So San Diego's Comic Con tickets are have sold out. Despite clicking F5 until your key finger were bleeding (and that has actually happened to some people), it’s proved too hard. But don’t despair, Bleeding Cool is here to save you... and your Slave Leia costume. Here are 10 ways you can still get into San Diego Comic Con 2011. Feel free to tweet this round to your similarly minded friends.
1) Wait. Even though you may find this unbelievable, some people with tickets won’t want to go. So San Diego will refund the money and suddenly have spare tickets. Also San Diego Comic Con hold back one day passes until closer to the convention, and sell them at standard price, in order to beat the ticket touts. They will be limited but they will be available. Sit tight.
2) Find a ticket tout. Despite all sorts of measures against them, tickets will have been bought in blocks ready to sell on at outrageous prices. Often picked up by fans with too much money and no planning skills, or studios who suddenly decide they want thirty more people there trawling Artists Alley and the bars. The danger here is that this is not kosher and San Diego can refuse entry to those with tickets not in their name. And last year people turned up with fake tickets sold to them. Again, no entry. Dangerous and expensive.
3) Volunteer for Con. This is more like it. For a few hours work a day, not only will you gain free entrance to the convention, but you’ll get an instant social network, enjoy the volunteer parties, boss people around and help out celebrities. I’ve done it myself, it’s a wonderul experience and you’ll make lifelong friends. Even if that means you’ll miss the Green Lantern panel. So if you fancy escorting Matt Smith, or pushing Wookies out of the way, this is your opportunity. A perfect choice for starfucker or mini-Hitler alike. Or, you know, someone who just wants to be a part of it all.
4) Volunteer for a Vendor. This is the best choice if you are young, female and potentially buxom, but to be truthful, anyone with hands will do. A few hours booth time a day helping out retailers, studios, publishers wearing a tight T-shirt and the con is yours. Again, you’ll get an instant social network for the show and get access before the convention opens. But watch out, they may want you to pack up afterwards. And they frown on shoplifting.
5) Become a comics creator. You haven’t got long. But if you draw a bit, or find someone who can, get your work online, fast. Send a few press releases out to easy sites like Newsarama and CBR. And bingo. Seriously, this works. This can really work.
6) Become a comics journalist. Possibly the easiest of the lot. Set up a blog. Write something outrageous and get other people to link to you. Run something about comics and breasts, that’s the easiest way. Now you are media. Try for media accreditation. Or simply write for an existing website. Go to a panel, write what happens in panel down, upload it, and you are suddenly a comics journalist for a major site!
7) Just hang out. There’s almost a secondary Comic Convention being created outside the show. Last year about 50,000 people who couldn;t get in, rocked up anyway and enjoyed the stalls, the zombies, the giveaways and the hotel lobbies. If it’s creators you want to meet, why go to the convention at all? Save your money and spend it on $9 vodka and cokes in the Hyatt bar, Befriend the staff while you’re at it and you’ll become invaluable to drink-sozzled comics creators later in the night.
8) Get invited onto a panel. Seriously they give panels to all sorts of people, including prominent fans and their websites. I bet you can persuade one of them to invite you along as a guest commentator.
9) Go next year instead. Spend the money on the ones you love. And follow the con on Twitter. Seriously, you’ll get a better idea of all the announcements. Just try and get someone at the show to buy you tickets for 2012…
10) Pack some heat.
