SDCC...Has it seen it's demise?

[Blue Meanie]

Found this an interesting read. To have one of the bigger Comic Book stores NOT attending and the reason's given in the article...that's a problem. Judge for yourself:

http://www.milehighcomics.com/newsle...0517email.html

[hedrap]

That was coming. He's been jabbing them for a few years about how they're being partitioned. It seems to had accelerated after the founders died/sold.

I'm interested in Disney's continual pullback into D23.

[enyawd72]

Sadly, the "comics" part of Comic Con has been an afterthought for a long time now. Both Marvel and DC have openly stated that their print divisions are hemorrhaging money. The only reason print comics still even exist is because the revenue generated through merchandising, movies and video games is enough to offset those losses. Yes, there are other types of comics out there, but superheroes are still the hallmark of the industry, and it seems they've outgrown their own source material. When superhero fatigue sets in at the movies, and it's only a matter of when, not if that happens, I fear the entire superhero genre may dry up and go the way of the western. It's simply going to happen.

There was a time before the reign of the superheroes when cowboys were king...every kid wanted to be the Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, or Gene Autry. Toys, lunchboxes, and model kits from shows like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, the Wild Wild West were everywhere. Marx had Johnny West...now they're all gone and largely forgotten.

[palitoy]

I knew it was Chuck before I clicked, he's been vocal for almost a decade and i don't blame him for not returning.

Judging from what I'm reading here, I honestly wonder if the Con management didn't want him gone.

These big cons have kind of become a dessert for vintage stuff, if you do find stuff, the rent forces some stellar prices. Here is a map I did in 2006.



I can only imagine that's gotten worse. My wife always asks me if I want to go again, I keep telling her I'd rather drive to flea markets across several states.

[Earth 2 Chris]

That's what I found so refreshing about Heroes Con in NC. It's ALL comics. No celebrity guests, just comic creators. Had a great time. Lots of great stuff to look at and buy, and people to meet.

Chris

[hedrap]

I knew it was Chuck before I clicked, he's been vocal for almost a decade and i don't blame him for not returning.

Judging from what I'm reading here, I honestly wonder if the Con management didn't want him gone.

Yeah, that was my first impressions, too. His last blowout drew a lot of attention and it was at a time when something was happening with ownership.

He has enough pull to do something opposite of them, but I don't see Colorado as the ideal locale.

That's what I found so refreshing about Heroes Con in NC. It's ALL comics. No celebrity guests, just comic creators. Had a great time. Lots of great stuff to look at and buy, and people to meet.

Chris

Did you go again this year? I end up in this quandry - 'Meet or Heroes Con - since they're the same weekend. I've had to bail on both.

[palitoy]

Yeah, that was my first impressions, too. His last blowout drew a lot of attention and it was at a time when something was happening with ownership.

I'm not saying they did anything underhanded but he probably doesn't have any friends there either.

That's what I found so refreshing about Heroes Con in NC. It's ALL comics. No celebrity guests, just comic creators.

A couple of "Comics Only" shows are popping up here as well. Apparently one even harasses dealers if you bring too many toys and the like, it's an interesting sub culture.

I used to love the big expos. The best toy show I've ever been to was an expo in NJ in the late 90s, they had the entire living Batman cast and an amazing assortment of modestly priced vintage, I filled my car with stuff!

It slowly started to wane as these things got bigger and bigger, Chiller Theater used to be in a gym and it was a treasure trove. As they switched locations it got more and more up scale. The last time I went there were only 2 vintage toy dealers in the whole place, it's just not the same experience to me.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Did you go again this year? I end up in this quandry - 'Meet or Heroes Con - since they're the same weekend. I've had to bail on both.

I actually went for the first time this year. It was the first time for me to meet most of my podcasting partners over at the Fire and Water network, so I couldn't turn it down.

There were plenty of toy and collectible vendors there as well, not just comics. Just no entertainment guests, and the only "big" publisher there was TwoMorrows, which is local.

Chris

[Jorge Galvan]

I am not going this year and the reason is cause of the WHOLE HOTEL situation. I have gone from 1999-2005, 2009, 2010 and NEVER had a problem getting the hotel(s) I wanted to stay at. Last year, I found out as I made my return that you have to REGISTER on the SD website and then WAIT and see if you get the hotel you want, otherwise you have to make a list of alternatives. Hated it. And I didn't get the hotel I wanted, but I got sneaky and called the hotel and asked if they could bend the rules and they COULDN'T cause of SD. It wasn't until 10 DAYS before the show started thay I would be able to get a room. but one catch, it would be on the Thursday checking in. Not on the Wednesday, when I arrive. :(


So I had to find another place to Crash for the night before I got to my real hotel. this year, same deal, and I was NOT gonna go thru that whole ordeal again.


**** Comic Con. POSERS.


I have to admit, I am disappointed as over the years I have had some wonderful experiences, meeting Shelly Moldoff, Sid & Marty Krofft, Patrick Duffy, Peter David, Lou Schiemer, Christopher Priest and many others I hope to go next year and see how it plays out and hopefully, something positive will happen out of all this for me and Chuck.

[huedell]

Sadly, the "comics" part of Comic Con has been an afterthought for a long time now. Both Marvel and DC have openly stated that their print divisions are hemorrhaging money. The only reason print comics still even exist is because the revenue generated through merchandising, movies and video games is enough to offset those losses. Yes, there are other types of comics out there, but superheroes are still the hallmark of the industry, and it seems they've outgrown their own source material. When superhero fatigue sets in at the movies, and it's only a matter of when, not if that happens, I fear the entire superhero genre may dry up and go the way of the western. It's simply going to happen.

It simply will not happen.

The fantasy-myth genres are too big to kill... even if the superhero movies dry up, another similar genre will take it's place.

The Wild Wild West genre is dated (and overly political). Superheroes, sci-fi, swords & sorcery are not.

That overall genre has been around for centuries, and technology has ensured it will be around that much more into the future.

Even if one of those offshoot fantasy genres fails at the box office, technology has made it so that fan-films, television, streaming services, toy merchandise, and, yes, low-run indy comics (print will always exist... if not literally then in d/l form on the Net) will keep that fantasy-myth genre on life-support until it can rear it's head again.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I went to one big con in NYC. I was so turned off by the whole thing I doubt I would ever go to another. they cram far too many people into these places. it is a major fire hazard. the prices are out of control and it just was not fun moving through like sardines.

[hedrap]

I'm not saying they did anything underhanded but he probably doesn't have any friends there either.



A couple of "Comics Only" shows are popping up here as well. Apparently one even harasses dealers if you bring too many toys and the like, it's an interesting sub culture.

I used to love the big expos. The best toy show I've ever been to was an expo in NJ in the late 90s, they had the entire living Batman cast and an amazing assortment of modestly priced vintage, I filled my car with stuff!

It slowly started to wane as these things got bigger and bigger, Chiller Theater used to be in a gym and it was a treasure trove. As they switched locations it got more and more up scale. The last time I went there were only 2 vintage toy dealers in the whole place, it's just not the same experience to me.

I wasn't trying to imply any subterfuge. All they had to do is eliminate whatever preferential treatment he got for renting such a huge space. That's what I see with his crates being caught in unloading.

Jersey, man...that was the cradle of pop fandom in the 90's.

IMO, what Mile High Guy is kvetching about is how pop fandom used to be a cultural mix with the angry nerd being the headache to handle. But when Millennial geek identity took over, it really changed the dynamics. The slavish "celebrate" mentality where quality has little value as it's all disposable, so everything is "good enough", is pretty antitheitcal to a collector.

Millenial geeks killed the critic, so to speak. From a comic standpoint, we went from Boomers who valued mint issues, to Gen X'ers and hardcover trade collections, to Millenials and digital copies. The physical original is devalued so critical grading is relevant only to a small crowd within the larger SDCC expo. You know a lot of the younger crowd now looks at comics like stamp or coin collecting. It's anecdotal, but I've heard/read storage and space as being the barrier to any book collecting.

[ScottA]

That was a very interesting read and frankly, don't blame him. But $18,000? Damn.

[The Re-Rooter]

I have attended SDCC 10 times over the years.
This is the first year I am NOT attending since 2011.
And we get free passes.
THAT is how bad it's gotten.
It's not just one aspect, either. It's not the insane crowds, getting kicked out of lines (to buy exclusives) and being yelled at by security, because that happens every year and the long list of annoyances never outweighed the list of things we enjoyed. Until now.
SDCC is evolving.... into what exactly is what I don't know. But I'm like 98% sure based on our experiences over the years that it isn't for the better.

-Diana

P.S. Hedrap is 100% right, Millennials ruin EVERYTHING.

[supes]

If that Jersey show was in the Meadowlands area I was selling at that toy show, it was awesome!! Those shows were great, a guy named Gene ran them good times!!

I'm not saying they did anything underhanded but he probably doesn't have any friends there either.



A couple of "Comics Only" shows are popping up here as well. Apparently one even harasses dealers if you bring too many toys and the like, it's an interesting sub culture.

I used to love the big expos. The best toy show I've ever been to was an expo in NJ in the late 90s, they had the entire living Batman cast and an amazing assortment of modestly priced vintage, I filled my car with stuff!

It slowly started to wane as these things got bigger and bigger, Chiller Theater used to be in a gym and it was a treasure trove. As they switched locations it got more and more up scale. The last time I went there were only 2 vintage toy dealers in the whole place, it's just not the same experience to me.