Another year goes by and we wrapped another San Diego Comic-Con just a few days ago. It’s always a bit of a culture shock to come back home after spending nearly a week in San Diego as a citizen of Comic-Con land, and usually I need a few to days process everything that we saw and took in. And of course, it’s always fun to show off what I picked up at the show.
My overall impression of the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con was that after years of everyone complaining about the influence of non-comics marketing (Movies, TV Shows, Video Games, Toys etc.) and years of my optimistic nature arguing that, “Yes, there is a place for comics at Comic-Con!”, this was really the year that comics got brushed off to the side. But that’s nothing new, Comic-Con International has been dealing with comics as an albatross around their neck for years. What makes this year unique was this was the year that the majority of the comic book industry agreed and allowed comics to get brushed off.
Now, I’m not saying there weren’t any comics at the show, there definitely was and I’ll get to some of my highlights and observations from the show below, but being a working media professional covering the show, comics sure weren’t the highlight. I know that things like The Walking Dead, the Marvel movies, the next Superman movie and things like that are BASED on comics, but if I was a fan of just comic books, I would have been severely disappointed. Why? I’ll run down some reasons:
- Lack of Comics Rock Stars – There were definitely some comics superstars on hand at the show (like Scott Snyder, Darwyn Cooke, Robert Kirkman and Mark Waid), but as you walked from booth to booth and through artist alley, you couldn’t help but realize that very few “stars” came out to the show. Marvel Comics seemed to be the most lacking in terms of major comics talent there to promote their work, with the majority of panels featuring editors and upcoming talent. Even big names like Greg Rucka and Matt Fraction only came down for a day or so, unannounced. Which ties into the next point..
- “Can We Go Somewhere Else?” – That was basically the most common comment made around the show. It seemed that everyone in comics was constantly looking for ways to get off the con floor or to go somewhere less crowded.
- Programming Ghetto – Did you go to Comic-Con? Did you go to comics panels? Did you notice how they seemed to get the short end of the stick for scheduling? Our own Josh Flanagan was on the comics podcasting panel which was at 6 PM on Thursday night. If you wanted to see “journalists” from those other comic sites on their panel, that was at 7 PM on Thursday. Excited by the news of Monkeybrain and their digital comics? Well that panel was at 7 PM on Friday. Hell, even after over 30 years of attending Comic-Con and in the year of Love & Rockets 30th anniversary, Fantagraphics got screwed by having to share a panel with Drawn & Quarterly (at least it was at 5:30 PM on Friday). Want to know how to break into Marvel Comics? Well you would have had to have been at the show at 10 AM on Thursday to hear C.B. Cebulski tell you. Of course there were other panels throughout the day and I know how hard schedule a show can be, but it seemed that all the panels that were actually interesting in the world of comics were either super early or super late at the end of the day, and that’s purely to make room for the other things at the show. Further, the panels that WERE during the day seemed to have been shoved off to the far ends of the convention center. Case in point, the big Image Comics panel on Saturday (where last year they announced Brian K. Vaughan’s return to comics) was put in one of the panel rooms furthest away from the con floor. You just get the sense that comics aren’t as important to the programming after this year.
- Can’t We Afford A Rug? – If you are into comics, there are 3 places on the con floor you go: The company booths with all their glitz and glamor; Artist Alley where you can interact with the people who make the comics; and the Small Press area where historically some of the best next big things have come out of. Of course the company booths are always a sight to be seen with some really nice, soft rugs. But if you wanted to go to Small Press or Artist Alley, I hope you had insoles because it was all concrete floor, all the time. Factor in that, as every year, they’re spread so far apart it becomes a major accomplishment to make it to either section. Artist Alley was probably the smallest I’ve ever seen it at Comic-Con this year, and it was all the way on the end of the con floor, which required navigating a labyrinth of TV, Movies and Toys booths, which are notoriously the most congested areas of the con. It makes even thinking of going to Artist Alley a hassle, which leads to not going there, which is a shame when you’re at Comic-Con.
This is me being negative, and I do hate being negative and truly there were some fantastic things at the show, but as I walked around the booths of the comic book publishers, I couldn’t help but notice how roomy the aisles where, how less crowded they were compared to the other sections of the con floor and that simply punctuated what Comic-Con has become and that makes me sad. That said, there were some things comic related worth talking about and let’s get right to it.
Publisher Of The Show: Image Comics
Satellite Sam by Fraction & Chaykin
They did it again. After single handedly winning the show last year with the announcement of Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, in my opinion, Image Comics won San Diego Comic-Con again this year. But this time, it wasn’t just one book, but a slew of books from some of the top names in comic books. Greg Rucka, Michael Lark, Matt Fraction, Howard Chaykin, James Robinson, Darick Robertson and a bunch of other creators announced new and upcoming books as the creator owned revolution of 2012 continued. At the Image Comics Experience Panel, publisher Eric Stephenson, in rapid succession, talked about at least 10 new series that will be coming out of Image in the days to come. That’s impressive. In a year when we’re seeing creator after creator start to invest in themselves and their own ideas, to see names that have been attached to the big 2 for so long like James Robinson, Matt Fraction and Greg Rucka come to Image Comics with these new titles shows that , as we said back in February at Image Expo, something is happening here with Image Comics in 2012.
Some may argue that DC Comics made a run this year with the announcement of a new Sandman story from Neil Gaiman and J.H. Williams III. While that is exciting for some (and my bias towards Sandman aside), for my money, it’s no different than Before Watchmen or Avengers vs. X-Men, another example of one of the major publishers going back to the well. I’m fairly certain it will be a great story. Gaiman and Williams III are masters, but I’m way more excited for Satellite Sam from Fraction and Chaykin or Lazarus from Rucka and Lark or any of the other titles announce by Image. Why? Because they’re new ideas from talented creators.
Booth Wars
I do want to take time out to praise DC Comics for redesigning their booth space into what was a beautifully designed and well thought out booth for DC Entertainment. Walking into their booth, you really got a sense of what DC Entertainment was. From the comics, to the movies, to the toys and statues to the video games. Compared to Marvel Comics, which had the same basic booth design as the past few years (Major movie thing in the center flanked by signing spots on the sides), DC Entertainment really stepped up in terms of booth design. That said, Marvel’s booth was constantly packed and hopping, whereas DC’s booth was quiet and while sometimes crowded, I wouldn’t call it “packed.”
It’s clear the driving force behind Marvel’s booth is the movies. This year, they had a gallery of Iron Man armors from the various movies, and then on Friday, they unveiled the armor for Iron Man 3. People went nuts over that for days. You couldn’t walk through the booth because people were constantly snapping photos. Over at DC, with The Dark Knight Rises set to open a week later, you’d think there could be that level excitement in their booth. But there wasn’t. Instead of having Batman’s costume or perhaps unveiling the new Superman costume for the upcoming Man of Steel movie, DC had two costumes from the Watchmen movie (almost like a meta-nail in the coffin for Before Watchmen critics) and the costume for the Green Arrow from the upcoming TV Show, Arrow. Cool, yes. Driving people into a frenzy to get a photo? Not so much. So while DC gets points for their new booth design, Marvel beat them again in terms of being the place to be.
The New Threat
Over the years, we’ve criticized other types of fans at Comic-Con. Most recently the dreaded Twilight fans have been the target of fans. Years of “Twilight ruined Comic-Con” seem to have run their course and this year, I’m declaring a new threat to Comic-Con: Toy Mongerers. Who are the Toy Mongerers? They’re the people who RUN to get into the show on Preview night or first thing in the morning, to line up at the booth of choice, Mattel, Hasbro, whomever has the hottest exclusive toy available in limited edition. These people push and shove to get where they need to go. Once they get their beloved bounty, you’re then subject to dodging these people as they carry long cardboard boxes containing what is pretty damn close to life size Helicarriers and other toys like that. Getting nudged once or twice from a box is okay, but by Friday my legs have been brutally battered by these toys. Seriously, they’re dangerous and I finally had to readjust my walking patterns to avoid the Toy section of the of the con floor altogether. Don’t kid yourself, these toy people are brutal and the last thing I want to do is get between them, their toys and eBay.
Book of the Show: The Walking Dead
In past year’s, I’ve been on the lookout for the one book that everyone was buzzing about. The book that everyone said, “have you SEEN this?” Last year, it was the Walt Simonson Thor Artist’s Edition that everyone raved about. While I know this flies in the face of everything I said above about the distractions away from comics, but there really wasn’t any way you could avoid The Walking Dead at the show. With the record breaking release of issue #100, the success of the television show, the Hyundai car thing, and the Walking Dead Obstacle Course at Petco Park in San Diego, The Walking Dead was everywhere. That said, the reason why I think the book of the show was The Walking Dead is because at the center of all that hoopla and hype is the comic book. The entire machine that is The Walking Dead is powered by the comic book, and as far as I can tell from our discussions with Robert Kirkman, it will continue to be. The Walking Dead is the example now for creator owned comics of what the potential is. There’s no way any book could ever replicate the success this book has shown, but in the year of creator owned, it’s clear that it’s woken many creators up to what could be. Comic-Con is a noisy place with tons of distractions and even through all that noise, The Walking Dead was one of the biggest properties at the show. That deserves some credit.
Conclusion
Aside from those observations, there wasn’t much else going on at the show that was really worth discussing or calling out. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but considering there wasn’t any drama that we became aware of, like year’s past, I think it may be a good thing. We joked that this year felt a bit like Groundhog Day, in that it was pretty much the same as last year, and the year before and I think that’s what we’re going to come to respect from Comic-Con moving forward. We see less and less announced at the show, because unless it’s of the caliber of the Image announcements, it just gets lost in the noise. With the emergence of smaller, regional shows, San Diego Comic-Con becomes less and less of a destination for a true comic fan. You’ve got a better chance at meeting your comics heroes at a smaller, more intimate show. (Like say, MorrisonCon? Shameless plug.) Now, that doesn’t mean that Comic-Con isn’t a fun place to go. If you’re fan of movies, and TV and video games and the toys, then Comic-Con continues to be the premiere destination for you and over 150,000 other people. But if you’re just there for the comics, better to look at Emerald City Comic-Con in Seattle or New York or C2E2 in Chicago.
My Comics Haul
I probably got the smallest haul of comics ever this year due to a combination of the fact that several books that were at the show, I had already pre-ordered at my local shop (like Parker: The Score and Blacksad), I was insanely busy and had no time to “shop” at the show, and was on a tight budget this year. But there were several books and a few surprises that I did snag:
(Clockwise from the top)
- Underwater Welder – The one book I wanted to get was Jeff Lemire’s latest graphic novel from Top Shelf. Luckily I got it while he was at the booth and I got it signed and a quick sketch. While Lemire’s work at DC is great, I always enjoy his written and drawn graphic novels and I can’t wait to sit down and read this one through
- Archie Meets KISS – Sometimes you have to be in the right place at the right time, like I was. Thanks to the generosity of the staff at Archie, I was able to get my copy of this hardcover signed by the creative team, including the legendary Gene Simmons.
- Love & Rockets T-Shirt – One of the most coveted items of the convention for comic fans, this t-shirt was one of the series of shirts that Graphitti Designs printed up to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of Love & Rockets. I snagged mine as soon as I saw it and lucky that I did because they sold out by Friday.
- Love & Rockets: New Stories Vol. 5 – I did a little dance when I saw this was available at the Fantagraphics booth. After the amazing #4 of this series, I can’t wait to see what Los Bros Hernandez come up with this time out
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The Superman costume for “Man of Steel” was revealed, but it was revealed at the Warner Bros booth -not at the DC booth.
http://thegamingaddiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/MoSSupermanSuitSDCC2012.jpg – the glare from the encased glass made for horrible reflection glare pics online.
Oh I know – that’s my point – why they’re still seperate is beyond me – you’d think DC would learn from Marvel and get some of that movie action going on in their booth. I don’t even know where the WB booth was…
I was lucky enough to get a copy of The Underwater Welder at Heroes Con last month. It’s so so soooo good! It hits you in the gut and grabs you by the heart. I will not be surprised if it is book of the month next month. I hope you enjoy it Ron!
I was very glad to get to go to Heroes Con this year as it seems more focused on comics and the creators. I think I’d be overwhelmed at SDCC making Heroes con just the right size. And I got to meet Walt Simonson!!! Hell of a guy!
whoa whoa whoa, ron! i mean, here’s the thing. how long a think did you give it? just a few days? you and i both know that thinking on this level requires at least a week. i’m talking locked-up-in-your-apartment-with-the-curtains-drawn-no-food-and-no-water kinds of thinking. you should probably wait until your thinking is done before putting something like this out.
I only got a pass for Sunday but I saw two interesting panels and it seemed like the lines to see pretty awesome creators were really short, if there was any line at all. Geof Darrow had fled the scene though before I got to talk to him. A half-day inside the con was probably enough for me though.
Plus 2 for 1 sale on at Archaia!
I want those Love & Rockets New Stories in hardcover…
I have never been to SDCC and I have always wanted to go, however I feel by the time I get round to going to SDCC the only comic related part left will be the dealers room….. Comics need to come first when it comes to Comic-Con or it isn’t Comic-con it’s pop culture con.
Agreed. I always wanted to go when I was younger and now that I’m in my 30s and can actually afford to go, it just doesn’t seem to be about comics anymore. Wife even keeps asking if I wanna go but I want to go to a COMIC-con. Shame that Wondercon was moved away from SF this year…
Hasn’t the comics part of Comic-Con been pushed the the background for the past few years? I haven’t been, but I’ve been under the impression that the movie stuff has been more prominent for a while now.
blerg, nevermind, I totally misread that second paragraph.
i’ve been hearing some creators talk about the rising costs of booths, so the break even point combined with the hotel pricing is getting really out of control. I can only assume the same for vendors.
So, comics have become the bastard child of Comic-Con. How festive….
Interesting post and kinda sad too. I remember going to comic-con back in the 90’s and it was a terrific experience. I took my family three years ago and I knew then that it would be the last one I went to. It’s just too busy, too expensive, and too pop-culture. I think all of the crticisms that Ron mentioned plus some of the ones in the comments section have all led to its ‘demise’ but also e-bay, craigs list, podcasts, and digital comics have all led to the comic’s side of the con getting pushed to the side.
We went to Wonder-con this year in Anaheim and it was a blast. It was exciting and I tell you it reminded me of SDCC just before it ‘blew-up’. It had a little of everything with comics still pretty much taking center stage. I found myself wishing the hotel they were working on in San Francisco (and ‘home’ to Wondercon) would just fall down or something so we could keep having a Wondercon down here in SoCal.
It’s sad that SDCC has broken but in all honesty I think that in large part, the things i went to SDCC to see/hear in the 90’s is being addressed by podcasts like iFanboy pick of the week and Word Balloon. While the more indie side of comics is being addressed through the broad access of titles at digital comic outposts like graphicly and comixology. Just my two cents worth.
I was more than a little disappointed in Marvel’s comic announcements. Aside from titles and mystery images, we got pretty much nothing. But you really kind-of knew that’s the attitude it would be this year when Bendis tweeted, “You don’t announce anything at Comic Con unless you want it to get lost in the noise” earlier the week prior.
I agree about the toys. As a serious toy collector I don’t believe a large toy is necessarily an awesome toy. They could make some conceivably awesome stuff by making it more detailed and of higher quality. The lines for those booths are ridiculously long. I thought 6 hours was bad last year, and spent 7 in line this year ON PREVIEW NIGHT! (Okay, 4 of those were waiting to get IN to Preview Night, but it was all to get the toy buying out of the way). While Twilight fans and lines were previously the thing people complained about, the rediculous lines and hoops to jump through to get exclusives are quickly becoming the thing that, “They (SDCC) really should do something about that…” is in reference to.
That said, here’s my haul:
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/580899_10151091536034467_894495531_n.jpg
The crazy thing for Toy collectors was that the announcements were held back there too! Lots of stuff is being saved for NYCC and later, where there’s less ‘noise’…
Everything you described is why I avoid DragonCon. That, and the drunks that are there just to be seen, and because it’s the thing to do.
Sad I missed HeroesCon, not sad I missed this.
Anyone able to suggest a fun, big-to-mid-sized con somewhere that offers interesting r&r for the con-goer’s wife? Never been to one bigger than small, but since returning to comics a few years ago my appetite has grown to the point where I need to purge the enthusiasm at a good con.
Boston Comic-Con!
I attended Comic Con and agree with nearly all of Ron’s points. The comments are not negative, but realistic.
Marvel’s approach was a major disappointment. I spent less than 5 minutes at the booth.
Image on the other hand was tremendous. Filled with creators and books. Had an excellent time talking with Daniel Corey, writer of Moriarity, an excellent and under appreciated book.
On the other hand, we enjoyed the presence of the non-comic properties. Our favorite being the Hobbit/Weta and Walking Dead booths. I just wish DC and Marvel would step it up like the old days.
I agree with you though that Marvel’s effort at San Diego was a little “half-assed”. I looked at their signing schedule and didn’t see a single “must have” signing. Having said that, DC rocked the house with their top tier talent. The DC panels were some of the best I’ve seen in several years. Lots of indie creators were in attendance too. The con is expanding (physically) in lots of directions for even non-badge holders and bringing tons of new opportunity to see creators. Awesome is about 6 steps down from my con experience.
I like how Image gets a ‘publisher of the show’ comment on here….What the hell did any other publisher do this SDCC? Image would have won by default by only having the Rucka/Lark announced and nothing else.
They aren’t resting on all those Wetworks laurels anymore!
I have told my wife several times that I think San Diego would be the ultimate comics experience, but it sounds like I should set my sights on one of the other bigger regional shows. While I enjoy TV, movies, games, and the like, I would go to this show specifically for comics. Maybe some day San Diego will be my destination.
Overall I enjoyed SDCC. Maybe not as much as 4 or 5 years ago, but I might just be getting used to it. Back then I actually went to Hall H once, and ballroom 20 a few times. Saw some great TV, Movie and comic panels. Now I won’t even go near those rooms. Same thing with the floor, I kept mostly to artists alley and the comic publisher booths. Got some cool stuff. Still a great time, but might start hitting up Gaslamp more, things like kickstarter and other events that are outside the convention center.
Jorge Moilna Sketch Kitty Pryde
Cory Walker sketch Robot
Cody Chamberlain Sketch Goon type guy, original
All were great, I really should have just posted them.
Sooooooo jealous of the Love & Rockets tee!
So Ron besides Morrisoncn any other shows for you? Dragoncon?
The comic book business has been suffering for years, to the point where many have claimed that comics as we know and love them might not even be around for much longer. On top of that, we’ve been suffering a serious economic Recession. The fact that we even HAVE a San Diego Comic-Con at all — let alone that comics publishers still make an attempt to represent? — let alone that there are still so many awesome things about SDCC — that’s a joyous miracle to me. Does it bug me that SDCC is crowded, and that hotels are tough to reserve? Certainly. But aside from that: SDCC is still an incredible, unparalleled experience that no other con can match. I guess Ron is just interested in different comics or activities than I am, because I attended lots of comics panels that were scheduled all throughout the days, and many (if not most?) were in the 6ABCDEF rooms right upstairs from the main floor. Plus, I got to see other amazing panels that focused on movies/TV/celebrity and other stuff that I wouldn’t be able to find at other conventions because of their distance from Los Angeles and Hollywood. So for those of us not in the comics or media industry, those of us whose jobs don’t include traveling to multiple cons in different cities throughout the year? It’s wonderful that we can hit one con like San Diego that covers everything we are interested in, and still covers it pretty damn well… and does it all in such a cool city right on the ocean. I’ve been to some other cons; at one time, I even did have a job that sent me to different ones. (It was great!) And after doing SDCC for 12 years now, I’ll totally agree that some years are better than others. But to claim that this con “is broken” now — just because you had an off-year? Well, to each his own, I guess.
do you write these SDCC articles just to wind me up?
this is the year i gave up on SDCC.
I went to my first SDCC 23 years ago when it was a two rooms in the old convention center before the new/current one was even built.
I went every year since to diminishing enjoyment.
Now for the third year in the row i was unable to get tickets as they sold out before my computer could chime on.
I am no longer going to even try anymore.
SDCC has not cared about comics or the fans the supported them when no one else was coming for a long time.
SDCC could care less who buys the tickets just as long as the tickets are sold.
Hate to be all “grrr…the good ol days, when i was cooler than everyone and new the band before you”
but its sad to have the big highlight of your year taken away from you.
Ron- re: a place to go off the con floor.
There was a time, as hard to belive as it is, when you would park in the underground parking at the convention center.
You could pack a cooler and just go down to your car and have a sad version of a tailgate when your legs grew wobbly.
ah memories…or maybe just the carbon monoxide poisoning lingering still.
That was a wonderful post Ron. Seriously, one of the best I’ve read. Straight journalism.
“Straight journalism?” Look, I like Ron too (of course I do; I regularly read him on this site and listen to iFanboy podcasts) but this article was sheer opinion, not journalism. And how can we not take his opinion as somewhat skewed, seeing as how he is directly involved in organizing a comic convention which competes with SDCC? If Ron wanted to write an article slamming Comic-Con, the responsible thing to do would’ve been for him to put a tag atop his article, something like “Disclaimer: I am personally involved in organizing a comic convention which competes with San Diego Comic-Con.” Not something buried deep within the article, which even he sees is merely a plug for his own convention. Ron criticizes Comic-Con for having a “lack of comics rock stars” this year. Oh really? Like Grant Morrison? Who obviously stayed away on purpose to detract from Comic-Con and bolster your MorrisonCon? I’d like to think Ron speaks out of honesty, and I do genuinely believe he doesn’t enjoy Comic-Con anymore, or at least didn’t so much this year. But for him to use iFanboy to formalize his distaste for SDCC is a conflict of interest.
“…almost like a meta-nail in the coffin for Before Watchmen critics.” – Ron Richards
My Haul:
1.SDCC exclusive Born Again Arists Edition
2.Underwater Welder with sketch
3.Walking Dead Michonne figure and Limited Black Polo Shirt – two things I really didn’t want but bought impulsively because they were “exclusive and very limited” – I hate myself for purchases like these
4.Fear Agent last TPB half-off
5.Walking Dead “Kill them all” t shirt signed by Adlard and Kirkman (another impulse buy that I couldn’t afford)
6.SDCC 2012 Peanuts t-shirt: so much better than the regular superhero-themed shirt
I hate SDCC. And I hate not going. But the sad fact is that even waiting in line 3 hours for a panel isn’t nearly enough. That’s what the game changer for me was, not being able to attend panels. Not being able to deal with the frustration.
But I did meet Scott Snyder on preview night and he was one of the nicest professionals I’ve ever met. He was sincerely appreciative when I asked him to sign my Detective Hardcover. He’s good people. That’ll bring me back at least another year.
“Waiting in line 3 hours for a panel” ??
Sure, there are a handful of movie and TV panels that were impossible to get near; like the ones showing new trailers for “Man of Steel” or “Twilight” (solution: skip those and then see the same trailers on YouTube later that night). But most other movie/TV panels were certainly accessible, I got in fine – and as far as comics-related ones, no problem.
Forensic psychiatrists analyzing Batman’s rogues gallery. That seemed obscure enough. And I gave up on seeing the type of panels you mentioned 3 years ago.
Is it me or does the “big” mainstream announcements seem to be outside of CCI? Wouldn’t blame Marvel, DC, Image, etc. not wanting to share their next big thing with everybody else’s big things…(that wrote kinda dirty).
Never been to CCI. Probably never will.
That said, I am slightly jealous Ron snagged the new L&R Rocket while I’m waiting for it’s arrival by conventional means. Damn, and a pun.
Oh, yeah, Underwater Welder is pretty good. Snagged one at a convention from Lemire. Makes me wish for more of UW and Sweet Tooth than his mainstream work.
I fall under the in my early 30’s, always wanted to go before its completely consumed by media and hollywood but would still like to catch it once and get some swag, a signed book by one of my favorite creators and maybe a toy or statue and love to meet a handful of creators but am more interested (especially after Molly Isaac’s review) in Emerald City Comic-Con, I’ve been all over Cali, love it and was just never there during SDCC but haven’t been to Seattle and I like Northern Cali and that coast better. I’ve heard nothing but great things from a few sources including Molly’s feedback and it has all been more about the comics and that this 12th year of ECCC was the best one yet,getting better each year and focusing on comics 1st,creators are more accessible, cosplay and all that jazz too. So, thats why I’m saving an Emerald fund to make it out there this April. I wanna experience that con in a place I’ve never been while its still something special and not bought up like property rights by Hollywood.