Are Comic Book conventions really Comic Book conventions? 1 1

[Lt. Eckhardt]

I think the industry in general needs to come up with a new name for an event that focuses exclusively on the buying and selling of comic books.  We should accept that the term "Comic Con" no longer is ours and implement a new name for a true Comic Book marketplace.  I think once that happens and these events are marketed properly to the correct targeted audience, you will begin to see these cos players go away. 

Edited March 20, 2017 by Lt. Eckhardt

[Red84]

Just now, Lt. Eckhardt said:

I think the industry in general needs to come up with a new name for an event that focuses exclusively on the buying and selling of comic books.  We need to accept that the term "Comic Con" no longer is ours and implement a new name for a true Comic Book marketplace.  I think once that happens and these events are marketed properly to the correct targeted audience, you will begin to see these cos players go away. 

Comic Book Swap Meet?

[Lt. Eckhardt]

Yes, absolutely.  The industry just needs to pick a name and go with it.

Comic Book Swap Meet

Comic Book buy and Sell

Comic Book Market place

 

[zosocane]

41 minutes ago, Lt. Eckhardt said:

Yes, absolutely.  The industry just needs to pick a name and go with it.

Comic Book Swap Meet

Comic Book buy and Sell

Comic Book Market place

 

Isn't Comic Book Market what Carbo uses for what used to be Big Apple Con?  And with generally good effect.   That's mostly dealers, old-school style.  Cosplay gets in, but they put them on a separate floor for photo-shoots, etc. so it kinda herds them away.  Everyone wins.

[ecgt]

My wife and I vend at various "shows" (as people tend to refer to them) here in Atlantic Canada. The "big" one, Hal-Con, in Halifax, NS, is a straight up fan convention that is cosplay heavy. We also have vended at DCAF, in Dartmouth, NS, which is oriented around comic artists and at the East Coast Comic Expo (ECCE), in Moncton, NB. The Moncton show is a straight up comic vending event where most of the back issue dealers in the region are present and numerous regional comic artists are also present. The ECCE is my favourite one of these events from a comics perspective: most of the customers are there for comics and it gives me an opportunity to buy a lot of comics too. It's not intended to be a fan convention, which is why they call it a Comic Expo. It also garners a much smaller crowd. There are plenty of cosplayers at all three events and ECCE has a costume contest like many fan conventions do, but this is not the main draw for most attendees. What's important about the expo is that it is designed to cater to comic dealers and collectors and all guests are from the comics industry (instead of the various medium celebrities at other events). Some cosplayers spend money on comics and other vintage collectables. Others do not. The thing is that the larger fan conventions (including comparatively small ones like Hal-Con here in Halifax) are not about comics. They're about fandom. I love all of these events and we adjust what we are selling to cater to an event's specific audience. Fan conventions can be great events and we are glad to be able to attend Hal-Con as vendors. I go to more if they weren't so far away.

I like the idea of Elite Con and would attend something like this were such an event hosted in my region. But this sounds more like a swap meet than what cons have become. I prefer what the organisers in Moncton are doing, as vendors and attendees can "have their cake and eat it too." But, I have no problem with banning or restricting cosplay at a given event and respect the reasoning behind this decision in this case. That said, I'm surprised that this kind of reaction wasn't anticipated. Call it entitlement, but in my experience people don't like being told "no" and cosplay is so status quo now that breaking the mould understandably ruffled some feathers. Maybe use it as a learning experience moving forward towards what will hopefully be a second event?

[ecgt]

Looks like Elite Con found a supporter in Peter David. Cool!

http://www.peterdavid.net/2017/03/07/elite-con/

[MedicAR]

4 hours ago, JiveTurkeyMoFo said:

Next year's design is already being worked on by Top Men.

 

[Lt. Eckhardt]

1 hour ago, zosocane said:

Isn't Comic Book Market what Carbo uses for what used to be Big Apple Con?  And with generally good effect.   That's mostly dealers, old-school style.  Cosplay gets in, but they put them on a separate floor for photo-shoots, etc. so it kinda herds them away.  Everyone wins.

Yes, and I too attended Carbo's show in NYC and enjoyed it very much.  It felt very much like an old school Comic Book Show.   They put all the Media Guests on an entirely different floor which I thought was a good decision.   The room is still way too small and crowded but I for one hope for more shows like Carbo's in the future.

Edited March 20, 2017 by Lt. Eckhardt

[Buzzetta]

I would go to a show like that.  I only cosplay as an angry commuter anyway... jeans, t-shirt and a hoodie with a messenger bag.

Cosplayers can have their own convention or not show up to the show.

They are only buying food and some chotchkies from what I see when I go to these things... they are there to walk around and show off.  If it clears the aisle and allows me to not go absolutely insane trying to navigate around someone wearing a pair of giant Final Fantasy anime wings then I am good to go. 

[Buzzetta]

And BTW... I hear Baltimore is a fun show... I might take a trip down there... 

However if I am going to Baltimore I am getting tickets to an Orioles game.  They play the Rays for their final four games of the season.  I also plan to look around the city. 

[Jimmy Linguini]

19 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

And BTW... I hear Baltimore is a fun show... I might take a trip down there... 

However if I am going to Baltimore I am getting tickets to an Orioles game.  They play the Rays for their final four games of the season.  I also plan to look around the city. 

do it

[wombat]

It's a very good show. You know, if you like comics. 

[Spidey 62]

Pittsburgh used to be a great show too, 90% comics and artists.  I went there twice with a friend...9 hour drive.  Worth it to us.  Then they got bought out.  Good for them, bad for us.

Edited March 21, 2017 by Spidey 62

[classicaaron]

first off major cons have become pointless to attend.  I don't know why anyone goes anymore.  I don't need to spend $50 to go to look at promotional booths and annoying cosplayers.  I know from attending Wizard World Philly the past 15 years that the show used to be awesome.  it was an entire con filled with hundreds of dealers all selling comics or figures and maybe one or two t shirt stands.  now this past year there might have been 8 comic vendors.  the rest were pirate ships, a huge soda booth, a zombie cage, at&t, some movie sponsor and whatever I could care less about.  it was my final straw and why im not going this year.  again I don't need to spend $50 to be bombarded with advertisements, I get that for free all the time.  these local hotel shows for $5 that have twice the comic vendors and much better deals is where its at.  I can walk out with a ton of comics in hand for what it would just cost me to get into the big con.

as for celebs, I do like when they attend but again wizard world sucked all the fun out of that.  having some comic related media guests who sign for around $50 bucks is cool.  having chris evans come and sign the letter C with a line after it for $500 is not cool.  ive been to celebrity shows and that's all it really is, its not meant for vendors and I prefer that.  keep them separate as they draw far different crowds anyhow.

finally all cosplayers should be punched in the face.  sorry but its true.  they are the most annoying loud obnoxious people on the planet.  its one thing to just dress up but no they have to shout and run around like spoiled children.  they pose directly in the middle of aisles like look at me I can be cool for one day because the 364 other days they are a total losers.  they don't mind bumping into people with their 15 ft foam sword so guess what, when I walk by I intentionally trample parts of the costume or give them a stiff shoulder.  if your rude enough to expect me to move around you like im not there ill be rude enough to make it a point that I am there.  maybe they will get a clue.  and it would be somewhat enjoyable if they actually put effort into costumes.  99% of them wear terrible Halloween costumes, are 300 lbs and somehow think they are Harley Quinn.  and I swear if I have to stand next to one more joker in line who does the worst joker laugh every five minutes because he thinks hes cool while i wait to get in for 2 hours I may honestly go postal on them.  these people are rude dorks with zero social skills who cant handle themselves.  also for the very few who actually look good or "hot", on the street they are still trash, they just look good compared to the ultra pathetic cosplayers that make up the 99%.  I know dealers are always annoyed with them blocking their booths and they never buy anything so no point catering to them.  dealers are becoming less and less because they just cant make money at these shows.

 

long story longer, cons are garbage anymore because they over exploited it.  its why mini shows are popping up all over the place.  I expect these shows to restart and in another 20 years will probably become the new "con" as shows like wizard world die off from over hype.  its a vicious cycle.

Edited March 23, 2017 by classicaaron

[Dave2739]

Welcome to the boards! 

[Buzzetta]

2 hours ago, classicaaron said:

first off major cons have become pointless to attend.  I don't know why anyone goes anymore.  I don't need to spend $50 to go to look at promotional booths and annoying cosplayers.  I know from attending Wizard World Philly the past 15 years that the show used to be awesome.  it was an entire con filled with hundreds of dealers all selling comics or figures and maybe one or two t shirt stands.  now this past year there might have been 8 comic vendors.  the rest were pirate ships, a huge soda booth, a zombie cage, at&t, some movie sponsor and whatever I could care less about.  it was my final straw and why im not going this year.  again I don't need to spend $50 to be bombarded with advertisements, I get that for free all the time.  these local hotel shows for $5 that have twice the comic vendors and much better deals is where its at.  I can walk out with a ton of comics in hand for what it would just cost me to get into the big con.

as for celebs, I do like when they attend but again wizard world sucked all the fun out of that.  having some comic related media guests who sign for around $50 bucks is cool.  having chris evans come and sign the letter C with a line after it for $500 is not cool.  ive been to celebrity shows and that's all it really is, its not meant for vendors and I prefer that.  keep them separate as they draw far different crowds anyhow.

finally all cosplayers should be punched in the face.  sorry but its true.  they are the most annoying loud obnoxious people on the planet.  its one thing to just dress up but no they have to shout and run around like spoiled children.  they pose directly in the middle of aisles like look at me I can be cool for one day because the 364 other days they are a total losers.  they don't mind bumping into people with their 15 ft foam sword so guess what, when I walk by I intentionally trample parts of the costume or give them a stiff shoulder.  if your rude enough to expect me to move around you like im not there ill be rude enough to make it a point that I am there.  maybe they will get a clue.  and it would be somewhat enjoyable if they actually put effort into costumes.  99% of them wear terrible Halloween costumes, are 300 lbs and somehow think they are Harley Quinn.  and I swear if I have to stand next to one more joker in line who does the worst joker laugh every five minutes because he thinks hes cool while i wait to get in for 2 hours I may honestly go postal on them.  these people are rude dorks with zero social skills who cant handle themselves.  also for the very few who actually look good or "hot", on the street they are still trash, they just look good compared to the ultra pathetic cosplayers that make up the 99%.  I know dealers are always annoyed with them blocking their booths and they never buy anything so no point catering to them.  dealers are becoming less and less because they just cant make money at these shows.

 

long story longer, cons are garbage anymore because they over exploited it.  its why mini shows are popping up all over the place.  I expect these shows to restart and in another 20 years will probably become the new "con" as shows like wizard world die off from over hype.  its a vicious cycle.

Sup' 

[Red84]

It's pretty shilly in here.  Brrrr. 

[1950's war comics]

The shill above,  although bitter,  is pretty much spot on !

[Dave2739]

9 minutes ago, 1950's war comics said:

The shill above,  although bitter,  is pretty much spot on !

I don't entirely disagree, but I think the suggestions of punching, trampling, bumping and stiff-shouldering is a bit over-the-top for dealing with cosplayers. I do like photobombing them when they stop and clog the aisles though. I think that's pretty harmless, but I still get to keep moving and I find a tiny bit of satisfaction in doing so. 

[VintageComics]

Saying cons are pointless is a blanket statement and it's incorrect.

But I think I'll stay off his lawn.