WOW, so you had to buy a badge to get into the con, AND you had to purchase tickets to get into venues?
Hmmmmm ... I'm going to have to rething this going to conventions thing.
Writing classes are usually an extra fee. Most panels aren't.
Thanks to Creation Cons, a lot of major guests will charge for an autograph. I don't think Jim normally does...I could be wrong...but he was very specifically brought in for this con by Murder By The Book (who had the tables next to him)...and they're a small mom & pop store that fiances bringing authors into Houston with the one requirement that to get a sig, you need to buy a book of the author's from them. They never charge for you to see the author talk at their store, so this is how they recoup their money. In this case, the "store" was the table at the con.
They sold out of the large stacks and stacks of comic hardbacks for the Dresden by Saturday afternoon, btw.
Well loved store in Houston