Comic-Con Pros and Cons

Summer is almost over and GHPALS are drifting back into town. There was lively discussion at a recent informal gathering of PALS as we argued the pros and cons of going to what is considered by many to be the world's biggest celebration of popular arts, San Diego Comic-Con.

Pros:

• It can be fun. 
• Sometimes one can learn something new.
• One can see and talk to people one finds interesting.
• Publishers give away books.
• Panels can be interesting and one might discover something new.

Cons:

• It gets more expensive every year. It seems like everyone who has a business in San Diego tries to make a whole year's profit in one week.
• It gets more crowded every year. There are many events/programs outside the convention center that draw unregistered people. 
• The crowd control in Hall H in 2016 was absolutely appalling. People trying to get in had to share a narrow aisle with people trying to get food. The solution was to limit entry into the Hall even if it was practically empty. All of us watched this with incredulity. Those of us in the Hall received many texts from frustrated friends waiting in lines outside when there were zillions of available seats inside.
• Some of our favorite vendors have stopped going because the Con has little to do with comics anymore. 
• It is too spread out now. If you give blood you lose half a day because the blood drive is so far from the convention hall. It is a long walk to redeem the promo tickets, if you get one.
• It is too hard to get a badge or a hotel reservation. It's become a crap shoot.

Five years ago we would have argued the panels make the Con, but now one can watch them in the comfort of one's own home without waiting in ridiculous lines.

We all agreed that there would have been many heat stroke casualties at 2016 Comic-Con if it weren't for the intrepid street vendors who sold water for $1 a bottle.  Though they were out to make a buck, like true Americans, these men and women did not gouge Con goers. If only the hotels and restaurants followed their example.