We love comic conventions, we’ve been to several now and can’t get enough of them. Although they weren’t running that much between 2019 and 2022, we’re ready to get back out there and meet some fantastic people, both guests and celebrities. We’ve found over the years that it doesn’t matter if it’s a smaller comic con you’re attending or a huge comic con, there are comic con essentials that you’ll need to take.

Hopefully, you already know most of the things on this list so you won’t really need that much help, that being said there’s always room to learn and grow when attending these conventions. Who wants to go to a geeky convention unprepared? Not me!

We’ve been to quite a few comic cons in the past so we like to think we know a little bit of what we’re talking about. We aren’t comic con newbies but I know a lot of people are and they’re just looking for some comic con advice which is great. We’ve attended several conventions such as the Bournemouth comic con, Birmingham comic con at the NEC, Wales comic con several times and many others.

Comic Convention Essentials

Comic Convention Sharpie

So I hear a lot of people ask, will I need a sharpie at comic cons? The short answer is yes you will. A lot of guests will have sharpies or pens on their table, you have to remember though that they are being used all day and are bound to fade and run out at some point. Taking your own sharpie means you’ll have no fear of it not coming out right or not showing up.

You can also pick whatever sharpie you want. This means you can find a white or silver one if you’re having a black T-Shirt signed for example. Or maybe you’re having a white book signed and you want a black sharpie, well you can take your own! My advice though is don’t start lending them out because comic cons are busy and you might not get them back.

My advice would be to have a comic con sharpie. That’s the best bit of comic con advice I can give, I’ve been in the position when a sharpie has run out and the celebrity helper is looking for another one and it’s very awkward!

Comic Convention Power Banks!

I see a lot of people asking if there are plugs at comic conventions that they can use to power their devices when their battery runs low. There used to be a lot of plugs available, however since the comic cons have become more popular and energy prices have decided to skyrocket; the likelihood of getting a power supply at comic con is very, very low.

Instead of running out of phone battery and not getting that amazing photo with a celebrity you love, take a power bank! Taking a power bank means you’ll be able to charge up wherever you are at a convention. You can walk around, talk to people, meet celebrities and even grab a bite to eat while you’re phone is on charge. You might use up the whole power bank over the day though so make sure you put it back on charge when you get home.

Comic Convention Deodorant

So this is a sore subject for some people, while everyone else wishes it wasn’t. I find that comic conventions are very hot, people are packed in together and it does mean that you are going to get sweaty and smelly. That being said I think deodorant is something we should all be taking with us to a comic convention so we don’t make others hold their noses.

Whenever we go to comic conventions we make sure we smell good. So here are my comic con tips. Use roll-on deodorant before you go (don’t take this with you as you won’t be applying it in public), and use anti-perspiring to stop the sweat from invading your nose and others, this might fade so take some with you so you can use it throughout the day. You can take aftershave or perfume as well and spritz some, don’t overdo it though as body odour and aftershave don’t smell great together.

Comic Con Snacks

Taking a drink and some snacks to comic conventions is a really good idea. Most comic conventions will have food stalls but they’re bound to run out of food at some point or they will be very expensive and you’ll end up picking food or celebrity meets. If you take some snacks and drinks that fit in your bags you can make sure you’re not hungry and you don’t get dehydrated.

The great thing about taking snacks and drinks in your bag is you’re bound to use them so you can put the rubbish in the bin and you won’t have to take it home with you! That means you’ll have more room in your bag for merchandise! I would suggest something light and not heavy like chocolate, chocolate is bound to melt and leave you feeling bloated and you don’t want that.

Suitable Comic Convention Bag!

I can’t help but have a little chuckle when we see people walking around with their arms full of stuff! You’ll see people juggle Funko Pops, trying to carry photos they’ve had signed and I’ve even seen people dropping bits that really do break my heart! So moral of the story, if you’re looking for an amazing comic con tip, take a bag!!

I have a Mcdonald’s shoulder bag that I take to comic conventions, I bet you’re thinking how can you have a McDonald’s bag? Well, I do, check out my Mcdonald’s bag here! We keep little roll-up bags in this bag as well so if we end up buying stuff we can get one of the bags out and use that. The smaller bag is a great size for our power banks, sharpies and everything else we need to take.

Comic Convention Advice

So there is more you’ll need to know other than what you will want to take to a convention. Of course, I’ve listed some of the main bits we take but there is much more you want to factor in. You’ll be spending hours at your chosen comic con, you’ll spend a lot of money and you’ll do a lot of things. Take a look below for my comic con advice.

How Much Money Do I Need At Comic Con?

So yes comic cons are expensive and you will end up spending a lot of money. In recent years the prices for guests have gone up both in autographs and selfies. At the same time event tickets have increased, hotel rooms are more expensive and merchandise is there only if you have the money left over. You will need to budget everything when you go, a comic con budget is needed unless you’re super rich!

Hidden comic con fees are everywhere. I’m talking about things you don’t really think about. A celebrity might be doing selfies but you have to pay £30 for it which you wouldn’t have taken into account. The thing I would suggest is to do your research first. If you know how much a celebrity is charging for a photo or autograph beforehand you’ll be able to add it to your budget. If you take your own snacks, you won’t need to budget for food and drink for the day.

Comic convention parking can also be a nightmare, take a look on google first if there are any cheap or even free parking options in the area. Sometimes it pays to park a little further away from a convention to save money or get a hotel close to the event that has free or cheap parking options.

Some of the main things you’ll need to budget for are celebrity photos and autographs, food and drinks, parking, hotel costs, breakfast and dinner costs if you’re staying at a hotel, fuel or transport costs, merchandise, event tickets and much more!

Going To A Comic Convention Alone?

I understand that not everyone will have friends that they can go to a comic convention with, we don’t. In fact, we always go with each other because none of our current friends would be seen at a comic con! I would never suggest going to a comic convention alone, even if you have to rope one of your family members into going with you!

Don’t go to a comic convention alone, here’s why! There are very, very long queues at comic conventions. if you step out of your queue you will lose your place and people will not let you back in. If you have someone with you, you’ll be able to save your space in line. You’ll also have someone to take photos for you if you want photos with celebrities. You have someone to carry around the stuff that you purchased if they let you that is! Most of all you’ll have someone to keep you company and talk to.

Comic Convention Social Media Groups

If you’re looking to go to a comic con this year, have a look at various social media platforms for comic con groups. This is a great place to talk to fellow geeks who you might make long-lasting friendships with and can even hang out at comic cons! They are also great if you need help with anything, need any information that you can’t find online or if something is going wrong on the day you can ask in the group.

We’ve used Facebook groups before for Wales comic con and Bournemouth comic cons when stuff has happened on the day. I remember at Wales comic con people were throwing litter everywhere in the car parks so I posted in Facebook and volunteers went to make sure this was cleaned up because that sort of issue will mean a comic convention won’t be allowed to return in that area!

Of course, if you have any issues on the day of the comic con, you can reach out to any of the staff who work there most of the time they’ll be able to help. We have found that staff at Showmasters events are kept in the dark and won’t always know the answers. The Wales comic con staff most of the time will have the answer you need though.

The Best UK Comic Conventions

Advice For Attending Comic Conventions

• Tickets: Purchase your tickets in advance to avoid long queues, it is important to get tickets in advance as most events sell out and you won’t be able to buy them on the day. Never buy tickets for comic conventions from a third party seller.
• Cosplay: If you plan to cosplay, make sure your costume is comfortable. Also, make sure that any replica items (props) are not realistic as you might be pulled by security. Take a look on the websites rules for any cosplay restrictions.
• Cash and Cards: If you attend a comic con it is wise to take cash, this is what the celebrities will want, plan ahead for this as there might not be an ATM at the venue. Always keep your money safe and secure on your person.
• Follow Rules and Guidelines: Adhere to event rules and guidelines, you don’t want to get something wrong and be asked to leave or refused entry.

Comic Con Reminders!

I’m just going to bullet point some comic con advice below so if you can’t be bothered to read everything, jump to the bottom and take a look at what you need at comic cons and ensure you’re not running out of money before lunchtime! Just a little comic con reminder, if you’re going for two days you’ll have to budget for that and probably take even more. We’ve spent around £3,000 at a comic convention before over two days so if you’re thinking, are comic cons cheap? They are not cheap!

When you search google for what to take to comic con? You will need to take into account that every comic con is different and they will have different rules as to what you can take in. I know a lot of the United States comic conventions do not allow you to take any deodorant in, whereas UK comic conventions have a strict policy to check all bags at the door and will either ask you to remove or throw away anything not allowed in before you can go in.

Comic convention essentials

• Sharpies or pens
• Deodorant
• Snacks & drinks
• Power banks
• Suitable bags

Comic Convention Advice

• Don’t go alone, take a friend
• Budget for everything!
• Do your research on what guests are attending
• Join social media groups for more information or help on the day

Thank you for reading this comic con essentials post. I hope that you found some helpful comic convention advice and that you are more prepared to go to your next comic convention. I think we’d both agree that Collectomania in Birmingham and Wales comic con are our favourite conventions! We even did a little video on Wales comic con so go check that out!

If you found this comic con information post helpful, please share it with your friends, post it on social media and add it to Pinterest. I think everyone should be prepared for their comic con and this post will help them get started! If you have any comic convention information that Isn’t in this post and you think it should be, let us know in the comments or send us a private message and we’ll see if we can add it. I really do hope these comic con tips helped!