Welcome to Part Two of my multi-part Comic Con series. Each comic-con has a different personality, and every experience teaches me something new. So having been doing these for a few years now, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned, or comfortable habits I’ve formed in this, Don Sparrow’s Guide to Comic-Cons for Artists. Click HERE for PART ONE: TRAVEL.

DISCLAIMER: Am I saying this is the ONLY way to do a convention, or that you’re a hopeless case if you do a convention differently, or have different motivation or results from a show? NO! Where are you getting that? This is just some stuff that I figured out makes a show go better for ME, personally. Ok? Ok.

YOU ARE HERE: ARRIVING AT YOUR DESTINATION

PACK A PECK OF PICKLED PEPPERS!

This part goes with both couchsurfing or hotels, so I’ll put it at the top: Make sure you have everything you need. I’d way rather overpack than underpack, so I always make a list as I’m packing where I check off essentials. Plus, if you pack properly, you won’t have to bother your hosts (if you’re staying with friends or family) or the front desk (at a hotel) for any of the small stuff that can be missed. I travel so often, that I now have a pre-packed toiletries bag that I never touch while I’m at home, so I know I’ll have all the weird little grooming things that might come up while I’m away. Here is some stuff that various trips have taught me I always need:

– A huge one for me is earplugs–I really can’t sleep without them, so I’m always sure to have some on hand. I like the weird bullet shaped ones as they really block the sound.

– Flossers. I can hardly think of anything as annoying as when I really need to get something out of my teeth. Plus, when I’m out at night with a buddy (and the day’s sales have gone well), steak is very often on the menu, so it’s a must.

– Shaving stuff. Now that I’ve switched to Dollar Shave Club, my expensive old Gillette razor has become my travel razor (despite being FAR from the best a man can get).

For so many trips I forgot to bring anything to shave with, so by the end of Sunday afternoon, I would look like a grizzled, haggard version of myself (and haggard is already kind of my thing).

There’s a bunch more, but you get the idea: grooming stuff! Pack it, and forget about it, and you’ll have it and be clean and spiffy for your whole trip.

STAYING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

For me, comic conventions are about earning money. Yes, it’s good to get your name out there, or to network, and all that other good stuff. But if I don’t turn good profits from shows, I probably can’t do them (if for no other reason that it’s not worth being away from my beautiful family). So a good way to save some dough, if you can, is to stay with family in the area. In the first place, it’s great to catch up with relatives and friends you don’t often see, and, as I said, it saves a ton of dough you’d be spending on hotels. For that reason, you should be as good a guest as you can be while you stay with them.

•TALK TALK! Let your hosts know your schedule, and try to learn theirs. The reason you’re in town is for the convention, so make it clear that, for better or worse, your schedule is built around that. So if they’re night-owls, or early-birds, try to figure out the easiest ways of coming and going (do you need a key?) so that you disrupt the household as little as possible. The same goes for meals. It’s great if your hosts offer to cook, and if they do, then by all means, eat what is served. But let them know in advance that because of your weird schedule you’re happy to fend for yourself. Communication is key so that you don’t show up with a big bucket of KFC and see everyone gathered around the table, candles lit, fine China set, chamber music playing softly, and your family ALREADY eating their OWN bucket of KFC. Embarrassing!

•BE YOUR OWN RIDE! Since I usually drive to cons, I usually have my own wheels, which makes coming and going so much easier. However, for those faraway cons to which I have flown, transportation becomes a real concern. So I try to figure out a plan long before arriving to make sure I can get to the con easily. This could mean public transport, or taxis (some shows will even have shuttles), but whatever your route, figure it out on your own as much as you can, and don’t bother your hosts about it. And if you’re fortunate enough to be staying with people wonderful enough to lend you a car for the weekend, be sure to leave it clean, and filled to the windshield with gasoline when you’re done.

•KEEP IT CLEAN! This can be tricky, especially since you’re likely out at the con for the bulk of the time, but keeping your room tidy, even when you’re not in it will go a long way to keeping a happy host. Some people are more sensitive than others so sometimes an action that you think is harmless can really irritate and lead to bad feelings. So even something like, say, rearranging furniture can really be seen as being in poor taste. Communication is key when you’re trying to avoid a faux-pas. Leave that place better than you left it, with the furniture arranged precisely as your hosts wish.

• ALWAYS BRING A HOST GIFT! Yeah, I know, the idea is saving money. But a thoughtful card with a gift certificate to a restaurant is still much affordable than what you’d be paying at a hotel. So be cool, and let your host know you appreciated your stay.

STAYING IN HOTELS

Man, I love hotels. Nothing against staying with family, but hotels are super fun, convenient, and all the cleaning is taken care of for you! Plus if your family member host has people over, making noise late into the night, there’s not a lot you can do about it. But in a hotel, the expectation is that you’re the boss, and that’s tough to beat. Also, ice machines!

We’re also very lucky that we live in an age of online coupons and wholesale hotel sites. You can get some great deals on rooms if you book well enough in advance, or have friends or family in the industry. Plus, they often have special rates for the convention you’re attending, so if you’re fortunate enough to be considered a featured guest, you might get a built-in discount.

•DO YOUR HOMEWORK! With all the online review sites, you should be able to get a pretty good sense of where you’re staying. Last year I booked late for a convention, so I was very limited for options, and had to stay in what was certainly the seediest hotel I’ve ever been to (in fact, its primary function wasn’t even a hotel, but a blues bar). But because I’d looked into it in advance, I learned that this hotel actually had a whole other building of suites across the street, away from the noisy bar where I could hear every word being sung by the night’s bar band. Granted, the room across the street wasn’t much nicer or cleaner, but it WAS quieter, which was all I really wanted.

• SHOP AHEAD! Coin operated vending machines are convenient when you want a delicious Coke Zero to go with your bucket of ice, but you’re better off stopping at a grocer on the way back to your hotel to pick up stuff like that. Most rooms now have a mini-fridge, too, so all the more reason to pick up a few things ahead of time.

• DO NOT DISTURB! I’m revealing my paranoiac side again, but I keep the Do Not Disturb sign on the door virtually all the time. I only take it off when I’m leaving the room, but I never put out the “please freshen room” sign. I’ve found they’ll clean the room when I’m gone even without the sign on the door, and not putting it out might make a would-be room burglar less likely to think the room is empty, so my con-bought treasures will stay safe.

• ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE! While I’m obviously a fervent believer in planning ahead, hotels are a lot more amenable than people realize. Got a big order of Chinese food, but no plates? In most hotels I’ve stayed in, they’ll give you cutlery and plates, even without having ordered room service, free of charge. Same goes with extra pillows and covers and that kind of thing. Some places even provide toothbrushes, or other incidentals you might have forgotten. Just ask. The worst that can happen is some stranger will say no.

• OTHER DUMB TIPS! Did you ignore the packing part, where I said to bring a wall-charger for your phone? So long as you have your cord, you could plug it into the hotel TV, and it’ll charge your phone. Now you know!

Thanks for reading! Coming in the next post: SETTING UP! Figuring out your reasons for doing a convention, setting up, what to wear, and so so much more. I love you.