Wizard reschedules thier New York convention.
For those of us concerned with the big comic conventions, we noticed a bit of a problem coming up in the fall. You might remember that New York Comiccon, put on by Reed Exhibitions, had previously been in the winter/early spring, but they decided to move to October 8-10. Around that time, it was announced that Wizard would be putting on the Big Apple Comic Con on the same street on the same weekend. While Wizard seemed to be more about pop culture celebrities than straight up comic book pros, they had a pretty good lineup of talent who would have otherwise been at the Reed show.
It was a hell of a conflict for fans, but also for the publishers, pros, and even your humble coverers of conventions, like us. But for some reason, and I'm guessing it was companies deciding to go for the Reed show, WizardWorld decided to to change things, even though previously they said they'd been unable to do so.
Now the Big Apple Comic Con will be on October 1-3, at the Penn Plaza Pavillion. They've also got a New England Comic Con in Boston on October 15-17, as well as an upcoming New Jersey Comic Con which they'll announce soon.
The top bill guests for NYCC are both John Romita Sr. and Jr. and Big Apple's are Adam West, Mickey Rooney, and Joe Madureira.
I think that makes NYCC Raylan Givens, and Gareb Shamus… whichever guy gets shot on Justified in a given week.
Anyone get the feeling that we might be about to suffer convention glut? It's all well and good for the fans to have a place to meet pros, and buy books, but the competition for having the "big shows" is starting to really heat up, and if there are too many, creators and publishers are going to be stretched thin trying to get to all these shows. Still, it's not an easy business, and whatever they can do to promote sales is going to be important.
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dam too cons. must save money for october. why is the big apple con back in the hotel. they had a pier last time
Wait. Mickey Rooney?
@Paul: All this and Mickey Rooney tonight on Big Apple Comic Con.
Well I will be attending the nycc.
I hear Big Apple is where all the pedophiles congregate!
Is this true?
I think most know to avoid the WizardWorld shows.
All my friends and I found it very strange how NYCC changed their schedule to Oct when last years’s convention announced the dates. Especially after several years of having the NYCC around February.
At first, I thought it was Reed Ex. trying to get more space in the Javitts since the NYCC has been growing tremendously every year. (Remembering how bad their 1st year was with overcrowding and people waiting to get in for HOURS!)
I get a slight feeling that this scheduling was Reed Ex. showing a bit of muscle against Wizard, especially when NYCC’s goal is to be THE East Coast’s star comic con.
@Arrrgggghhhh Reed moved to October to avoid the other conventions, give itself space away from San Diego and to have the entire Javits Center. Gareb bought the long-standing (and inconsequential) Big Apple Con AFTER Reed had its dates set and THEN announced it intended to run a competing con on the same weekend.
Make no mistake, Gareb has been 100% the aggressor in this exercise.
Wizard is always pulling this crap. I’m glad we "lost" Wizard World Dallas a couple years ago.
@Wood – I’ve read that Wizard Cons have done this more than once.
I was planning on attending the NYCC to meet all you lovely iFanpeople. Should I change my plans?
Not to worry, we’ll be at NYCC.
if all the WizardWorlds just disappeared, would anyone really care (besides D-list celebs)?
Its only a glut for pros who feel obliged to go to every show, or most of them. For the rest of us who go to 1 or 2 each year? No big deal. We just won’y go to every con.
@Ron – Excellent. That’s the reason I’m going. I look forward to meeting you.
lol, thank god i’m on the other side of the states, dun think i could handle the decision making there.
My experience has been that the NYCC has always been a superior show. If Wizard World Philly has been any sort of example of the quality of their shows, it’s a great place to meet professional wrestlers and Adam West. It’s not really a comic show. I’m also really excited to go to nycc this year to meet up with everybody, glad to here you’re making the trek stuclach…if only we could get jestr out of the backwoods of Kentucky.
@ato220 – Maybe we can entice him with the promise of barefoot women? [I’m from Kentucky. I can make that joke.]
As many people have alluded, its become a competition in name only. Wizard has been dying a slow, painful death for a number of years now and in 3-5 years (possibly less) it will be gone and the last, painful reminder of the 90s will finally vanish…