With New York Comic Con Special Edition this weekend and San Diego Comic Con International on the horizon, the con season is in full swing, and Multiversity is all over it. Today, we’re looking at the burgeoning world of comic conventions in a series of three pieces, one from a fan perspective, one from a sheer numbers perspective, and then a discussion piece on how to we think one of the biggest cons could stand to improve. Take a look, and make sure to share your thoughts on the world of comic conventions in the comments.
I have been attending comic book conventions, in one form or another, for close to 25 years now. I can remember being about 6 years old when I accompanied my three older cousins to a local comic show, held in a hotel ballroom, where we were searching for original Mirage “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” comics, a Steppenwolf Super Powers figure, and the old school Spider-Man web shooters, among other random pursuits. We only found one of these (the web shooters), but we had a blast, and through all of it – the condescending talk from bitter retailers, the cheesy homemade Superman costumes, getting bumped into by hundreds of seemingly absent minded attendees, the musty smell of cigarettes and dust that permeated throughout the room – it seemed like this was a special event.
Compared to this, New York Comic Con feels like the moon. There is nothing that isn’t utterly amazing to my 6-year old self about what NYCC does each and every year. From the shockingly diverse group of talent tabling, to the over the top cosplayers, to the simple fact that 100,000 people care enough about comics to drop their money on passes, everything about NYCC is so much larger and more exciting than I thought it would be.
However, to say that today’s state of conventions is perfect isn’t exactly true either. There are a slew of issues with any gathering of six figures worth of people in one place, as well as situations that are specifically con-problematic. I also tend to look at these conventions through the two lenses I need to view them through: as a fan, and as a member of the press. I think it is important to touch on both, as the majority of fans can’t get to conventions (at least not with the frequency many of us in the press can), and so they rely on our reporting to get the news and highlights from these events.
I also want to state that I am by no means a convention expert. I’ve attended many local shows, New York Comic Con for the past four years, and Emerald City Comicon this past March. These are my observations based on those shows, as well as gleaning information from friends, colleagues, and professionals I’ve spoken to about the situation.
Perhaps the single largest change in convention culture since I was a kid, besides the sheer size, is the audience that is attending. When I went to that first con, my cousin was one of the few girls there, and we were among the youngest attendees. The atmosphere was more geared towards collectors, and everyone seemed to be carrying around a priceless heirloom of a comic, concerned that if you looked at it for too long it would fall from “mint” to “near mint.”
Today, convention audiences are as diverse as anyone could imagine – young, old, men, women, dressed in cosplay or in casual attire, all races. The modern comics audience is far from uniform, and that is reflected in spades at conventions. This is great for attendees, as it ensures that you won’t feel like the outcast – look close enough, and there is someone just like you.
The presence of cosplay is also something that is prominently on display at the average con. They run the gamut from the ever-present Spidey with a fanny pack to the insanely intricate Predator costumes. Cosplay is a sensitive subject, but it is rarely so because of the cosplayers themselves – instead, it is because of the way that people react to cosplay that makes it “controversial.”
Continued belowI am certainly not the first person to point this out, but the people who make cosplaying uncomfortable are the people who treat the cosplayers more like objects than the comics they’re carrying around to get signed. Regardless of your role at a convention, being a creep is never cool, and everyone’s experience is far worse when people at a con are being sexually assaulted, unnecessarily leered at, or spoken about in hushed whispers.
If you’re looking for a way to make everyone happy at a con, here is one of the best pieces of advice I can give you: never stop a cosplayer in a well trafficked area to stop for a photo. This makes everyone else trying to walk through get frustrated and slows down the entire flow of people trying to get around. There are plenty of spots throughout most cons for cosplayers to be photographed without being a nuisance to everyone else.
If you can just follow those two rules, you will soon learn this: cosplayers are awesome. They bring joy to so many people, whether going for a classic character done well or a funny twist on an expected costume. They work really hard, and deserve to be celebrated. To do that appropriately, we all need to work hard to make sure that they can continue to do what they love without being shamed or blamed for stuff that clearly isn’t their fault.
In the days before eBay, conventions were just about the only place to pick up a super rare book your local shop didn’t carry. Today, retailers at cons still carry rare books, but they also carry complete runs/collections, dollar (or, even better, quarter) bins, variants, signed editions, and more. If you are someone who takes their collecting seriously, a good con can put you in debt right quick.
If you have a specific book in mind, good luck trying to find it. If you’re going in with more of an open mind, you can get some seriously awesome books relatively cheaply. If you’re cool with digging through longboxes while hunched over, being bumped/kicked by passers by, you can probably get some pretty incredible stuff very cheaply.
Outside of comics (and buying original art or prints, which we will hit later), I am not usually buying too much else at conventions. There are a lot of booths set up for gimmicky t-shirts, or fake swords, or power crystals or whatever, and I usually steer clear of that stuff. This isn’t a knock against those vendors, but buying comics at a convention keeps the message loud and clear to the folks who put on these events: we want our conventions to be centered around comics. When comic retailers have good cons, we all succeed. If the dude with the 20 foot high t-shirt tower has a good weekend, it just means more idiots in “Bazinga!” t-shirts.
Panels were what I spent the majority of my time at my first two NYCCs doing. I really enjoyed hearing from the creators and publishers, and heard some really interesting discussions. I also sat through some hour long commercials with no substance, information, or fun conveyed. And then, something happened a few years ago: the panels became so crowded that most of the bigger ones required a 2-3 hour wait just to get into.
And here’s a dirty little secret: unless there will be exclusive footage shown, no panel is worth waiting any more than half an hour for. Seriously.
Today, websites like Comic Book Resources and Newsarama have reporters inside the bigger panels, updating the posts every minute or two. Instead of spending three hours on line to hear a new series announced, you can pop on Twitter after spending those two hours walking around, meeting creators, seeing awesome work, and having fun.
Sure, it is great to get the chance to ask a question, or to get a sneak peak at some artwork, but the reality is that the comics internet usually has this stuff online just a few minutes later, and your chance of getting a creator to answer your question on Twitter is probably greater than getting to ask a question at a panel.
Continued belowThere are, of course, exceptions of this rule. If there isn’t a crazy line, panels can be totally worth your time (especially if they are, let’s say, comic book game show podcasts). However, most of those panels aren’t the ones put together by publishers to showcase their new books. Again, some of those can be awesome – but I wouldn’t recommend building an entire day around 2 or 3 panels instead of the myriad awesome things you could be doing.
What panels I would personally suggest? It is pretty easy to spot what panels will be dull (the usually have the letters D and C prominently displayed) – seek out the panels that sound like there will be actual discussion happening. A conversation between like-minded creators is way more interesting than a publisher simply running down its current covers with the creators barely expanding upon the solicitations.
As for the press side of things, many conventions (NYCC included) do not have a designated press area during panels, so press, too, has to wait in line for the right to report this stuff. This is not meant as an “I’m so much better than the average plebians” statement; it is actually quite the opposite. I want to be able to report on the stuff that the fans who can’t be there want to know. The press being denied early/preferred access to panels might be good for the 20-100 fans that get accommodated over press, but causes literally tens of thousands of fans to miss out on the reporting.
By far my favorite part of conventions is the ability to interact with creators. Whether grabbing a handshake and a quick chat, or picking up a piece of commissioned art, or simply having some new names to keep an eye out for at the local shop, it is never a bad thing to spend a few hours wandering around Artist Alley.
For those that haven’t been to a major convention, Artist Alley is where working writers and artists set up tables to sell their wares and meet their fans. You can often times pick up original art, commissioned sketches, trade paperbacks, prints, and rare exclusives or variants.
This was always a part of con culture, but recently has become a much bigger part of the experience, and for good reason – it is, hands down, the best part of the convention. I can’t tell you how many amazing creators I’ve had the chance to talk with, support financially, and get to know in Artist Alley. Buying something from someone at a table means that more of the money is going directly to them; it also means that they get a one on one connection with a new fan. I know that I am more likely to take a chance on something new when the creator is selling me on it, when I get it for the same (or lower) price I can online or in a store, with a signature in it, and a story to tell my friends.
Artist Alley is also the place where you can get my personal favorite thing to buy at a convention, and that is artwork. I am by no means a major collector, but each year I try to pick up a commission from an artist I dig. First of all, in this world of cloud storage and mass production (my God I sound like my father), it is really cool to own something that was created just for me, and that only I own. Commissioned art isn’t cheap – I’ve paid between $50 and, well, more than that, for a few pieces, but I value those pieces immensely. I have a watercolored Francis Manapul Hal Jordan piece, for instance, that I got in 2010 – it wasn’t cheap, but it is a gorgeous piece of art that one day my daughter will hopefully have in her collection as well.
I also got to sit there and watch Manapul do the piece, which usually isn’t the case, and that was a great insight into the artistic process in a way I would normally never, ever get to experience. If you are a fan of an artist appearing at the convention you’re going to, inquire about a pre-convention commission list, prices, etc. It will certainly cost you more than a nice stack of books will, but it is something that is just for you – and you alone.
Continued belowFrom the press perspective, Artist Alley is where I spend most of my time because it gives me access to the creators. But here is the best part: aside from guys I’ve developed a friendship with over the years, I have no more access to the talent than an average fan does.
And I think that is the overarching theme I kept coming across while writing this piece – the convention floor is a complete leveling of the playing field. I’ve shared elevators, lines at Subway, and pained expressions with some of the biggest names in comics. The convention is a humanizing event for all of comics, in a way other mediums don’t really attempt. The publishers and creators that get that make these weekends something really special for all those involved, and allow us a peek into the creative process, the sometimes dull reality, and the endless possibilities of comics. How lucky are we?
Hopefully, this piece conveys how much hope and fun and excitement and, sadly, body odor are part of the convention experience. I think if you can just follow a few key principles – cut it on the creepiness, don’t take photos in high volume areas, respect those you come into contact with – you’ll have a blast.
Finally, here are a few tips that are just good advice:
- bring a reusable bottle of water
- pack a lunch
- wear comfortable shoes
- try new books
- be friendly
- be polite
- bring breath mints – no one likes kitten breath
- make sure your backpack/messenger bag won’t rip into your shoulders
- don’t be afraid to haggle
- talk to people
