Hotel Reservations for Comic-Con 2013 will Re-Open on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:00am PT

Hotel Reservations for Comic-Con 2013 is currently closed. It will re-open on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:00am Pacific Time. While you’re waiting for you email response from Travel Planners, you should probably either add their email address to your safe list or check your SPAM folder for your confirmation. Also, remember that last year the hotel reservation emails were not sent out in order they were received. So be patient, but prepared. Hopefully, you completed their form correctly and got one of your picks for your hotel reservation. If you have any comments, feel free to leave some regarding your experience with today’s reservation process or your picks!

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Click Here to Download the Current List of Hotels in the Comic-Con Hotel Block

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Housing for Comic-Con is closed at this time.
Housing will re-open on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:00am Pacific Time.
Click Here to go to Housing for Comic-Con 2013.

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Included are some screen shots of messages before, during and after the hotel reservation process. You can see how the Downtown Hotels were reserved heavily during this rush for reservation picks! Most of the remaining hotels were in Mission Valley. Some Downtown hotels may open back up on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 but be prepared that those will go EXTREMELY FAST! Once again, good luck on your pick for your hotel! See you at Comic-Con 2013!
It’s funny that CCI/Travel Planners has last year’s banner for being closed this year…

New IRON MAN 3 Posters and Empire Magazine Covers

In case you missed this one which was posted previously…

Comic-Con Hotel Reservations Open TODAY at 9:00 AM Pacific Time!

The hotel reservations will open TODAY at 9:00 am PT!

Good luck to everyone on your hotel picks!

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Click Here to Download the Current List of Hotels in the Comic-Con Hotel Block

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Click Here for the The Travel Planners Hotel Reservation web site.
IT WILL NOT BE OPEN until 9:00 AM Pacific Time TODAY!

Comic-Con Hotel Reservations Open Tuesday, February 26 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time!

Comic-Con International has posted their hotel list for Comic-Con 2013. The hotel reservations will open on Tuesday, February 26 at 9:00 am PT! They also updated some items that they think will help with the reservation process. Good luck to everyone on your hotel first picks (or should I say top 6)!

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Important note: We are offering this “sneak peek” at the hotels in our block and their rates and shuttle availability, but HOTEL RESERVATIONS DO NOT OPEN UNTIL February 26, 2013 at 9::00 AM Pacific Time (12:00 PM Eastern time). You cannot request your hotel through the Comic-Con reservation service at these special rates until then. This information is presented early to allow you to be better prepared when the reservation process goes live on that day.

Click Here to Download the Current List of Hotels in the Comic-Con Hotel Block
Revision to Hotel List (version 3) uploaded on 2/20/13 at 3:15 PM

As everyone knows from past experience, Comic-Con’s discounted hotel rates means rooms sell out very quickly. This year we have come up with a number of solutions that we think will help the reservation process:

• In an effort to equalize the amount of time each participant spends on the request form, a total of 6 hotel choices will be required. No participant can provide more, or less, than 6 hotel choices.
• There are more hotel rooms available than ever before. Most of them are on the Comic-Con Shuttle routes.
• Once confirmed, all hotel reservations will require a deposit of two night’s room and tax for each room booked. This will encourage people to release unwanted rooms in advance so people on the wait list can reserve them.
• Hotel reservation deposits are fully refundable until April 30, 2013.
• For cancellations received from May 1 to June 1, 2013, a cancellation fee equal to one night’s room and tax will be charged. The cancellation fee will be deducted from your deposit.
• Starting on June 2, 2013, ALL DEPOSITS ARE NONREFUNDABLE.

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Don’t want to wait until Feb. 26? The Comic-Con EARLY BIRD HOTEL SALE is going on now!

If you have a Comic-Con 2013 badge and want to stay in Mission Valley or near the airport, click here to access the sale page. Please note reservations are NON-REFUNDABLE and require full pre-payment.

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Airport	Courtyard SD Airport / Liberty Station	$219.00	$219.00	4.5 Miles	Yes	43 Min.	No	No	None
Airport	Hilston San Diego Airport Harbor Island	$227.00	$237.00	3.3 Miles	Yes	21 Min.	Yes	No	None
Airport	Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside	$182.00	$182.00	5 Miles	Yes	40 Min.	Yes	No	None
Airport	Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina	$204.00	$224.00	3 Miles	Yes	23 Min.	Yes	No	None
Coronado	Coronado Island Marriott Resort	$247.00	$247.00	4 Miles	No	N/A	No	No	None
Downtown	Andaz San Diego	$281.00	$281.00	7 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	Best Western Bayside Inn	$173.00	$173.00	1 Mile	Yes	16 Min.	No	No	CB
Downtown	Bristol Hotel	$177.00	$177.00	7 Blocks	Yes		Yes	No	None
Downtown	Courtyard San Diego Downtown	$213.00	$213.00	8 Blocks	Yes		No	No	None
Downtown	Doubletree Downtown San Diego–Bay View Suites	$194.00	$194.00	1 Mile	Yes	17 Min.	Yes	No	None
Downtown	Embassy Suites San Diego Bay–City View Suites	$289.00	$309.00	4 Blocks	Yes		Yes	No	FB
Downtown	Embassy Suites San Diego Bay	$249.00	$269.00	4 Blocks	Yes		Yes	No	FB
Downtown	Four Points by Sheraton	$199.00	$199.00	0.9 Mile	Yes	17 Min.	No	No	None
Downtown	Hampton Inn San Diego Downtown	$185.00	$195.00	1 Mile	Yes	13 Min.	Yes	No	CB
Downtown	Hard Rock Hotel San Diego–Hard Rock Suites	$357.00	$357.00	1 Block	Yes		No	No	None
Downtown	Hard Rock Hotel San Diego–Studio Rooms	$299.00	$299.00	1 Block	Yes		No	No	None
Downtown	Hilton San Diego Bayfront	$295.00	$295.00	1 Block	Yes		No	No	None
Downtown	Hiton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter	$230.00	$230.00	1 Block	Yes		Yes	Yes	None
Downtown	Holiday Inn on the Bay–Bay View Rooms	$237.00	$247.00	1.1 Miles	Yes	15 Min.	No	Yes	None
Downtown	Holiday Inn on the Bay–City View Rooms	$207.00	$217.00	1.1 Miles	Yes	15 Min.	No	Yes	None
Downtown	Horton Grand Hotel	$229.00	$249.00	3 Blocks	Yes		No	No	None
Downtown	Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp	$305.00	$305.00	8 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp–4 Night Min. Stay	$296.00	$296.00	8 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	Hotel Palomar San Diego by Kimpton–King Beds Only	$294.00	N/A	9 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	Hotel Solamar	$275.00	$295.00	3 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	Manchester Grand Hyatt	$274.00	$274.00	3 Blocks	Yes		Yes	Yes	None
Downtown	Manchester Grand Hyatt–Premium View Rooms	$299.00	$299.00	3 Blocks	Yes		Yes	Yes	None
Downtown	Omni San Diego Hotel	$249.00	$259.00	2 Blocks	Yes		Yes	No	None
Downtown	Residence Inn Downtown San Diego–Queen Bed + Pullout Sofa Sleeper	$225.00	$225.00	1 Mile	Yes	13 Min.	No	Yes	FB
Downtown	Residence Inn Gaslamp Quarter–Queen Bed + Pullout Sofa Sleeper	$257.00	$275.00	3 Blocks	Yes		No	No	FB
Downtown	San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter	$233.00	$253.00	2 Blocks	Yes		No	No	None
Downtown	San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter–Deluxe Room	$334.00	$353.00	2 Blocks	Yes		No	No	None
Downtown	San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina	$296.00	$296.00	ADJACENT	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	Sheraton Suites San Diego Symphony Hall	$202.00	$222.00	1 Mile	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	The Sofia Hotel	$200.00	$220.00	9 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	The US Grant Hotel	$299.00	$319.00	8 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	The Westgate Hotel	$238.00	$238.00	7 Blocks	Yes		Yes	No	None
Downtown	W San Diego	$299.00	$319.00	9 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	Westin Gaslamp Quarter	$239.00	$259.00	5 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Downtown	Westin San Diego	$211.00	$211.00	9 Blocks	Yes		No	Yes	None
Mission Bay	The Dana on Mission Bay	$209.00	$209.00	7 Miles	Yes		Yes	Yes	None
Mission Valley	Best Western Seven Seas	$158.00	$158.00	6.4 Miles	Yes	25 Min.	Yes	No	None
Mission Valley	Comfort Inn and Suites Hotel Circle South Seaworld	$149.00	$149.00	6.8 Miles	No	28 Min.	No	No	CB
Mission Valley	Courtyard by Marriott SD Mission Valley	$184.00	$194.00	6 Miles	Yes	25 Min.	No	No	None
Mission Valley	Crowne Plaza San Diego	$211.00	$211.00	5.8 Miles	Yes	32 Min.	No	No	None
Mission Valley	Days Hotel–Hotel Circle by Seaworld	$157.00	$157.00	5.2 Miles	Yes	25 Min.	Yes	No	CB
Mission Valley	Doubletree San Diego Hotel Circle	$184.00	$194.00	6.6 Miles	Yes	23 Min.	Yes	Yes	CB
Mission Valley	Doubletree San Diego Mission Valley	$191.00	$191.00	5.6 Miles	Yes	27 Min.	No	No	None
Mission Valley	Handlery Hotel San Diego	$165.00	$175.00	5.3 Miles	Yes	33 Min.	Yes	No	None
Mission Valley	Hilton San Diego Mission Valley	$189.00	$189.00	5 Miles	Yes	33 Min.	No	No	None
Mission Valley	La Quinta Inn Mission Valley–2 Queen Beds Only	$183.00	$183.00	5.1 Miles	Yes	34 Min.	Yes	Yes	CB
Mission Valley	San Diego Marriott Mission Valley	$195.00	$195.00	6.5 Miles	Yes	29 Min.	No	Yes	None
Mission Valley	Sheraton San Diego–Mission Valley	$180.00	$180.00	5.2 Miles	Yes	30 Min.	No	Yes	None
Mission Valley	Town and Country Resort	$177.00	$177.00	5.6 Miles	Yes	22 Min.	Yes	No	None
Old Town	BW Hacienda Hotel Old Town SD	$197.00	$197.00	5 Miles	No	N/A	No	No	None
Shelter Island	Bay Club Hotel and Marina	$220.00	$220.00	5.9 Miles	Yes	35 Min.	No	No	FB
Shelter Island	BW Island Palms Hotel and Marina	$211.00	$211.00	6.1 Miles	Yes	31 Min.	No	No	None
Shelter Island	Humphreys Half Moon Inn and Suites	$211.00	$211.00	5.6 Miles	No	36 Min.	No	No	None
Shelter Island	Kona Kai Resort Spa and Marina	$210.00	$225.00	6.4 Miles	Yes	30 Min.	Yes	Yes	None

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COMIC-CON SHUTTLE SERVICE RUNS CONTINUOUSLY!

Helping fans enjoy every hour of Comic-Con 2013 and the nighttime fun, too!

Shuttles for Comic-Con 2013 will run continuously to the hotels indicated (in the PDF) during these hours:

• WEDNESDAY: 3:00pm–10:00pm (PREVIEW NIGHT)
• THURSDAY, 5:00am THROUGH SUNDAY, 7:00pm: SHUTTLE RUNS CONTINUOUSLY!
  *FREQUENCY VARIES THROUGHOUT THE DAY
  See Shuttle Stop Locations & Map Below
  

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Hotel reservations for Comic-Con 2013 will open on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 9:00 am Pacific time. As everyone knows from the past few years, the discounted rate offered by Comic-Con on the rooms in our block means that they will sell out in the first hour.

A link to the Travel Planners website will be sent via email to badge holders at least 72 hours ahead of the hotel reservations opening. This link will not be active until Feb. 26 at 9:00 AM PACIFIC TIME (12:00 PM Eastern time).

Starting at 9:00 AM PT on February 26, 2013, you will be able to access the reservation request form via the link in your email or by copying and pasting the link that will be available on this page on Feb. 26 into your browser or by calling 1-877-55-COMIC (1-877-552-6642) or 212-532-1660. PLEASE DO NOT CALL BEFORE FEB. 26 AT 9:00 AM PACIFIC TIME.

• You’ll be required to provide 6 hotel choices in order of preference.
• All reservation requests will be processed in date/time stamp order. Forms received within three seconds of each other are considered to have arrived at the same time and will be processed in a random order within that three-second grouping.
• A recap e-mail listing the hotel choices you submitted to Travel Planners will be sent to you within 48 hours. Please review it to make sure it is correct and follow the directions in the e-mail if the information is incorrect.
• You will get your reservation confirmation e-mail listing the hotel or hotels where you have reservations no later than February 28th, 2013. If you are happy with your hotels, please follow the directions on your confirmation and go back online to pay the required deposit within 72 hours of receiving your confirmation or your reservation will be cancelled. If you are not happy with your hotel and do not plan to confirm your reservation, please log on and cancel your reservation so another attendee can have a chance at getting your room.
• All reservations require an advance deposit equal to two night’s room and tax. Deposits are required when you log back in to guarantee your reservation and must be submitted within 72 hours of receiving your confirmation or you will lose your reservation and you will not have a hotel room for Comic-Con.
• Hotel reservation deposits are fully refundable until April 30, 2013.
• For cancellations from May 1 to June 1, 2013, a cancellation fee equal to one night’s room rate plus tax will be charged. The cancellation fee will be deducted from your deposit.
• Starting on June 2, 2013, ALL DEPOSITS ARE NONREFUNDABLE.
• Each hotel’s payment policies vary; the date that your total balance is due will be dependent upon the policies of your hotel. All hotels place a deposit on your credit card or debit card when you check in and charge the balance on check out. Please ask your hotel for their policy.

As Comic-Con gets closer, hotel rooms do free up. We urge everyone who plans on making a hotel reservation for the event to keep checking this hotel page for updated room availability. If you don’t get your first choice on February 26, 2013, check back later to see if the hotel you prefer is available.

Please note that the hotel rates listed are starting rates and are subject to change.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

TO MAKE RESERVATIONS

Visit www.comic-con.org/cci/hotels and click on the “Make Your Hotel Reservations” button or call 1-877-55-COMIC (1-877-552-6642) or 212-532-1660, Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–7:00 PM Eastern Time. Please do not call prior to February 26, 2013, 9:00 AM Pacific time.

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TO MAKE CHANGES

Changes must be made by visiting www.comic-con.org/cci/hotels and click on the “Make Your Hotel Reservations” button or by phone at 1-877-55-COMIC (1-877-552-6642). Changes must be received 14 days prior to arrival; changes are on a by-request basis and are subject to availability/discretion of the hotel.

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TO CANCEL A RESERVATION

Cancellations must be made by visiting www.comic-con.org/cci/hotels and clicking on the “Make Your Hotel Reservations” button or by phone at 1-877-55-COMIC (1-877-552-6642). You must receive a cancellation number to ensure your reservations have been canceled. Cancellations must be received by April 30, 2013, to get a full refund of the deposit. Cancellations received beginning May 1 through June 1, 2013, will receive a refund less a cancellation fee equal to one night’s room rate plus tax. Beginning June 2, 2013, deposits are nonrefundable.

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Note: Hotel rates include an $8.00 per night reimbursement to Comic-Con to help defray shuttle and convention costs (this charge is subject to change). San Diego city blocks are small compared to other cities and take approximately 2–3 minutes to walk. You may find walking in the morning is a great way to explore San Diego and find new places for dinner or lunch or shopping.

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PLEASE NOTE: Your reservations will be booked based on room availability. Bed type and special requests are not guaranteed. These requests will be noted with the hotel, but are subject to hotel availability at the time of check-in. Currently, hotels in San Diego charge a Transient Occupancy tax of 10.565%, a Tourism Marketing assessment of 2% and parking fees, all of which are subject to change without notice. Hotel rates are not guaranteed until booked and confirmed. Hotel rates may vary by number of occupants and other requested services. Comic-Con and Travel Planners reserve the right to correct any identified errors.

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Responsibility and liability: Comic-Con International and/or its agents act only in the capacity as agents for customers in all matters pertaining to hotel accommodations and transportation whether by railroad, automobile, airplane or any other means, and as such are not responsible for any damage, expense, or inconvenience caused by train or plane arrivals or departures, or by any change of schedule or condition from any loss, injury, or damage to any person or property from any cause whatsoever. Baggage handling throughout the program is entirely at the owner’s risk. The customer agrees that show management and/or its agents shall not be held responsible in the event of any error or omission in any promotional material.

Hotels and Stop Location	Minutes to SDCC from Stop	Minutes from SDCC to Stop	Shuttle Route
Andaz San Diego – Across 6th Avenue	7	18	Green
Bay Club Hotel and Marina – Curbside on Shelter Island Drive	35	25	Teal
Best Western Bayside Inn- Curbside on Columbia Street	16	9	Green
Best Western Island Palms Hotel and Marina – Curbside on Shelter Island Drive	31	29	Teal
Best Western Seven Seas – Use Days Inn stop Hotel Circle South	16	18	Red
Bristol – Curbside on 1st Avenue	19	4	Blue
Comfort Inn and Suites Zoo/SeaWorld – Curbside on Hotel Circle North @ Stop Sign	11	23	Red
County Administration Building – Use the Holiday Inn stop on Harbor Drive	15	10	Pink
Courtyard by Marriott SD Airport/Liberty Station – Curbside at Farragut Road	43	17	Teal
Courtyard by Marriott SD Downtown – Curbside on 6th Avenue	7	18	Green
Courtyard by Marriott SD Mission Valley – Use Days Inn stop on Hotel Circle South	17	17	Red
Crowne Plaza San Diego – Curbside on Hotel Circle North @ Stop Sign	12	22	Red
Cruise Ship|Lane Field Parking Lot – Curbside on Broadway	17	8	Pink
Days Hotel – Hotel Circle by Seaworld – Curbside on Hotel Circle South	16	18	Red
DoubleTree Downtown San Diego – Curbside on Cedar Street	17	8	Green
DoubleTree San Diego (formerly DoubleTree Club) – Curbside on Hotel Circle South	19	15	Red
DoubleTree San Diego Mission Valley – Curbside on Hazard Center Drive	13	35	Purple
Embassy Suites San Diego Bay – Curbside on Pacific Highway	20	5	Pink
Hampton Inn San Diego Downtown – Curbside on Pacific Highway	17	8	Pink
Handlery Hotel San Diego – Curbside on Hotel Circle North	14	20	Red
● Hard Rock Hotel San Diego – Use the Marriott Gaslamp stop on 6th Avenue	18	12	Orange
Hilton San Diego Airport Harbor Island – Curbside on Harbor Island Drive	22	26	Yellow
● Hilton San Diego Bayfront – Lower level, shuttle bus entrance	28	2	Orange
● Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter – Across “K” Street at 4th Avenue	16	14	Orange
Hilton San Diego Mission Valley – Curbside on Camino Del Rio South	33	15	Purple
Holiday Inn Downtown – Use Doubletree Downtown stop on Cedar Street	17	8	Green
Holiday Inn on the Bay – Curbside on Harbor Drive	15	10	Pink
Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside – Curbside on North Harbor Drive	20	40	Teal
● Horton Grand Hotel – Curbside on 3rd at Island Avenue	14	16	Orange
Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp – Curbside on 9th Avenue	5	20	Green
Hotel Palomar San Diego by Kimpton – Use Courtyard Downtown stop on 6th Avenue	7	18	Green
● Hotel Solamar – Curbside on 6th Avenue at “J” Street	20	10	Orange
Humphreys Half Moon Inn and Suites – Curbside on Shelter Island Drive	36	24	Teal
Kona Kai Resort Spa and Marina – Curbside on Shelter Island Drive	30	30	Teal
La Quinta Inn Mission Valley – Curbside on Camino Del Rio South	34	14	Purple
Manchester Grand Hyatt – Curbside on Harbor Drive	5	20	Pink
● Omni San Diego Hotel – Use the Marriott Gaslamp stop on 6th Avenue	18	12	Orange
One America Plaza | Amtrak – Use the Westin San Diego stop on Broadway	14	9	Blue
● Padres Parkade – Curbside on “J” Street at 10th Avenue	15	6	Orange
● Park-it-on-Market – Curbside on Market Street at 6th Avenue	12	9	Orange
● Ralph’s Grocery Store – Curbside on “G” Street	17	4	Orange
Residence Inn Downtown San Diego- Use the Hampton Inn stop on Pacific Highway	15	10	Pink
● Residence Inn Gaslamp Quarter – Use the Marriott Gaslamp stop on 6th Avenue	18	12	Orange
● San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter – Curbside on 6th Avenue	18	12	Orange
● San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina – Tour bus stop at waterfall	4	26	Orange
San Diego Marriott Mission Valley – East entrance of building	19	29	Purple
Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina |Bay Tower – Curbside on Harbor Island Drive	22	26	Yellow
Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina |Marina Tower – Curbside on Harbor Island Drive	23	25	Yellow
Sheraton San Diego Mission Valley – Curbside on Camino Del Rio South	30	18	Purple
Sheraton Suites San Diego Symphony Hall – Curbside on 8th Avenue	9	16	Green
● Tailgate | MTS Parking Lot – Curbside on Imperial Avenue	16	5	Orange
The Sofia Hotel – Use the Bristol stop across 1st Avenue	19	4	Blue
The US Grant San Diego – Use the Westgate stop on 2nd Avenue	18	5	Blue
The Westgate Hotel – Curbside across 2nd Avenue	18	5	Blue
Town & Country Resort – Convention Center entrance	15	19	Red
W San Diego – Use the Westin San Diego stop on Broadway	14	9	Blue
Westin Gaslamp Quarter – Curbside on 1st Avenue	20	3	Blue
Westin San Diego – Curbside on Broadway	14	9	Blue
● SERVICE PROVIDED FROM 8:00 P.M. – 8:00 A.M. ONLY |

via Comic-Con International

Comic-Con 2013 Badge Purchase Information

Comic-Con International has sent out the e-mails WITH the LINK to the Comic-Con 2013 Badge Purchase if you have a valid Member ID (and have not opted out from emails). You can also view the “How-to” video below. Good luck to all those who are going to purchase badges!

Dear Comic-Con Member,

Comic-Con 2013 badges go on sale at 9:00 AM Pacific Time (PT) February 16, 2013. Please find below the link to access the EPIC Registration landing page for Comic-Con badge sales.

You should click this link or copy-and-paste it into your browser now:

xxxxx (Link removed to prevent those that don’t need access to bloat the servers)

To avoid delays during the registration process, those attempting to purchase multiple badges should verify the correct spelling of the Member ID and last name of each individual they intend to purchase a badge for. This information can be found under  “Show My Info” in your Member ID account.

If you are a junior, senior, or member of the military, but are not shown any discounted badge options during your online registration session, please purchase a regular adult badge anyway and contact Comic-Con via email after the sale.

If you want to stay one step ahead of the competition, we suggest that you read the very detailed Comic-Con 2013 Badge Purchase “Cheat Sheet” and watch the instructional video found under the “2013 Badge Purchase” section of our website.

Please save this email since we will not post the EPIC link on our website, Facebook, or Twitter. Our customer service hotline number will be posted on Facebook at 8:30 AM Pacific Time (PT) on February 16.

Thank you for your continued support and good luck!

via Comic-Con International

Win a Trip to Comic-Con 2013 by Entering the X-MEN and WOLVERINE Design Contest by WeLoveFine

WeLoveFine is offering a trip to Comic-Con 2013 for the winner of their X-Men/Wolverine Design Contest! Let’s see who’s up for the challenge! Good luck to all entrants!

ABOUT THE CONTEST

They are the marvelous mutants you have known and loved for decades, in so many incarnations and incredibly memorable storylines, from the page to the screens both small and large.  And now WeLoveFine is thrilled to announce our latest design contest featuring Marvel Comics characters is all about those uncanny X-Men! The teachers and students of Professor Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters and their ongoing struggle for acceptance and peace – in the face of mighty foes, lead by Magneto’s Brotherood of Evil Mutants – has inspired some of our best-selling designs here at WeLoveFine… and now it’s YOUR turn to design for these classic, beloved characters! The ever-popular Wolverine, fan-favorite heroine Jean Grey, the enigmatic and powerful Magneto: who will inspire you to create a prize-winning t-shirt design? Go for it, artists: You could win up our amazing grand prize of a trip to Comic-Con San Diego 2013, and have your tee made into official Marvel merchandise! Go forth, and be ASTOUNDING!

ABOUT OUR GUEST JUDGES

Chris Claremont has encountered more success than most writers ever dream of. His stories have achieved best-seller status, won numerous awards, and are trend-setters for the industry. Although best known for his work on Marvel Comic’s X-Men series, where he created the characters of Rogue, Gambit, Sabretooth, Kitty Pryde and the White Queen, amongst others, he has also written seminal characters such as Batman and Superman; originated several creator-owned series; is published throughout the world in many different languages; authored nine novels. His papers are collected at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Columbia University, in New York.  He has spoken at Princeton, MIT, and Columbia University, appeared on television in the US and abroad. His work has touched millions. Read more at chrisclaremont.com.

Second Guest Judge TBA

THE RULES

• Submissions must be received by 11:59:59 PM (PST) on March 5, 2013.
• You may submit up to 5 entries per person
• All entries must be in one of the following file formats: GIF/PNG/JPG.
• By entering the contest (”Promotion”), you indicate your full and unconditional agreement to, and acceptance of, (a) the Official Rules and (b) Mighty Fine’s (”Sponsor”) decisions, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
• Likenesses of any actors who have portrayed X-Men characters in any movie adaptations CANNOT be used in the design.
• All entries MUST incorporate one or more of the following characters: WOLVERINE and/or CYCLOPS, PHOENIX, STORM, MAGNETO, COLOSSUS, BEAST and PSYLOCKE.  No other characters may be used in the design.
  ™ & © 2013 MARVEL & SUBS

THE PRIZES

• Grand Prize: We are delighted to offer a grand prize of a full expense-paid trip to Comic-Con 2013! Grand Prize winner will receive a paid trip (2 nights and 3 days) to San Diego for Comic-Con International.  Trip will include 1 4-day Comic-Con membership badge, 1 round trip airfare (limited to US domestic flights only) and lodging near the convention center.
• Guest Judge’s pick (2): Our guest judges will each select their personal favorite design, and those artists will win $400 cash!
• Runners-Up (2): Two runners-up will receive a $150 gift certificate for WeLoveFine.com
• Honorable Mention (5): Five honorable mentions will receive a $50 gift certificate for WeLoveFine.com

*All winning designs will be put into consideration for printing (Subject to Licensor Approval)
*All winning artists will be put into consideration to be part of Mighty Fine Artists (”MFA”)

Deadline to submit: 3/5/2013 11:59PM PST

Rating period: 3/19/2013 ~ 4/8/2013

Winners will be announced on 4/23/2013

via WeLoveFine

Viz Media and Sanrio Announce Publishing Deal to Develop Original Hello Kitty Graphic Novels

Pop Culture Icon Hello Kitty® And Her Friends Will Debut In Two VIZ Kids Offerings

Viz Media, LLC (Viz Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels and anime in North America, has announced a new publishing deal with Sanrio, Inc., the global lifestyle brand and parent company of pop icon Hello Kitty®, to develop a series of original graphic novels, and a special single-volume comic featuring a limited-edition Hello Kitty design.

The single-volume Hello Kitty® comic is scheduled to debut at the 2013 Comic-Con Show in San Diego with a Comic-Con exclusive cover by Eisner-nominated artist Jacob Chabot. The comic will feature art by Victoria Maderna, Ian McGinty and Chabot. The main graphic novel series is scheduled to launch in the Fall of 2013 with Here We Go!, a collection of comic stories about Hello Kitty’s travels. Both offerings will be rated ‘A’ for All Ages, and will be published under the company’s VIZ Kids imprint. Viz Media previously teamed with Sanrio and video game company CAPCOM to develop a pair of fun STREET FIGHTER® X Sanrio books that were released in November 2012.

HELLO KITTY®: HERE WE GO! • MSRP: $7.99 US / $9.99 CAN • Available Fall 2013
Hello Kitty has places to be and friends to meet! Join her (or Hello Kitty) as she explores an underground realm, chases an unsavory cake thief around the world, climbs the Himalayas, travels back in time, and discovers that sometimes, the best place to get away from it all is between the pages of a good book.

HELLO KITTY® FASHION MUSIC WONDERLAND • MSRP: $6.99 US / $7.99 CAN • Available Summer 2013
It’s Hello Kitty as you’ve never seen her, in stories filled with fashion, music and adventure!

Sanrio® is the global company behind classic iconic characters Hello Kitty®, Little Twin Stars®, My Melody®, and many more. Sanrio® was founded in the 1960′s in Japan by Shintaro Tsuji, whose simple dream of bringing smiles to people’s faces grew into the brand’s “small gift, big smile” philosophy. This philosophy has served as the inspiration for the broad spectrum of products bearing the likeness of endearing characters that have helped to skyrocket the brand into a $5 billion- a-year business. Sanrio® recently acquired the classic Mr. Men Little Miss™ brand which also has graphic novels published by Viz Media.

“Sanrio and Hello Kitty are synonymous with the very essence of pop culture, and we’re very excited to have Hello Kitty as part of the VIZ Kids family of titles,” says Beth Kawasaki, Viz Media Senior Editorial Director. “The new wordless comic and graphic novel series will appeal to Hello Kitty fans of all ages. Viz Media is having a blast creating the fun new original series and we can’t wait for everyone to see the books.”

For more information on VIZ Kids graphic novels and manga, please visit VIZKids.com.

About Sanrio
Sanrio, best known for global icon Hello Kitty and home to many endearing characters including Chococat, My Melody, and Keroppi, is a worldwide lifestyle brand founded on the “small gift, big smile®” philosophy — that a small gift can bring happiness and friendship to people of all ages. For over 50 years, this philosophy has served as the inspiration for the broad spectrum of unique Sanrio products and experiences. Today, more than 50,000 Sanrio-branded items are available in over 70 countries and upwards of 12,000 U.S. locations including department, specialty, national chain stores and over 100 Sanrio boutiques. For more information, please visit www.sanrio.com and www.facebook.com/hellokitty.

About Viz Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Viz Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha, Inc., Shogakukan, Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., Viz Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, Viz Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. Viz Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

via Viz Media Press Release

Comic-Con Member ID Site Will Close on February 12, 2013!

Go register NOW before the Member ID site closes, whether or not you think you might or might not go! You only have to register once. Doing so now will alleviate problems in the future (with regards with having a Member ID). Remember, ALL attendees need a Member ID, not just the person purchasing the badges. Click on the image below to go to the Member ID site.

Chris Pratt to be Star-Lord in Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Marvel Studios has selected Chris Pratt (Moneyball, Parks and Recreation, Zero Dark Thirty) to play the role of Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Born as Peter Quill, the son of an alien father and human mother, he grows up in an orphanage after the death of his parents. He later becomes a NASA astronaut and is offered the mantle of interplanetary police officer Star-Lord. Other actors that Marvel Studios reportedly thought to cast for the role include: Joel Edgerton, Eddie Redmayne, Lee Pace, Jim Sturgess, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zachary Levi!

Guardians of the Galaxy is directed by James Gunn. Roles that have yet to be cast include Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Groot and Rocket Raccoon. Other characters including Adam Warlock, Vance Astro, Bug, Mantis, Phyla-Vel, Moondragon and Nova could appear in the film as well.

These are the current release dates for all related films:

• Iron Man 3 opens May 3, 2013
• Thor: The Dark World opens November 8, 2013
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens April 4, 2014
• Guardians of the Galaxy opens August 1, 2014

via Deadline

Attendee Badges for Comic-Con Will Go On Sale February 16, 2013 at 9:00AM PT!

The wait is over! Badges for Comic-Con International 2013 will go on sale February 16, 2013 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).

The Member ID system will CLOSE to new registrations on February 12, 2013 and will not reopen until badge sales are over.

The link to EPIC Open Online Registration will be sent to eligible participants with a valid and confirmed Comic-Con Member ID via email 48 hours prior to the start of badge sales*.  You may click the link, or copy-and-paste it into you browser.

Comic-Con will NOT post this link on our website, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you purchased a 4-Day badge with Preview Night during pre-registration in August 2012 OR If you are a professional or guest of professional who has registered for a Comic-Con 2013 professional badge, you are not eligible to participate in Open Online Registration. You may not purchase a badge of any type on February 16, 2013.

To confirm if you are eligible to participate in Open Online Registration, please log in to your Member ID account here.

*We are currently experiencing difficulties with AOL email accounts. If you have an AOL account and are eligible for Open Online Registration, but did not receive the email notice on Friday, we strongly recommend you check your SPAM folder and consider using an alternate email address. 

COMIC-CON 2013 PRICES

BADGE TYPE	Adult	Junior**	U.S. Military / Senior**
4-Day WITH Preview Night	$175	$87	$87
4-Day WITHOUT Preview Night	$150	$75	$75
1-Day — Thurs, Fri or Sat	$42	$21	$21
1-Day — Sunday	$24	$12	$12

**Juniors age 13-17 pay junior prices. Seniors 60 years or older pay the U.S. Military/Senior reduced price. Active U.S. Military with ID can pay the U.S. Military/Senior price. This deal does not extend to dependents.

Everyone who intends to purchase, apply, or register for a Comic-Con badge must have a valid and confirmed Comic-Con Member ID. The Member ID site will close to new registrations and changes on February 12, 2013 and will not reopen before badge sales begin. This includes attendees, volunteers, professionals, trade professionals, exhibitor main contacts, and members of the press. Please click here for details.

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UPDATED POLICY
Children age 12 and under are free with a paying adult. Children do not need to register for a Member ID to receive a badge. You may register a child (12 and under) onsite for free at the Attendee Badge Pick-Up Desk if a paying adult accompanies the child. You will be required to provide emergency contact information for any child registrant age 12 and under.

To accommodate the transition from child to junior (age 13-17), we have set a static date to determine who is considered a child for Comic-Con 2013. If you were age 12 or under on August 1, 2012, you do not need to buy a badge for Comic-Con 2013. You may attend as a child. If you were age 13 or older on August 1, 2012, you must create a Member ID and purchase a badge for Comic-Con 2013 during EPIC Open Online Registration.

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Comic-Con 2013 Badge Purchase “Cheat Sheet”

The following information is for people who are interested in purchasing a Comic-Con 2013 badge. It is a lot of information to digest, but those who read it may have a significant advantage over those who choose not to. Above all, we sincerely wish we could accommodate everyone who would like to attend our event, but unfortunately we are limited by capacity. We have tried our best to make the registration system as smooth and painless as possible. We hope the information below will give you a leg up on the competition!

Preparation for Open Online Registration: 

• Anyone who wishes to purchase a Comic-Con 2013 badge must have a valid Comic-Con Member ID. To sign up for a Member ID, please click here. The Member ID system will CLOSE to new registrations on February 12, 2013 and will not reopen until badge sales are over.

• Once you have a valid Member ID account, log in and check your opt-outs by selecting the “Show My Preferences/Unsubscribe” option. DO NOT OPT-OUT of email correspondence from Comic-Con if you wish to receive the Open Online Registration link.

• We strongly suggest that you add do-not-reply@comic-con.org and registration@epicreg.com to your email’s safe sender list.

• You will need your last name and Member ID to log in to the EPIC Registration system. Sign in to your Member ID account and select the “Show My Info” option to verify your registration login information. If you will be purchasing a badge for a friend or family member, you will need their Member ID and last name as well.

• If you are a junior, senior, or member of the military, please log in to your Member ID account and select the “Change My Preferences/Unsubscribe” option. Double check your “Membership Type” and change it if needed. You will not be able to change this option on the day of badge sales. If your “Membership Type” is listed as adult, you will not be shown the option to purchase a junior, senior, or military badge.

• If you have already purchased a badge during pre-registartion in August 2012, but are attempting to upgrade your badge purchase, please read the badge purchase Terms & Conditions. Your preregistration purchase will be automatically canceled and refunded, without notification, if you purchase an overlapping badge date during Open Online Registration.

• If you will be using someone else’s credit card to make a purchase, please be sure you have their email and physical address before you begin.

• For more pre-sale information, please review our Badge Purchase FAQ.

Day of Sale Instructions: 

• The EPIC Registration waiting room will open at 9:00 AM Pacific Time (PT) on February 16, 2013. Prior to that, if you click the link (or copy-and-paste into your browser)  you will be taken to a static landing page.  At 9:00 AM (PT), click the green button on the landing page and you should be redirected to the EPIC Registration waiting room.* IT IS OK TO REFRESH YOUR BROWSER WHILE ON THE LANDING PAGE. However, do not refresh your browser once you have reached the EPIC waiting room.

• Once inside the EPIC Registration waiting room, a number will indicate your position in line. DO NOT REFRESH YOUR BROWSER OR RUN MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF THE WAITING ROOM IN YOUR BROWSER.  Refreshing your browser or running multiple instances of the waiting room in a single browser will move you to the back of the line.

• Once you have reached the front of the line, you will enter your Last Name and Member ID. Please be sure to review this information by logging in to your Member ID account prior to February 16, 2013.

• After you begin your badge purchase session, you will review your contact information and select the badge you wish to purchase. If your contact information is incorrect, please continue on and purchase your badge anyway. You will have an opportunity to change your information at a later date and you do not want to lose valuable seconds while in the EPIC registration system.

• If the badge you wish to purchase is unavailable, please make an alternate selection. Do not refresh your session. Refreshing your session or hitting the “back” button will not refresh badge inventory. If your preferred badge is not listed, it is not available.

• If you wish to register another person after you have completed your payment, select the “Purchase Another Badge” button at the end of your registration session. If you do not select this option, you will be removed from your EPIC registration session and will not have the opportunity to purchase another badge.

• You may register up to four people (including yourself) during your EPIC registration session, while badge inventory is available. You must register each person individually and each must have his or her own valid and unique Member ID. You may not register more than one person with the same Member ID. Be sure to have the Member ID and last name for any individual you wish to register.

• It is possible that badge inventory may run out while you are in session. If you select a badge option and receive an error message upon payment, please follow the instructions to return to the badge registration page and select another badge option. Your original option is no longer available.

• It is possible that you may purchase a badge for yourself, but find that the same badge type is unavailable when you try to purchase for a friend or family member. Comic-Con does not guarantee that all badge types will be available at the time of purchase. Comic-Con does not guarantee that you will be able to purchase badges for up to four people before inventory is depleted.

Post-Sale Instructions: 

• After you have completed your EPIC registration session, please allow 48 hours for EPIC to charge your credit card. You will be sent a confirmation of your credit card transaction immediately.

• EPIC barcode confirmations will be sent out 48 – 72 hours after registration closes. Please allow at least 72 hours for your barcode confirmation to arrive before contacting Comic-Con International.

• Comic-Con customer service will be available from 8:30 AM PT until badges are sold out on February 16, 2013. We will post the customer service hotline number on Facebook only. To follow us on Facebook, please click here.

*Although SDCC makes efforts to ensure the purchase of badges is easy, efficient, and equitable, SDCC makes no guarantee, warranty, or representation that, by logging onto the Web site with a Comic-Con Member ID, you are entitled to or be able to purchase a badge. Due to the limited number of badges and the large volume of Comic-Con Member ID holders, badges are sold as long as they are available. Please be advised that SDCC badges sell out very quickly. Not all persons eligible to purchase a badge will be able to purchase a badge. Due to the large volume of traffic, the EPIC landing page may not redirect you to the waiting room or your browser may time out while attempting to connect to the waiting room. Additionally, SDCC makes no guarantee, warranty, or representation that the Web site will function properly throughout the badge sales process. In the event that the Web site malfunctions, SDCC will try to rectify the problem in a timely fashion. Notwithstanding, by using the Web site you agree that IN NO EVENT SHALL COMIC-CON, ITS PRINCIPALS, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE WEB SITE OR THE BADGE SALE AND REGISTRATION PROCESS.

While Comic-Con has worked on streamlining the badge purchase experience, it is possible that problems outside of our control could result in the system not working as planned. The possibility exists that anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware software may aggressively block browser cookies, JavaScript, or other operation of modern web applications. It is also possible that user error, specific hardware problems, local ISP issues, or simply the extremely high level of demand beyond our control may result in your computer and/or browser not behaving as described above. Unfortunately, because of these factors, Comic-Con is unable to guarantee that your efforts will result in a successful badge purchase regardless of when you enter the process.

via Comic-Con International