The Rules

• RULE #1:   DO NOT COME BEFORE 6 AM. If I EVER hear that a foreigner has tried doing something as stupid as this I will go there and personally make sure that the cock sucker will suffer a long and painful death.
• RULE #2:   DON'T EVER RUN. Remember, the ocean is right near by and there are plenty of facilities nearby that can provide concrete.
• RULE #3:   DON'T SPEND EVERYTHING ON BOOKS. We have a saying among veteran participants of the CM. "You don't need that book to live."
• RULE #4:   TRY TO HAVE A FUNCTIONING BRAIN. Try to get some decent amount of sleep on the night before and make sure you have some food in you that will last and give you energy. Trust me, you'll need it.
• RULE #5:   DON'T ASK FOR AUTOGRAPHS AND/OR SKETCHES FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY FAR TOO BUSY. Artist in Japan don't charge for doing simple sketches. (Not all artist do sketches anymore, however.) So please don't be a pain in the ass for them, or else I may have to hurt you, very harshly.
• RULE #6:   YOU ARE ENTERING A FOREIGN NATION WITH DIFFERENT LAWS AND CUSTOMS: This means that you can't do the same things that you can do in America. I don't care what kind of permits you have. NO GUNS IN JAPAN. No buts. NO DRUGS EITHER. Even the Beatles got busted for possession. In other words, watch out what you're doing.
• RULE #7:   SHOWER AND WEAR DEODORANT BEFORE COMING. That way you can criticize others for not doing so.
• RULE #8:   NO EXPOSITIONS OF PHYSICAL AND/OR VOCAL TALENTS. You want to do karaoke? Take it to a karaoke bar.
• RULE #9:   LEARN TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK SOME JAPANESE BEFORE COMING. No, the world does not revolve around the English language. You will be laughed at extensively and offensively if you go to the CM expecting them to speak English for your benefit. Now I know this is hopeless for most of you people that are foreign language acquisition challenged, so make sure you stick to your interpreter at all times. He will be your lifeline.
• RULE #10:   READ THE COMIC MARKET CATALOGUE: If you can't read Japanese, have somebody help you go through the rules and guidelines. Actually the rules are described quite visually so you shouldn't have too much problems figuring it out. You need the to buy the book to get in any way, so might as well go through the book. There is a lot of useful information in there you should get yourself accustomed to and you will go through the rules and guidelines! The idea is to have fun, but not at the expense of others.