UPDATED FOR SDCC 2017
I always set aside a day of Comic Con devoted to acquiring autographs. I think it’s really fun to momentarily hang out with people from my favorite shows and briefly talk about the show. Then after, I walk away with something substantial to take home to remember the event by.
If you don’t want to read all the gritty details here’s a quick summary:
- At your first opportunity go to the booth of the studio you’re interested in and ask for a signing schedule.
- Line up in the general line as early as you’re willing to that morning.
- When they open doors, go quickly to the next line (either Sails Pavilion or Exhibit Hall)
- Wait more (make friends with those around you, I promise it could help)
- Stick your hand in and draw out what is hopefully a winning ticket.
- If you didn’t draw out, try to rejoin the line and see if you can redraw.
- Find out BEFORE YOU LEAVE when and where you need to be for the signing.
- If they don’t know ask the Autograph booth in the middle of the Sails Pavilion (but good luck, they often know less than you so YMMV).
- Arrive back at the location and time designated.
- Bring your camera, but don’t have an expectation that you can use it.
- Win SDCC
Here’s the dirt and grit I glossed over above:
If you’re confused about how the autograph system at San Diego Comic Con works, you’ve just joined a fun and somewhat obnoxious club. Every studio does it a little different. Independent artists will often have booths up in the Sails Pavilion, but those aren’t the autographs I’m talking about today. I’m talking about WB, FOX, Marvel. Those are the big guys anyway.
Signings usually work by a drawing. You have to go stick your hand in a bag of tickets and draw out a special one that indicates you’ve won and get to participate. The time when the drawing is usually when the Sails Pavilion opens. Except Marvel is a bit different, they do everything at their own booth including the drawings. So those will usually happen when the exhibit hall opens.
The best way to find out which specific shows are doing signings is to show up at the studio booth and ask for a signing schedule. They’ll give you a sheet that will have the info you need. You’ll now know which day you need to line up and where the drawing is. You can opt to camp-out really early, or I’ve also been successful getting autographs by getting in line right at 7am. That’s the beauty of a lottery style giveaway. It’s scarier though. For the more popular shows (Game of Thrones) you’ll need to camp out. This year (2014) I got in line at 3:45am and before I got to the front to draw, Game of Thrones was gone. But there were PLENTY of wristbands left for all the other shows.
Make friends with people around you. There are scenarios (like Game of Thrones) where the people around you are in line for the more popular shows. If those cap out before you get to the front, often these people (your new friends) are willing to draw out for you if you fail to draw. Especially if you offer a cash incentive if they draw out and you don’t for a show they don’t care about.
If you’re in line early enough and fail to draw out or if you want two signings that day, move quickly to the end of the autograph line and you may have a chance to redraw. Every year I’ve gone for autographs, I’ve ended up with 2-3 signings that I can get to. It CAN get tricky though if their signing times overlap.
2017 UPDATE – This method is getting much harder. I wouldn’t count on this working anymore.
You do want to check with the people running the drawing where and when to be to do the actual signing. They will know for sure and the people at the Autograph kiosk may NOT know. Or will take them 20 minutes to find out.
At autograph time, make sure you have your camera. You knew that already, but you may not know that depending on the studio, they may or may not allow you to take photos. Be respectful, but prepared. Marvel was cool with photos enough so that their staff would take a photo of you and the celeb. The WB would not allow photos after a certain line, but you could get them from the crowd outside the booth.
Whatever you do, this is likely going to be one of your funnest memories at San Diego Comic Con. None of the other conventions that I attend offers free autographs and certainly not with large numbers of celebs from the show all while providing you a cool poster. SDCC Win.
-Trevor
I certainly didn’t have time to talk about every little detail. If you have specific questions, comment or email us and I’ll elaborate on your question.
Here’s the 100 Signing Gallery:
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P.S. Trevor converted to Marvel & DC comics and movies later on, so no heartburn on that one, right?
Hey Trevor, first, let me tell you this is the best blog/writing I’ve seen about comic con autographs so THANKS SOOOOOO much! I am a first time newbie and older now and don’t know if I can hack it. I need to ask you a couple questions and hope you’ll entertain me for a min! So is it like this: You get up and get in line (probably this year since it’s star wars) like 1-2 am? Maybe midnight? And I want to go to get autographs from them… if they sign (we don’t know yet). I heard two things: One is the only way to get autographs is the sails pavilion (draw for a chance). Others say stand in line at the booth and just hang around you don’t need a bracelet. Another person told me they sign after the Hall H exhibit, you just need to catch them, find out quickly and get there quickly. I’m assuming my best bet is the Sails pavilion? Naturally, I’m wanting Star Wars and Walking Dead, the two biggest most likely… but I’m older as I said and can’t run like I used to.. When the doors open to get in, will I need to be trampled by people, cut in front of and all that to get to the sails pavilion? If you are in line, and you get to the front of the line and they are out, you go in another line? LIke AMC for Walking Dead? And if that’s out you go to another and so forth? And will they be clearly marked from a distance like AMC, LUCASFILM, WARNER BROTHERS etc so I can see (I’ve got an eye disease and it’s difficult to see some things). Anyway, thanks for the info. I have more questions but I’ll be happy to know this. I am kind of despondent now, knowing I spent 3k so far and probably another for a first/last/one time event for me and will probably end up with NOTHING. I’ll be devastated. I’m more interested in the autographs, but I am told if I choose that, I might as well hang up getting in the Star Wars panel etc. Because you have to pick and choose. It’s mind-boggling you have to sleep/eat on the ground half a day before when you’re old for a CHANCE to get an autograph, miss most of the convention doing that and still walk away with nothing. I’m very exasperated! But I do have hope…please give me hope! Thanks!!!!
Sue
starwarsautographcollecting.com (haven’t updated in two years… sorry)
Sue! This was a big enough of a question, that I wrote an entire article about it:
http://comiccon.tips/how-to-obtain-autographs-at-san-diego-comic-con/
Thanks for great post Trevor! I’m a first time attendee, and would like to know if you’ve ever camped out with friends for Hall H and subsequently gotten in line for autographs? We’re gonna line up for the Hall very early and will do shifts, so I’m not worried about losing my place in line. However, I am worried about both line times overlapping and not making it back to the Hall H line on time if I do try to get an autograph – do you have any advice for this? I really want to do the Justice League autograph signing and all of Saturday’s Hall H panels.
I have not attempted that. It could theoretically be possible, I would just be too scared to try. But the GA line usually moves in around 7ish? If the autograph you’re trying for is in the Sails Pavilion you should probably be out in plenty of time for Hall H to feed in. If you were to try and get a Marvel signing after 9, I would think your chances would be much lower. Just a quick warning on the Justice League thing though… they will go incredibly fast. Last year we attempted Wonder Woman and they must have only given out 20 tickets because we had lined up very early and were quite close to the front. They were long gone by the time we got up there…. Good luck!!
So glad I found your post as I was researching for this year :). Question, if you have some time and insight to give — I’m trying to get a better understanding of how the Marvel autograph drawing works and the general vibe I’m getting is “it’s impossible!” which isn’t entirely helpful. I know this post is from a few years ago so your experience might be extremely outdated now, but any tips or advice for lining up in order to get into the Marvel autograph lottery? In particular, I’m trying to hit up the Saturday morning Defenders signing. I know Saturday is going to be a crazy day to attempt anything, and I might be absolutely heartbroken but whatever knowledge I can get to try to give myself slightly better odds, I’m willing to do it. Also, would you recommend trying to find other people who are also trying for the Marvel booth autographs? The rest of my group will be in line for Saturday Hall H so I’m flying solo. Thanks so much!
I’m glad you found it too!
It’s not impossible, but it is difficult. Marvel as you’ve suggested is a little different. They will do the drawing from their booth once the exhibit hall opens. The interesting thing about this is that is usually quite a bit of time AFTER the other drawings have occurred. So my friends and I have had some success going and drawing out for a WB autograph and then going to the Marvel booth and also drawing out for one of those autographs. (You can see the pic of Yondu in this post, that is how I got that one). The Marvel booth is waaaay more random than the other ones. Your chances are obviously higher the closer you are to the front of the line because there are more tickets in the box. Sometimes the guy holding the box will give hints that maybe you should pull the one you’re holding and sometimes not. I’ve seen more people standing around crying after attempting to draw out for Marvel than any other signings. I get more nervous drawing out for autographs than about anything else all year. Marvel is hard, but if you camp out early enough and get to the booth fast enough, you have an ok chance. But the chances for WB and others in Sails are a lot higher.