With You - Whew! That was a lot of information to digest (and to write). The Comic-Con experience is just that, an experience. If you have been curious, go. If you haven't been curious, you shouldn't even have gotten down this far. If you have been going for years, good for you!

If you have any comments that you would like to share with us and the rest of the public, please feel free to provide relevant comments below.