Hanabatake

I Hate Lines

I’ve been to or worked at San Diego Comic-Con for over 15 years. That’s a super long time, though there are lots of multi-generational geek families who have gone for even longer.

But honestly this year I don’t think I’ll be attending. At least not for fun. I’m always up to give a hand to friends or for work, but running around as a Fan? I just can’t take it.

Comic-Con has been growing every year. It’s great! Exciting! But also tiring. Especially since I really, really don’t like crowds. Spending hours pressed against people in line is just not my cuppa.

I spent hours in line last year trying to go to two panels: True Blood and Doctor Who. Now, getting in line 3 hours before my target panel is just NOT my idea of a good time.

I’m glad there are a lot of new fans out there who have discovered Comic-Con. I don’t mind the Twilight people. Twilight is a gateway title, much like Sailor Moon introduced a crop of new anime fans in the mid to late 90′s. My love of sci-fi and fantasy did not start with me picking up Dune as a teen. It started with Jane Yolden and Patricia C. Wrede. I moved to Andre Norton. I kept on going. Of course, I was also exposed to Robotech, Transformers, and other 80′s cartoons. I’m sure that whet my imagination.

In previous years, I was there for work. My panel attendance was few and far between. Since a great number of bloggers are out there in full force, I think I can get most of my news from them.

Or better yet, maybe not listen to the news and be surprised once in a while. It’s a feeling I sometimes miss since news is so readily available.