I realize that in the Internet Standard Time zone, SDCC08 has long since passed, and that
con veteran Tom Spurgeon has written the last word (or at least many, many sensible ones) on this particular topic. However, I thought I'd get a head start on imparting advice for SDCC09 (or really any upcoming con).
• If you're going to be handling sales, brush up on your cashiering techniques: count change back ($2.15 makes $20); hand the credit card back with the charge slip; work on communicating clearly with your coworkers and the customers; acknowledge other customers while making the one you're helping a priority; take your time if you need to to avoid mistakes. (You'll still make them by the third day because you're getting punchy, but good habits can minimize them.)
• Get moral support during the show (via phone if you need it, but sometimes you're lucky and they're there in person) from friends you met from places other than the comics industry — people who knew and liked you before you could win an argument about which year Bob Kane met Bill Finger at a Christmas party or make the distinction between Star Slammers and the Star Jammers without using the Internet. They're such a relief from the are-you-someone-important badge-scanning
[1]. This year I didn't connect with several friends during the con who have managed to find me over the past several years, and they were sorely missed: it was much harder to make it through the con without them. (Of course, at first, it can be a bit tough convincing people that working at the con is your real, grown-up job.)
• Your mom was right. Eat a big breakfast and pack a sweater. Go to bed early if you need to or you'll get cranky. Don't forget to eat your vegetables.
• I always pack an extra, empty carry-on bag with a shoulder strap that can fit in overhead compartments or under a seat.
It's always full by the time I get home.
• Get creative with food. Because of logistics and timing, I ended up doing my snack-shopping at an Asian market in Seattle the night before I flew down, and it worked out really well. Not only were the cans of coffee and tea cheaper and more convenient than having to wait in line at the Starbucks in the convention center, the Chinese vegan candy was a hit.
[2] One of my coworkers swears by room service. One night, every restaurant seemed crowded and impossible to get into —until I stumbled into an upscale Afghan restaurant. The prices and atmosphere were comparable to other Gaslight restaurants, plus the food was good and the portions generous, but it was quiet, dark and nearly empty.
• Karma works fast at a comics con: for every good deed I've done (watching someone else's booth during a bathroom break, etc.) I've gotten tenfold back in return (a much-needed sandwich, etc.).
• Although most of us are not as crafty as the lady who made a dress out of those Smallville swag bags last year, the best swag is the kind you can reuse. Even the disposable con bags tend to be sturdily constructed, so they make good shopping and eventually trash bags. The tote I snagged from Drawn & Quarterly has already been used as a purse, a library-book bag and for groceries.
Notes:
[1] I'm guilty of this too. (And people never look like the image of them you have in your head based on their work. For example, Dan Piraro is a much snazzier dresser in real life than he was in my imagination.)
[2] Since I am one of those people who are grumpy and incoherent before I drink coffee in the morning, and because I'm sharing a room with a coworker, I always bring an independent coffee supply. Last year I premeasured out bags of grounds and packed them inside a travel press (this had the added bonus of making all my clothes smell like a dark roast for the rest of my trip).
Image Credits:
Photos ©2008 Kristy Valenti
Click the pic of the Eisners to see who was standing off to the side.
Kristy Valenti currently works for The Comics Journal and Fantagraphics Books, Inc.
Uncharted Territory is © Kristy Valenti, 2008
