My First Press Pass?

Proudly displaying my first-ever press pass

Two weeks ago, I attended a comics convention with a press pass - my first ever!  I am very grateful that I was able to attend the 2014 Long Beach Comic Expo on account of it.  I did not simply attend - I ended up publishing a handful of posts about it.

Upon reflection, I wondered why - having been blogging for nearly nine years now - I had not applied for press passes in the past. I also wondered - having lived in New York City - why I had not tried to attend events on a press pass there.

While I am not quite sure the answers to these questions at this time, I did realize that I had attended an event in New York City that specifically invited bloggers seven years ago. I enjoyed the special access event and I still wonder why I had not tried to gain access to other such events.  Perhaps it was my focus then on my new marriage and working on rabbinical school (and focussing my efforts on training to become a rabbi).  Ah well.

The impetus for me to look into getting a press pass now - in addition to my having begun my new [impersonal] blog - was hearing that my brother-in-law had gotten a press pass for Comic-Con.  I could not believe it - the hardest comics convention to get into and he did - as a photographer! (The post-script is that he may actually go as an EMT.)

Anyways, I realized, if he can get in as a photographer, I should be able to get in as a blogger to some comics convention, so I applied to the Long Beach Comic Expo and was thrilled to get a press pass! Following on the heels of that success, I then applied for a press pass for WonderCon.  That was, however, not successful, but I attended it anyway - and wrote a post about it (and another one) - I figure the more I write about such events, the more likely it is that I could get access to them in the future.

However, I don't want to paint myself into a corner, only getting press passes to comics conventions - it is still a new thing to me.  Moreover, I find myself kind of an outsider to them - my interest in them is not on account of growing up with comics, but rather the Star Wars material.  Also, I tremendously enjoy the geek culture and approach (perhaps I'm a wannabe geek?).

Nevertheless, I would like to get into other such events/shows, etc. just not exclusively into comics conventions.  We'll see what the future brings - I am embracing my identity as a blogger and we'll see what comes of it :)