If you have never attended Comic-Con, there is one thing you must know about the show floor: it is the center of the geek universe. The show floor is densely packed with booths showcasing every comic, toy, game, TV show and movie that any respectable geek would crave. Being on the show floor is like walking through the creature market scene in Hellboy II; there are oddities and fantastical sights everywhere you look, from gigantic film/TV props, to obscure, miniature figurines, it’s almost like walking into a Tim Burton film. Many of the booths will be staffed by booth babes, but an undistracted eye will spot artists and celebrities in the booths signing autographs, or even walking amongst the throngs of attendees! Some of the stars I saw were the cast of the Guild, Wil Wheaton, Leonard Nemoy, Kevin Sorbo, James Callis, and Gene Simmons.
Many of the booths (especially those run by TV/movie studios) give away tons of swag (stuff we all get) to everyone in attendance. Of course, this is one of the main reasons it’s so hectic on the floor. After all, who doesn’t want a free pen, keychain, poster, t-shirt, tote bag, doll/toy, or other cool item? Thankfully, many booths have designated lines to keep the shoving to a somewhat tolerable degree.
The thing is though, it can get a little hairy on the floor. The aisles are filled with attendees (over a hundred thousand will visit each day), keeping you in nearly constant contact with another human being during your entire time on the floor. Alright, so that is a slight exaggeration, but that isn’t too far from the truth. Attendees come in all shapes and sizes – there really is something for everyone at Comic-Con. What is more, many attendees will come to the convention center decked out, from head to toe in a costume of their favorite superhero/character. From the incredibly creative, to the scantily-clad, it’s everything one would imagine it would be: a true festival for uber-fans, and Comic-Con is worth attending just to check out these home-made costumes.
There is so much to check out on the floor, it’s really tough to take in everything in just one day. But after braving the crowds, and walking around with sackfulls of swag, one day might be all a human being can handle.
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.