San Diego Comic-Con kicks off Thursday, with the casts of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2,""Doctor Who," and more making appearances.
We stopped by the convention center on preview day and discovered devoted fans camped out overnight in order to snag seats in the famed Hall H, the biggest venue at Comic-Con where the biggest television and movie panels take place.
Entrance to Hall H is no small feat. The Daily Dot reported that in previous years, the line stretched a mile long. Tents are set up to protect attendees from weather conditions and the blazing sun.
Once you're in Hall H, you're in. The room doesn't empty in between panels (though it does empty at the end of each day).
So if you want to guarantee a seat at the "Lucasfilm" panel (aka the "Star Wars" panel) at 5:30 p.m. Friday evening, you have to get in early and sit through the five previous panels that day.
Still, queuing up outside overnight has become a rite of passage for fans.
One such fan is Yvonne, 20, a San Francisco State University student. She and her boyfriend were first in line for Hall H.
The couple arrived Tuesday at noon in order to secure spots for the "Doctor Who" panel on Thursday at 2:15 p.m. They brought blankets, sunscreen, books, their cosplay (or role-playing) outfits, cards, and a memory foam pillow.
By the time we chatted with Yvonne on Wednesday afternoon, the battery in her Kindle died and ants invaded her pretzel jar.
Pedestrian after pedestrian approached to ask what she was in line for. Eventually, a member of the queue hung this sign.
But for Yvonne and other diehard fans, the chance to see the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and or Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), in person is an opportunity not to be missed.
May the seating odds be ever in their favor.
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