SAN DIEGO _ The last chance for gaining admission to Comic-Con will be April 8, when organizers have scheduled online badge sales.
Comic-Con International held its first round of sales earlier this month, but that was reserved for only those who attended last year's convention.
For this next round of sales, only those with a valid Member ID are eligible to purchase. The deadline already has passed for anyone wishing to create a new ID.
Badge sales will begin at 9 a.m. Pacific time, and if history is any guide, they should sell out within an hour. In an email to eligible purchasers, organizers reminded aspiring attendees that "there are far more eligible attendees than badges available."
As is the case each year, an online waiting room will open at 8 a.m., an hour before badge sales begin. Individuals can buy badges for up to three people, including themselves, but each person must have a Comic-Con member ID and be eligible for open registration.
Prices for this year's convention, which will run from July 19 (preview night) to July 23, are up slightly, at $60 a day for Thursday, Friday and Saturday and $45 for preview night and $40 for Sunday.
Comic-Con, which draws more than 130,000 attendees, is guaranteed to be in San Diego through next year, and tourism officials are currently negotiating a renewal of the current contract.
