Comic-con ... I HATE YOU!

SDCC Crowds *Image courtesy of theworldisraw.com 

Yep, I hate San Diego Comic-con. I think I've always hated Comic-con. Even the first time I went to Comic-con as a fan, I hated it. The convention is just too big, too poorly organized, and you get a  petri dish of humanity, wholesome passionate fans and dregs of humanity. 

Granted, I've been forced to work Comic-con in different capacities for the last 7 years I've attended the show. Everything from going booth to booth trying to drum up business leads, demoing product, managing a booth, to escorting cosplayers around the show floor. I've actually even been on a panel too. Here's my top 5 reasons why I hate SDCC.

Free Garbage *Image courtesy of io9.com

Reason #1 - Self entitled people - I would say a good 75% of the attendees enter the convention with a tad bit of self-entitlement. I'm not judging them as people. I'm saying that the convention is so god awful expensive and exclusive that people can't help but feel like they are compelled to get as much of an experience as possible. This turns normally sane and reasonable citizens into very ugly opportunistic mean people. I've been verbally abused, threatened, and even physically pushed by people who just want something free. Maybe it's a lanyard. Maybe it's a 25 cent crappy promo item. Either way it gets old when every 2 minutes someone comes up to you and asks do you have anything free and gives you a shitty look when you reply no, but we are selling products.This may sound like a shallow complaint but I have been physically assaulted on the show floor, threatened by 5 men who were upset over not receiving a 15 cent lanyard, seen a coworker shoved by a surging crowd for free stuff, heard reports of a female coworker escape a mugging for her show badge. It's just disgusting.

SDCC Perv * *Image courtesy of bleedingcool.net 

Reason #2 - Pervy Men - Ever have to escort a mascot / cosplayer around a convention before. It's actually a great experience. You get to see people get excited for their iconic heroes without being in a uncomfortable costume. I especially love to see the little kids eyes light up. The down side is pervy men trying to grab onto the models and take stealth crotch / boobs / butt shots with their cameras. Yeh, classy doode. I'm sure your mom is proud of you.

Reason #3 - Work - This probably doesn't apply to anyone else but people that have worked the show. If you have a full day shift and have to work the entire event, you're looking at 8-12 hour days on your feet in front of the public, 4 days straight. Even with a few breaks here and there it's pretty taxing. Even when you get breaks and you are off, you're at Comic-con so you go check something out or go buy stuff. It's even worse if you are part of the setup and tear down team for the booths. Oh yes people, everything from booth fixtures to product has to be set up and torn down. It's a seriously tough event to work. No one thanks you, they just ask for free shit. 

Reason #4 - Food sucks. Convention food equals hot dogs and greasy pizza with a 300% markup. The Gas Lamp district is usually overcrowded at night. Good luck finding sustenance away from the public. Luckly, I've been pointed to some great hidden spots over the years. Still, junk food for an entire week sucks.

Reason #5 - Convention Itself - I'm talking convention management. Specifically  the union labor, security company, and management as a whole. The convention is run pretty poorly when it comes down to it. A lot of things are last minute and info packages are riddled with errors. It's a miracle that things actually fall into place every year. The unions overcharge and strong arm vendors to pay outrageous fees. I would not go as far to say it's mafia style, but sometimes it feels like it, especially when they charge you for their mistakes, tardiness, or just because they need to fill overtime. 

Derp * Imagecourtesy of KPBS via flickr

Security is a joke. You have a ton of people who do not know how to control crowds or talk to people. Last year I was refused to go to the restroom from my booth cause the security guard in charge of the area told me I was crowding the aisle. It's a 10 foot wide aisle. I'm one person who needs to take a leak before the show opens. Sigh. I've also seen security artificially create crowds and mobs by improperly denying access to public walkways. Way to go.

In hindsight, yes I am blessed to be able to work in a fun industry and there are joys and small victories at SDCC. I do have great memories with coworkers and friends but I also dread having to attend and work the show every year. It's taxing and I always worry what disaster is going to happen next. Blegh.