No announcement has been made yet as to when it will be possible to purchase badges for this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego…and by the way, don't depend on this page to tell you. I'll try to let you know but I may not be your first or best source. If I were you, I'd keep my eye on the Toucan Blog that the con operates, not just for registration information but for lots of interesting things you might want to know.
One thing I can tell you, though: It will not be possible to purchase four-day registrations this year. They will be selling Preview Night (Wednesday evening), Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as separate purchases. I do not know for sure why they are doing this, though I can speculate they think it may allow a wider range of people to pass through the halls during the con's duration…and maybe it will accomplish that. It might also mean some people will find themselves only able to get admission on Thursday and Sunday, thereby presenting them with the problem of what to do those other two days if they come from out o' town.
Do not complain to me. I have nothing to do with this. My importance at this convention begins and ends with officiating at Quick Draw!, presenting the Bill Finger Award and telling Sergio, Scott and some other guy what to sketch at Quick Draw!
For those of you who've never experienced Comic-Con, it is an amazing experience. I'm a person who's never bored but I am never as not-bored as when I'm at Comic-Con. There's so much to see and so much to do and, best of all, so many interesting people to meet and talk to. If you hate crowds, stay away…although one friend of mine who claims to hate crowds went anyway and later remarked that it was easier to avoid them than he'd thought. (He mostly spent the days going to panels and presentations, and I guess it helps that he isn't interested in the hottest new TV shows or movies.)
If you can't go or can't wait, consider WonderCon, which is being held in Anaheim on Easter Weekend. I don't like the location. The proximity to Disneyland has its advantages (lotsa great restaurants around, fireworks nearby at night, proximity to Disneyland) but it also has its downsides (traffic). Still, the Anaheim Convention Center is fine and the con, run by the same folks who do Comic-Con, is well-run and offers much of the same magic. There's less of it but more than enough. I wish they could go back to San Francisco but in addition to this venue, not instead of it.