For the past 5 visits to San Diego Comic-Con, I’ve focused on leaving San Diego with not only memorable experiences but also something physical that I can be proud of. SDCC exclusives fall into this category but if you’re like me, my wallet isn’t as deep as some peoples. So another thing that I enjoy hunting is autographs.
Autographs have always been a fun memorabilia item that is synonymous with conventions and the like. But I’ve had the lucky opportunity to have left San Diego in recent years with several autographs from people I consider geek celebrities. One of my favorite moments was at Nerd HQ’s inaugural year that allowed me to get Alison Haislip, Olivia Munn, Danny Pudi, Jorge Garcia, Alessandra Torresani, Joshua Gomez, and Zachary Levi‘s autographs after a super awesome panel. You can imagine that I was giddy with happiness when I met these actors and snapped a picture with Alison Haislip and Olivia Munn was the icing on the cake!
My last trip to SDCC allowed me to meet the cast of the Veronica Mars movie, right off their successful Kickstarter campaign. It was held at the WB booth which has been known to have multiple signings throughout the convention, but like several things at SDCC, it isn’t easy. Before I get into some tips and tricks, I want to premise this by saying that it’s not guaranteed you’ll get a chance to meet your favorite actors or geek icons at the WB booth. How it works is by a random drawing and in my three chances drawing a ticket from a small colored bag, I was lucky enough to get 2 signings. But if you’re like me, simply getting a chance to meet these celebs is worth the heartbreak. Without any further ado, let’s get into the nitty gritty.
My first piece of advice is to choose which WB signings you’re interested in. This is important because the signing drawings are always the day of the signing; so if you’re interested in the Game of Thrones cast signing on Friday, you’ll want to be in line on Friday morning. And when I say morning, I mean like early morning. From my experience, the key is the wait. Cue music for Line Con! When I scored the Veronica Mars signing, I had originally went for the Game of Thrones signing. But by the time I had made my way to the front of the line, all the tickets had already been drawn, so rule of thumb, if you want a chance to draw a ticket for the signing you really want, be in line (with everyone else) by at least 3am.
There will be 2 lines in front of the Hall H area which is called the Tents. One line is for Hall H, of course, but the other is the line into the convention. You want to be in that line. Once they allow attendees into the building, there’ll be a mad dash. Some attendees will make their way to Ballroom 20, others will queue up at the top of the elevators above Entry A, and others will power walk to Sails Pavilion.
1. You want to walk to Sails Pavilion
Once you get there, it’ll be chaos as well because there will be people milling about since the main traffic is coming from those leaving the registration area which will be to your right when you enter the Pavilion.
2. You want to head to the left and actually go through the doors to the outside
Doesn’t make sense but it will become clear once you do that. This is where the line will be for any WB signing for that day. Typically a security person will help confirm you’re at the right area. Once you get in line, prepare to wait again! But be happy because the hard part is over. Now it’s all up to Lady Luck.
3. Luck, luck, luck
From here, each person in line will have a chance to first choose which signing they are drawing for and then put their hand in a small bag. Inside are generic tickets that you can get at any Staples but on the table in front of you will be an example of what the winning ticket looks like. And all you have to do is pull out a winning ticket. Simple, right?
4. Wristbands
If you pull a winning ticket (which I hope you do), you’ll trade that ticket for a holographic wristband with the signing on it. It’s one of those wristbands that you can’t take off until it’s cut off at the WB booth, but is definitely a cool keepsake afterward. They’ll give you instructions to be at the WB booth prior to the signing. And you can confirm the time of the signing at the large poster that will be at the exit of the WB drawing area. I recommend taking a pic of it for reference later on.
5. Get ready to geek out!
So now you’re standing in line at the WB booth with everyone who drew a winning ticket. Again, you’ll wait as the previous signing finishes up and then you’ll have your chance to meet the cast of your signing!
I tend to ask a lot of questions and generally am a Chatty Cathy during these signings. At my first signing with the cast of NBC’s Chuck, I was able to plead with Zachary Levi to help me write an apology to my girlfriend, at the time, for getting into a fight the night prior. Yeah, I know, but it worked and now she’s my wife! But I digress.
And this is your chance to just geek out and show your appreciation and love for these people! So don’t be afraid to enjoy it!
6. Keepsakes
With the chance to chat with the cast, they’ll also be signing a poster that you can take home and frame. I’ve never attempted to take selfies during a signing but maybe I’ll try that in the future. It’s pretty limiting because they’re only allowed to sign one thing and that’s typically the provided poster. But it’s a sweet keepsake of your 4+ hours waiting in line. Victory!
And that’s it! That’s the WB signing process in a nutshell. Like I said, I’ve been lucky enough to get 2 out of 3 signings and to tell you the truth, there isn’t a real tip on drawing a winning ticket. That’s where luck comes in. But I hope this helps in getting you to the right line to wait in and the chance to draw for a signing.
Regardless if you don’t draw a winning ticket, you can still see your favorite actors by going to the WB booth at the signing time. A security guard will be diligent in keeping the flow of traffic moving in front and around the booth but you can still take video or pictures as you walk around the booth. It’ll be super crowded but you’ll still have a chance at seeing them.
There are other signings in and around SDCC as well so keep an eye out for famous actors with tables on the floor with autographs for a fee. As well as other signings that the big booths hold like Marvel, DC, Image Comics, and the like. So you’ll have other chances to get autographs. But if you’re like me, you’ll be in line super early in the morning for the WB signings. I tend to tweet more when I’m waiting in line, so if you’re in line, too, tweet me @jeremydizon!
And good luck!
Featured image up top by photographer Lisa McDowell for SDCCblog.com – be sure to check them out for some of the best SDCC guides and coverage!
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