Plan on looking for a critter? Here’s what you need to know: 2016 edition

COMIC-CON APPROACHES!! Which means the hunt will be starting soon! I’m working on just one more critter (stay tuned!), but in the meantime I’ve been getting questions about how the drops will work from newcomers. The general guidelines for my drops will be the same as previous years, so here’s a recap:

1. Follow me either on facebook or twitter, but I highly suggest twitter for drop-tracking. Facebook does a weird thing where it doesn’t show my posts in real-time based on whatever magical algorithm they use to control people’s newsfeeds.

   Follow @GeekyHooker

   The Geeky Hooker
   

2. Search for the hashtag #CRITTERDROP to filter for critterdrop-related updates. I’m sure a lot of you will be following lots of other people/organizations on various social media venues during Comic-Con, so hopefully the tag will help sort things out.
3. Set up a twitter mobile alert on your phone! This isn’t required, but it’ll help! This way your phone will buzz every time I make a post on twitter, so you won’t miss a single drop! You might end up with your phone buzzing like crazy if I’m geeking out over something, but otherwise I’ll try to keep it tame. Instructions on how to set this up can be found here.
4. If you find a critter, let me know that you found it! Please, please, PLEASE check in if you find a critter. Each one is tagged with a card with my contact info. I just ask for two things if you find one: 1) Send me a photo of your new friend, and 2) Let me know where the critter’s new home will be so I can add it to my map! I do this knowing that there’s a potential that anyone could swipe the critter and never get back to me on it, but it doesn’t make it any less disheartening when one goes missing.
5. Critters will be dropped one at a time. No pairs/groups of critters.

As for WHERE the critters might be:

1. I never drop critters out on the main exhibition floor. WAY too crowded, and I feel like the critters would get lost in the shuffle. So no worries about trying to fish for one in the mad sea of geekiness.
2. However, I HAVE dropped critters in the hallways outside of the main exhibition floor, both upstairs and downstairs.
3. No badge? No problem! I drop my critters out in the Gaslamp Quarter too! I’ve left little dudes in trees, in random flowerbeds outside of restaurants, etc. etc. I only do Gaslamp drops when there’s still daylight outside though. No drops at night…I feel like there’s a higher likelihood that it’ll end up lost when it’s dark out.
4. If I’m in line somewhere (like for the infamous Hall H), I might step out now and then to drop a few critters. If we’re all going to be in line for hours, I may as well try to make things fun.

I don’t have any insight in terms of WHEN I’ll drop the critters, but drops will happen from Thursday-Saturday. No drops on Sunday or Preview Night this year. Otherwise I try to evenly distribute how many are dropped per day throughout the course of the con, and I just drop ’em whenever it’s convenient and if I happen to spot a good drop location!

And most of all, HAVE FUN. It’s Comic-Con, for pete’s sake. There’s always something awesome going on, so enjoy yourself. And while sleeping is optional, don’t forget to bathe. Comic-Con stank is a very real thing. Happy hunting!