Applying as a Professional for Comic-Con & WonderCon
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Before you are eligible to register a professional badge for either Comic-Con or WonderCon, you must first apply for professional status. In past years, the application for professionals has been provided as a PDF and required that the documents be mailed or emailed in. In 2023, though, we modernized the process with the online application described below! This page will provide you with all of the instructions necessary to apply as a professional for our shows. Please read it carefully!
IMPORTANT: Applications received at this time will be considered for our 2026 shows. The deadline to apply for our 2025 shows was Friday, September 20, 2024. We cannot accept late applications under any circumstances.
comic-con & wondercon
How To Apply as a Professional
Keep reading! You’ll find the link to the professional application in these instructions.
Step 1: Create a Comic-Con Member ID
(If you have an existing Member ID in our system, even if it is not a Member ID with a professional status, skip this step and apply using your existing Member ID!)
Click here to create your Comic-Con Member ID. A Member ID is free and available to all adults and juniors (ages 13-17) with a valid email address.
Step 2: Determine your professional verification status
To determine your professional verification status, log in to your Comic-Con Member ID account and look under “Account Settings” on the left of the screen. If you have not previously applied, no professional verification status will be displayed. If you are a returning professional, you will see a professional verification status displayed as either “Professional (Expires:____)” or “Professional – Due.”
If “Due” is displayed, you are currently DUE. It has been more than three years since your last verification, and you will not be eligible for online Professional Badge Registration unless you re-apply and are approved as a professional.
If you are a first-time professional applicant, no professional verification status will be displayed. You will not be eligible for online Professional Badge Registration unless you apply and are approved as a professional.
If a date is displayed, you are currently NOT DUE and will be eligible to register as a professional. You do not need to apply at this time. The date displayed is the date that your professional status will need to be re-verified. Once it expires, you will be notified that you are due to re-verify.
Step 3: Confirm you meet our professional qualifications
Please read the following to confirm you meet our professional qualifications before filling out your application:
COMIC-CON AND WONDERCON are pleased to provide badges to professionals who are active in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, digital/webcomics, comic strips, and animation, as well as genre-related illustrators and science fiction/fantasy authors and book editors. This includes writers, artists, pencillers, inkers, colorists, letterers, and animators. Qualifying work must be provided to indicate a professional’s involvement in these projects.
Due to the ever-increasing popularity of Comic-Con and popular arts and culture industries, we cannot guarantee badges to those who fall outside of the creative roles listed above. However, all other professionals and executives who are employed in entertainment & popular culture industries (film, television, toy & apparel design, and other related industries) are welcome to apply, and we will consider each application on an individual basis.
As part of our commitment as an educational nonprofit organization, Comic-Con and WonderCon welcome educators and librarians to attend as professionals. If you work in one of these industries, please feel free to apply.
Step 4: Fill out the Comic-Con and WonderCon Application for Professionals
Confirm that you are signed in to your Member ID, and then click the button below to access the application form. Be sure to fill out each field as completely as possible. If you have any questions about the form, please contact proreg@comic-con.org
Step 5: Attach verification material
The application alone does not qualify you as a professional. We ask that applicants supply verification materials as proof of occupation in the industry.
For each project, list the name and details of the project, the dates that you participated, and the company (if any) that produced the work. Then include any necessary files to show this, such as your name in a list of credits, or other material as listed below. Once you have chosen the file from your computer, click “Upload” to add the file to your application before moving on to the next project that you wish to list.
Verification materials can include credited or uncredited work. If the work is uncredited, both proof of employment and job title must be provided. If you are not sure exactly what to submit, send information that verifies your qualifying job title, position, or type of work. Below are some suggestions to help you. Your own verification documents may not be these exact documents, but use these examples and suggestions as a starting point:
- For credited work:
If your work appears in credits, please clearly mark where your name is credited so we can easily locate your credits. You can submit a scan or photocopy of the credits page, a sample of the work, or a screen capture. Photocopies of SAG, Writers Guild, or Directors Guild cards; end credits of a game, freelance contracts, proof of membership in the National Cartoonists Society or CAPS, or a webpage such as IMDB, MobyGames, etc. that clearly displays your name and title as an artist are also acceptable. All materials must be readable or your application will not be processed.
- For uncredited work:
Please submit two forms of verification that show your job title and the company you work for. These may include a business card AND an employee badge, a screenshot of your company webpage listing you as a principal or executive of the company, or a letter from the company stating your name and your job title as an artist or company executive. If your job title does not clearly explain the work and how it qualifies for a professional badge, include a detailed description of your work.
Here is a list of accepted file types for verification material: pdf, png, jpg, jpeg, gif, docx, zip, avif, webp
If your files are not in one of these formats, please convert them, or provide us with a link to the work rather than a file.
For both credited and uncredited verification, we cannot accept Dropbox links as they often expire before we are able to review them.
Important: You MUST include at least one recent project (completed within the last three years) with your verification materials, unless you are applying as an educator or librarian. Rather than submit verification materials, educators and librarians may submit a copy of their pay stub or employment identification card that indicates their role in these fields.
When all files that you wish to include are attached to your application, click “Add to Cart” and move to Step 6.
Step 6: Agree to the Terms & Conditions and submit your application
Once you have entered all information on your application and clicked “Add to Cart,” you will be presented with the Terms & Conditions. Click the box to agree to them, then click “Save & Continue.”
This will bring you to the check-out screen. There is no payment required to apply as a professional, but you must click “Process Order” on this screen to finalize and submit your application.
Once you click “Process Order,” a confirmation screen will appear, and a receipt for your submission will be sent to the email listed on your Member ID.
Step 7: Watch your email
All applications are processed in the order in which they are received. Processing length may vary depending on the volume of applications received and event preparation. Once your application is processed, you will receive an email notifying you whether your application was approved or declined.
Helpful Application Tips
- Please ensure that your verification material is clear and easy to read. If it is not legible, we may not be able to process your application.
- Comic-Con works with a wide variety of people in different industries. Job titles do not always mean the same thing from one industry to another. If your title is broad in scope (e.g. producer, designer), please include a brief job description.
- If your verification materials include a long list of names, please highlight your name clearly within the list.
- Include sufficient verification materials. It is better to send too much than too little. Be certain that the materials include your name, and if necessary, explain your involvement in the project.
- Links are your friend! If your verification is too large, or of a different type than the approved file types, we recommend that you provide a link to it or share it with us via Google Drive.
comic-con & Wondercon Professional
Application faq
How do I apply as a professional?
Please review the HOW TO APPLY steps in the Professional Application section on how to apply using our new online Application for Professionals!
How do I sign up for a Comic-Con Member ID?
Click here to create your Comic-Con Member ID. A Comic-Con Member ID is free and available to all adults and juniors (ages 13-17) with a valid email address.
NOTE: If you already have a Member ID, you do not need to create a new one in order to apply for professional status. If you apply and are approved, your existing Member ID will be updated.
I already have a valid Member ID, but I have never attended as a professional. How does my Member ID change to a professional member class?
You do not need to sign up for a new Member ID if you already have one. Your existing Member ID will be updated to display your professional status if you are approved as a qualifying professional.
I am either a first-time applicant or it is time for me to re-submit my verification materials. How should I apply and what should I submit?
Because Comic-Con receives so many applications to attend as a professional, we ask that applicants supply verification materials as proof of occupation in the industry. Verification materials can include credited or uncredited work. If the work is uncredited, both proof of employment and job title must be provided. If you are not sure exactly what to submit, send information that verifies your qualifying job title, position, or type of work. Below are some suggestions to help you. Your own verification documents may not be these exact documents, but use these examples and suggestions as a starting point:
- For credited work:
If your work appears in credits, please clearly mark where your name is credited so we can easily locate your credits. You can submit a scan or photocopy of the credits page, a sample of the work, or a screen capture. Photocopies of SAG, Writers Guild, or Directors Guild cards; end credits of a game, freelance contracts, proof of membership in the National Cartoonists Society or CAPS, or a webpage such as IMDB, MobyGames, etc. that clearly displays your name and title as an artist are also acceptable. All materials must be readable or your application will not be processed.
- For uncredited work:
Please submit two forms of verification that show your job title and the company you work for. These may include a business card AND an employee badge, a screenshot of your company webpage listing you as a principal or executive of the company, or a letter from the company stating your name and your job title as an artist or company executive. If your job title does not clearly explain the work and how it qualifies for a professional badge, include a detailed description of your work. If your job title, position, or type of work would normally fall in the credited work category, submit your credits or an explanation of why you are not submitting credits.
Can I email/mail/fax my professional application and verification materials?
No. All applications and materials must be sent using our online Application for Professionals.