On Oct. 14, 2025, Comic-Con International sent email that Open Registration for the 2026 San Diego event would commence today, at 9 a.m. PST. It’s a wickedly wet day here in Southern California, which put me uncharacteristically inside. So, I pulled out the laptop, meandered over to the badge sale webpage, and joined the queue—where I was warned my wait would be more than an hour.
I puttered about my office, while waiting to see if maybe my chance for a Golden Ticket would come. The passes sell out fast, and I haven’t attended the Con since 2017, I did secure a pass for San Diego Comic-Can Special Edition during Thanksgiving 2021. But I couldn’t attend, for not meeting SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 requirements. Seriously?
To my absolute and utter surprise, sometime after 10:30 a.m., I was admitted into the purchase area. When contemplating such possibility, I had already decided against attending all four days or the Preview Night. My preference: Thursday and Sunday, which coincidentally were the only days available. Well, lucky me. I purchased passes for both.
Age discount (thank you, SDCC) cuts the price in half. I paid $43 for Thursday and $32 for Sunday plus a handling fee for total $90 total. Off topic, I am pondering being in my Sixties and whether that is reason to rebrand this blog to something like “Old Man Joe”.
Back to Comic-Con, I love Thursday for the energy. Presenters and vendors are fresh and looking forward to the four days ahead. Friday is much busier, and Saturday presents massive number of cosplayers because of the annual masquerade in the evening. But gimme Thursday! And Sunday, when the Con crowds with locales—families galore—and the loudest of the attention-seeking Hollywooders have left town. Also, vendors are exhausted and many don’t want to pack up unsold anything. There are discounts galore!
I shot the Featured Image during SDCC 2010 using Leica X1. Vitals: f/4, ISO 800, 1/80 sec, 24mm; 1:48 p.m., July 23, 2010.