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<font size="3">I usually buy my tickets for the next years Comic-Con during the first day I attend the convention. There have never been any lines during the first few days of the con and I like to get it out of the way. It was very convenient doing it this way for the last 10 years or so.<br> Last year the Comic-Con committee took that option away and made that almost impossible to purchase a on site registration.</font><br><font size="3"> You had to wait in line for hours, at a off site hotel, to get a chance to buy one of 1500 tickets. The line was forming at 4 am or earlier, and opening the line at 8am,they sold out in less than a half hour, leaving thousands without anything to show for their 4 to 6 hour wait each day. I decided not to waste my morning like this, when I was told on line registration would come later. </font><br><font size="3">Months later, after signing up for a twitter account to get updates, I was told I needed to sign up for a member ID, which I did, and wait for the on line registration. Meanwhile, I watched their video telling how to maximize my chances of successfully purchasing a ticket, and down loaded their pdf file, giving further important instructions. </font><BR><font size="3">Finally the day came to register for a ticket. At 8am on 3/3 I was at my computer and hit the link at exactly 8am. I got a "site unavailable" or "error" window. I tried again with the same result. I tried my lap top and hit the link to the site like I had been shown in their video, again the same result,site unavailable due to too much activity or site wasn't yet up. I tried my lap top again with the same results. I went back to my desk top and tried one more time, same thing. I finally wised up and disregarding the instructions they gave me, I went to the comic con web site directly, and immediately got through. My number in line was 30948. It was 8:11am. After staying on hold for a little over one hour my number came up. I entered my ID number and was informed that everything was sold out except for a one day Sunday ticket. I quickly decided that this was the best I could do, so I clicked to purchase and was quickly told that this ticket was sold as well, and there were no further tickets available. I was shut out. I've been going to this, my home town convention, for over 20 years without missing, and I was not able to purchase a ticket.</font><BR><font size="3"> I hate that comics have taken a supporting role to the movie and TV industry making this their showcase, taking over our convention. I mostly hate the over crowding it has created, and the back seat comic books have had to take. But I could still enjoy the show. I could still attend most of the panels that I loved, Quick Draw, Voice animators,Sergio Aragones, Scott Shaw!s oddball comics presentation, all of Mark Evanier's Golden and Silver Age tributes and of course the Groo panels. </font><BR><font size="3"> I had thought about not attending for the past several years as the crowds grew, but I still came. I couldn't help myself. I attended every Groo panel with many lasting memories, but I feel an era has past. The death of the Comic-Con I once loved. I don't think that will be attendaing another. </font><BR><font size="3">Chris McCollum, Garden Grove</font><br><BR><div class="SoftShadows"><div class="ss_r"></div></div> </div></body>
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