Mile High Comics talks about the SDCC

[kingdom warrior]

A very interesting read and rant by Chuck Rozanski, President of Mile High Comics.

http://www.milehighcomics.com/newsletter/072514email.html

http://www.milehighcomics.com/newsletter/072614wemail.html

[enyawd72]

Here's a guy complaining about how much money he's making while calling others greedy? He stated he did very well at other shows, just not so much at SDCC, and as far as criticizing people who buy the exclusives to sell on Ebay? Gimme a break. Without Ebay, people who don't or can't attend SDCC would never be able to get said exclusives. Even paying higher prices on Ebay, it's still a helluva lot cheaper than a plane ticket, SDCC admission, and a hotel room. I also understand dealers not being allowed to purchase exclusives at the show. When that's been allowed in the past, those very same dealers were reselling exclusives for jacked up prices back at their own booths before the show was even over.

I'm sure the president of Mile High Comics isn't hurting for money...take a look at his Ebay sales alone. He's not getting any sympathy from me.

[madmarva]

Rozanski will change his mind and exhibit at San Diego next year. wait and see. He'll write another 2,000 word manifesto about why. He loves publicity.

[enyawd72]

^Bingo.

Besides, if one four day show out of the entire year will make or break your entire business, you're doing something wrong.

[thunderbolt]

There was a documentary a few years ago with almost the same rant from him. He's a broken record.

[MIB41]

There was so much wrong with that public rant, it's hard to know where to begin. But, in a nutshell, if it supposedly takes the man nearly $50,000 just to break even, then perhaps he should try a new business model?

[Earth 2 Chris]

Each email you get from Mile High has a metric ton of text with it that i just ignore.

Chirs

[palitoy]

He's not wrong in thinking actual comic dealers have less and less to do with SDCC, I've been to SDCC and honestly, it's definitely not the best comic show I've been to.

[madmarva]

Rozanski is absolutely right that ComicCon is no longer a comic book convention alone. It hasn't been for at least 15 years maybe longer. It's more of a pop culture event. It's the movie and TV show panels and video game displays that seem to drive it.

If you are looking to buy vintage comics and toys, you can find them there, but there are much better shows to attend if either of those are your sole focus that are a lot less of a hassle and not as expensive. items are generally going to be overpriced because of how much it costs to exhibit there, at least until Sunday. And generally retailers only bring sure-to-sell items. So if you are looking for one particular issue or one certain hard-to-find action figure, it's not the best place unless you correspond with some retailers and ask them to bring that item if they have it.

But, if you are looking for great panels about comics or just about anything else concerning sci-Fi, fantasy and genre fiction, movies or shows, the show can't be beat. I've never been disappointed at a panel at San Diego. Each one generally has a knowledgable moderator, which makes a great difference. Panels that are just Q&As are a waste of time to me because most aren't used to asking good questions because it's hard to do without preparation.

If you want original art or a convention sketch, there are a ton of options. But if you want to have a 10 minute chat or even 5 minutes with a highly popular writer or artist, it's not the right show. Small shows are best for that.

It is an overwhelming event and one you need a plan for to totally enjoy, and it is not for everyone. You will be standing in line and you might not get into panel or event you want if you don't get there early or even if you did. But unlike other shows, if you don't get in to your first choice, there is something nearly as interesting going on elsewhere.

My biggest frustration with the event, outside of parking, is the golden-age comics panel will be scheduled opposite of a Spotlight on Adam Hughes or Bernie Wrightson and the Star Wars panel, and I have to decide which one I want to attend.

And it's like that almost every hour of the 4-day show. There's just too much cool stuff to do.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I've never been to San Diego, but it's not hard to see that control of this event has been slowly slipping away from comic fan/dealers that founded it, like Rozanski, and moving into the hands of the large movie studios, toy companies, etc.

SDCC is also going after smaller cons for using the term "Comic Con". I wonder what founder Phil Seuling would think of this?

http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/san-diego-comic-con-international-vs-salt-lake-comic-con/

Chris

[enyawd72]

IMO, what would make the show much better is lowering the number of attendees, but that will never happen. Cedar Point here in Ohio has the same problem. I will NEVER go to that park again as long as I live, I don't care how great their rides are. They oversell admissions and the end result is almost four hour wait times to ride a single ride. I'm sorry, but for a $45 admission, $20 parking, and a three hour drive, it's just not worth it to spend eight hours standing in lines to ride two rides that last under five minutes.

[palitoy]

The Canadian equivalent is something called Fan Expo, it gets all the big guests and probably attracts 100,000 people every year from across the country.

I won't go unless I'm dragged and given a free pass, even then i moan.

It's crowded, very expensive to exhibit, meaning that smaller dealers (vintage toys, vintage comics etc) don't come. You're left mainly with media outlets, celebrities and Toronto area stores setting up, that I could visit for free anytime.

Conversely, my pals at Burlington Toycon have started their own smaller comic show across town. I met dealers I've never heard of ($50 tables entices a lot of new faces), spent more money as a result and had a great deal more fun with my kids. Sure I didn't get to meet David Hasselhof but I'll be OK.

[ubermanx]

I totally agree with Brian having been to many FanExpos. The scope of the convention is not only comics but horror movies, video games, etc. So much so that they do not use the term "comic book convention" or comic-con. So there is alot to spend your money on to be sure.

I think Chuck is exaggerating. I find it hard to believe that he actually lost $10,000 being at SDCC. Maybe he had $10,000 less in sales than previously? But to actually spend $10,000 more going to the show, food, admission/table fee, etc than receive in sales seems a bit off. Unless he brought a staff of 12 First Class air from Colorado and put them up in a fancy hotel. Maybe ...

Put that's not really his point. The entertainment dollars are not there to buy back issues. Imagine lugging a short box full of comics all day at the Con? I know that wouldn't be my focus. Perhaps he needs a smaller book with just high ticket items?

- Marty

[hedrap]

His only valid point is the variants game, combined with more one-day passes and less four-day, is creating horseblinds on the single pass individuals. That's deliberate manipulation by SDCC to churn more new people towards the big vendors. SDCC's answer, as I've read in the past, is to say people cannot afford the four-day, but that's a crock. Unless you're a Cali resident, or maybe a neighboring state, you can swing one day in San Diego and jet out of twon. But for the out-of-towners, if you offer them one day, you're sending them off to gallivant at Sea World or Lego Land for the rest of the weekend.

Mile High's problem is his inventory. His hidden gripe is that since he's the biggest supplier of back issues and has been for decades, floor domination is par for the course. Who in the hell can match 1,200/hour in books, at any con, over a span of seven tables! That's staggering and no one can match that, which he's never had a problem with since I first starting dealing with him in the 80's. But now that someone can match him in non-books and on the same floor space, it's a violation.

He didn't care when SDCC became Hollywood *****land about fifeteen years ago, because he was still crushing the competition. He was more than happy to facilitate the studios and use them as free marketing, which is an insane idea. Studios were not coming to SDCC to provide dealers an audience, they were always bent on stealing the audience. Marvel is the biggest culprit of now co-opting the SDCC crowd and each year since the Disney merger, they deliver less.

So Mile High's answer is to attend smaller cons the studios don't go to, and thereby obliterating the local market dealers. What a concerned human being.

[Random Axe]

Wow, what a dick. This is why I only deal with Lone Star Comics, www.mycomicshop.com for my needs whenever I have them. They are great to deal with, pack everything super secure and ship quick. I've always found the best deals through them and have no reason to change. Even with the unmatched inventory of Mile High, personality, customer service and just overall positive vibes count for something in this retail world. How many people do you think got turned off by this latest diatribe?