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DC Bombshells at Comic Con. Photo courtesy of Joits Photography.
So another Comic Con has come and gone and I find myself feeling torn about missing it again this year. No, this isn’t moaning because I could not get a press pass; hell, over the fifteen years that I have gone to Comic Con, only twice was it ever under the banner of being press. Not getting a press pass doesn’t concern me; I can afford my weekend passes at Comic Con when I want to. What this does have to with it is the way I have experienced Comic Con the last several times I was there. There is something about the way that Comic Con has changed, has grown, and has evolved that really irks me. All great Conventions experience growing pains; look at Anime Expo a few weeks back at the complaints that it received for the handling of badge distribution for a record number of attendees. But whereas Anime Expo released a press statement acknowledging their mistakes and what they are going to try to do to alleviate those concerns, Comic Con has gone about its business like nothing has changed – and that is what really bothers me.
In fact, it pains me that because of the way I feel about my last few Comic Con experiences I am missing out on it another year. There are a lot of good things going on at Comic Con that I would like to be involved with, should be involved with. But my principles (or ego, or pride… you chose) just won’t allow me to do so because of what has happened to me and my staff while we were there the last few times. Doing what we do here at Pop Cults, and previously at Nfamous, it is important that we be there to get you guys the most in-depth coverage possible for us. But seeing as how things are run, it is almost as easy to disseminate the information from home and take our time to get things right (and maintain our sanity). Providing satellite coverage of the events at Comic Con does have its advantages and disadvantages, and I will list them for you shortly as well as others things I believe about the Con, but fo now, right now, I am happy with this arrangement. Though I will admit that over the last couple of years not having hands-on or first-hand experiences of certain things is making me change my tune a bit to get better information for you, our readers.
Anyway, here is a rough breakdown of the good and bad of being at Comic Con…
The Good – and believe me when I say that when I mean this is the good of Comic Con, it really is that good. First-hand and personal experiences are always the best and that is why these stand out so greatly in my mind.
Seeing friends that I haven’t seen for a while and playing a bit of catch up: this is what I miss most of all to be honest. There are a lot of good friends of mine that go to Comic Con ever year and one of the major draws for me to the show was to see them.
Seeing the cosplay first hand and getting lots of original and exclusive photos: another big draw for me. As a former cosplayer and huge cosplay enthusiast and proponent, seeing all the cosplay at the Con for myself is a huge perk for me.
Getting information from panels for myself to evaluate and sift through: there is nothing like getting first-hand information and dissecting it for yourself. I get good info from home, but being there is a whole other experience.
Getting a chance to conduct floor interviews with celebrities and guests at the Con: I will admit that missing out on the chance to get exclusive interviews with Comic Con guests is a huge factor in me changing my mind about attending.
Seeing all the exclusive merchandise available at the show first-hand: seeing pictures of stuff is great; but being there and holding it in your hands or flipping through a book on your own and seeing the details up close is the best there is.
Walking through the Gas Lamp District and seeing all the extra fun and “after party” events: okay, so this really means eating great food and getting drunk with friends at parties after, but it is still pretty fun and relevant to me.
Being around like-minded people who appreciate the awe and spectacle of Comic Con: nothing beats the experience of being around a group of people like yourself who are just as passionate and enamored with the culture of Comic Con.
The Bad – and boy is it bad. Bad enough to have kept me away for two years despite knowledge that first-hand information for our readers is what is best for business. For all the good experiences I have had at Comic Con over the last several years the bad experiences weight just as equally and that is why I have kept my distance for as long as I have.
Dealing with Comic Con staffers who don’t know which is which or how to help you in any way: forget not knowing if press gets priority or not, how about just giving me the right directions to where something has been moved or if times have changed. If you don’t know the information and you are working as a staffer/volunteer, that’s just sad. If you just don’t care, thanks for ruining my experience even more.
Waiting in a line for a panel for hours, hoping enough seats clear up for you to get in and giving up the chance to attend other major and/or relevant panels going on at the same time: one thing that bugs me about Comic Con is that people can remain seated in rooms and take in panel after panel. That’s great for that person but so unfair to everyone else. Imagine if theme parks let people pull that kind of crap; when would you ever get on your favorite ride?
Being around Comic Con “fakes” who are there for one celebrity or panel and completely shun everyone else for being there to take in the whole show: admittedly, this opinion formed during the Twilight days of the Con but there are still those who go to the Con for one thing and then totally shit on others who are there for the whole event. You like True Blood, awesome, so do I and I am glad you’re here. But don’t rip on the Marvel or DC fanboys walking by for being comic nerds when they may be here enjoying the whole Con and you are just here for one panel out of the whole weekend. Elitism like that just annoys the hell out of me.
Dealing with certain San Diego “natives” who look at you like you don’t belong and make you feel uncomfortable about being in their city for a week: okay, so I am a huge nerd, big deal. I know it, you know I’m going to be there for one week out of the year. Don’t get your conservative panties in a bunch just because you can’t visit your favorite Gas Lamp pub or pizzeria for one week while we take over. Believe you me; I don’t want to stay in San Diego longer than I have to anyway.
The disruption of your personal space with bodies and odors: this is a problem with a lot of cons and shows around the country, but because Comic Con has outgrown the San Diego Convention Center it particularly stands out at this event. Nothing feels better than having to wiggle in between bodies to get across the Con floor or from panel to panel. Believe it or not I take no pleasure in accidentally rubbing up against another guy’s ass or some lady’s boob just to get from the Mattel panel to the Marvel panel. But that isn’t the worst part. Then you have certain attendees who still believe that a shower and deodorant are suggestions, not mandatory in today’s society. Nothing kills your mood faster than the smell of dirty armpits rubbing on your brand new Silver Surfer shirt.
And I think that last issue I have is the big deal breaker for me. Comic Con just doesn’t know how to deal with the massive growth they have experienced. They have tried “bandage” type fixes, but the overcrowding isn’t a small cut, it is a big wound and they have done little to really correct that situation. I get that the committee that runs Comic Con loves the city of San Diego; it has suited their needs for many years and that kind of loyalty is admirable – but at the same time they owe it to their fans to provide them a comfortable and enjoyable experience, not just the experience alone. Hopefully, with the approved expansion of the Convention Center by the California Coastal Commission this past year, the overcrowding issue can be taken care. That would really satisfy me as an attendee. But that is no excuse for years of inaction by the people who run Comic Con.
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From a few years back, one of my favorite cosplay group shots. Photo courtesy of Dezi “Nightminx” Gentile.
I am sure that the SPJA loved Anime Expo out of Anaheim and Long Beach for so many years, but when they saw that neither city could contain their needs they made the hard choice to move to Los Angeles, not particularly because they wanted to but because it was the best decision for their fans. Take this past Anime Expo for instance: registration delays aside, they had 220,000 people pass through the turnstiles during the four-day event. And though the Los Angeles Convention Center was packed it never felt overcrowded. Dare I say, Anime Expo probably could have accommodated another 20,000 fans over the course of the event before it would become unbearably overcrowded.
Or take one of the newest conventions to hit the scene, Stan Lee’s Comikaze. Every year the attendance for the show has grown roughly 20% per year, reaching just under 54,000 attendees in 2013. But because they positioned themselves in an area that accommodate growth the way the Los Angeles Convention Center can, the show feels safe and comfortable and inviting. Not like Comic Con which has had to completely close down on-site registration for the Con the last six years.
The event organizers love San Diego, I get that – it is a fun (and bearable) city for five days, but there is a severe injustice being done to their fans who can’t attend because of the 130,000 attendee cap they enforce because of the limited space of the San Diego Convention Center. Just think about that for a second: 130,000 people at Comic Con feels like you are trekking through mud but you can still move comparably easy through 220,000 people at Anime Expo. Tell me how that makes sense.
Don’t misunderstand me here; I am not advocating that Comic Con move from the San Diego Convention Center to the Los Angeles Convention Center – personally I don’t think that the Los Angeles Convention Center would be a good fit for Comic Con for many reasons. But if the plans to expand the San Diego Convention Center fall through then Comic Con seriously needs to consider moving to a more accommodating convention center, whether it be Anaheim, Las Vegas or even the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Yes, the San Diego Convention Center has more total space than Anaheim or Moscone (2.6 million sq. ft. in San Diego vs. 1.6 million sq. ft. in Anaheim and 700,000 sq. ft. at Moscone), but the exhibit floor hall space (where the majority of these shows take place) in substantially smaller (616,000 sq. ft. in San Diego vs. 815,000 sq. ft. in Anaheim and 700,000 sq. ft. at Moscone). When you produce a show that caters to fans attending your event, you owe it to them to give them as much as possible and them being as comfortable as possible. But that’s just my opinion.
Still, with all that said, I believe that because we here at Pop Cults are trying to deliver the best possible coverage of all major events in our geek pop culture to our readers, I will have to review my stance on attending Comic Con for next year. I owe you all that much as an editor here; bringing you the best coverage of Comic Con as possible despite my reservations. But I sure do hope that Comic Con does something and quick because really, despite all the good things that Comic Con provides in terms of entertainment and content, I just do not feel safe or comfortable there with as crowded as it is – and that’s the real bottom line of it all for myself, my staff, and my family.