• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

MH Chuck is not happy with SDCC...

Started by drice6900,

52 posts in this topic

drice6900

drice6900

Posted
Posted

Briefly, from his newsletter today:

 

A very short newsletter today. I need to be brief because I just wrote another 1,000 words explaining even further (after my mention in Monday's newsletter) about why I am upset with the San Diego convention staff. After rereading what I just wrote, however, I decided that I could not use that copy as the main body of today's newsletter. It would make my newsletter simply too negative. Life is already so full of difficulties these days that many of us (myself included) find comics to be a comforting retreat from the problems of the real world. That being the case, I'm including a link to that vitriolic San Diego copy for those of you who might feel like reading it, but I am going to spare the rest of you from having to read about my San Diego frustrations...

 

The link is:

 

linky

 

San Diego Comic Con Frustrations

Howdy!

 

After months of effort, our semi-trailer full of trade paperbacks and hardbacks finally left for San Diego on Monday afternoon. We'll be picking up our two vans tomorrow morning, and start driving to California early on Saturday. Since we have to rent a 24' truck in San Diego to pick up our 7 pallets, we need to actually be there on Monday morning. We'll then be dropping off all of our many tons of books and stand supplies with the union, in the open-air parking lot that the convention committee has so generously allocated to all us riff-raff comics dealers for unloading. After that, all we can do is to cross our fingers and hope that our merchandise and fixtures will make it to our stands in time for us to set up our booth, starting on Tuesday morning. I wouldn't be so concerned, but my good friend, Bud Plant, tried to use the "marshalling yard" two years ago, only to have the pallets that he dropped off at 8 AM not arrive to the convention center until it was time on Tuesday evening (6 PM) for all dealers to leave. The convention committee worked out an arrangement by which Bud's crew (who had been sitting on their hands all day...) were allowed to work late into the evening to set up their stand, but that certainly didn't leave them particularly well-rested for the upcoming five days of extreme effort.

 

For what it is worth, after my scathing condemnation of the San Diego convention committee in Monday's newsletter, I had several other comics dealers who exhibit at San Diego write to me to express similar disgust and anger at the cavalier manner in which comics dealers are now being treated at the San Diego "Comic-Con." In all honesty, however, we are in this position only because we don't have the money that LucasFilms, Nintendo, or any of the other major media companies can throw around. When you spend $100 million creating a film, you have a set budget (usually of Other People's Money) for promotion. The heads of promotion for a film studio certainly are not going to get their hands dirty unloading a truck, so they are perfectly OK with paying the convention center decorator's union a many thousands of dollars to unload, unpack, and assemble their gigantic displays. They can also use OPM to pay for their trucker sitting in an endless line waiting for a dock to become available. For those of us who run our own businesses, however, every penny counts. Our profit margin for the entire show is perhaps (in a good year...) 10% of what we take in, so every single unnecessary expense cuts into our small rate of return. That is why, even though it requires us to be in San Diego a day earlier than we planned, we will be there to unload our truck into that damn parking lot on Monday, rather than paying a trucker to sit in line for us with his meter running.

 

All of the above having been said, I certainly understand the convention committee's prioritizing the companies that have money to burn, over those of us who do not. What irks me to the depths of my soul, however, is the fact that those ungrateful wretches do not in any way acknowledge the decades of contributions that do many of us have made in trying to help San Diego become the preeminent comics convention in the world. For those of us who have been around since the early 1970's, we can clearly remember when San Diego only drew about 900-1200 fans a year. In those more humble days, San Diego was just another stop on the circuit of little shows that were being held all around the country. Many of us can also clearly remember when the show just about went bankrupt after a director of the convention took the weekend convention receipts home on Sunday evening and put them under his bed, only to find them gone after he returned from the "dead dog" party held that night to thank the volunteers. The San Diego convention committee certainly wasn't shy in those days about asking all us riff-raff comics dealers to make contributions to help save the convention.

 

On a more personal level, I have included plugs for the San Diego convention in all of my millions of newsletters during the past 28 years, and even went so far as to give them free space in one of my extremely expensive Marvel ads. I've contributed endless amounts of time, money, and effort over the past 37 years into trying to help the San Diego convention grow and prosper. Now that they've become huge and successful, however, all their old comics dealer friends seemingly are now the equivalent of the proverbial chopped liver. Were we asked for our input before it was decided that only the guys who could afford to send palletized truckloads would be allowed to unload at the convention center? Nope. We did not even receive a courtesy phone call after the decision was made. In point of fact, not one person from the convention committee or staff has gone out of their way to call me (or speak with me at the convention) on any topic in well over a year. The last conversation we had was about trying to get dealers some sort of prioritized parking, but even that groundbreaking program has now seemingly been abandoned, after just one year. Peeved? Oh yeah, I am really, really peeved.

 

Where I am leading to with this litany of ill will is the fact that I will not be sending out daily newsletters about the convention this year. Given that the convention committee has sold their souls to Hollywood, you can watch what's going on at the convention on Entertainment Tonight. All the coverage there will be about the latest in media news, however, rather than comics. Sadly, this is as it should be. Unlike so may other shows that I attend with great joy, San Diego is no longer a comics show. Comics figure into the San Diego equation these days primarily as a seminal point for potential movie and TV content. Quite frankly, I'm going to put all my efforts in the future into promoting genuine comics shows, like Charlotte, Minneapolis, and Baltimore. The day may come when they, too, sell out, but for the time being at least, I still feel really good about encouraging you to attend those genuinely fun comics conventions.

 

Chuck Rozanski,

President - Mile High Comics, Inc.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
synch

synch

Posted
Posted

I frankly wouldn't see a point in going if not for all the comic & toy dealers there :) & the comic related guests and artists & what not ... Maybe you should switch over to a different convention ? :) ECCC is pretty good some media but not much and they are only there to sign autographs

Link to comment
Share on other sites
awe4one

awe4one

Posted
Posted
He has a legitimate gripe.

 

Yep...a very legitimate gripe. I think his reaction is correct though...hype some of the other national shows. San Diego seems like a lost cause. If one of the biggest comics dealers in the nation is having trouble covering con costs then forget most of the rest.

 

Some would say setting up at SD is as much for national exposure as selling comics. Really doesn't mean much when the comics are essentially hidden in the corner at it's own show...

 

Jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Flash105

Flash105

Posted
Posted

The trials of the little man. He is leaned on in hard times, beat down in good, remembered in times of famine, and forgotten in times of plenty. It has happened in sports as well. You can look at Nascar and see that it not about the little Guy. Bill Elliot dominated the sport in the 80s from a little shop in Dawsonville, GA with basically himself and two brothers. Rick Hendrick has a 100,000 sq ft shop with 400 employees that builds and test cars for Gordon, Johnson, and Jr. Times change and you have to change with them.

 

I think Chuck is right, San Diego and support the shows that support you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DiceX

DiceX

Posted
Posted

More news from the front line...

 

Howdy!

 

A very short newsletter today. I need to be brief because I just wrote another 1,000 words explaining even further (after my mention in Monday's newsletter) about why I am upset with the San Diego convention staff. After rereading what I just wrote, however, I decided that I could not use that copy as the main body of today's newsletter. It would make my newsletter simply too negative. Life is already so full of difficulties these days that many of us (myself included) find comics to be a comforting retreat from the problems of the real world. That being the case, I'm including a link to that vitriolic San Diego copy for those of you who might feel like reading it, but I am going to spare the rest of you from having to read about my San Diego frustrations.

 

In much more positive news, now that we're done packing for San Diego, Pam's inventory team is, once again, running at full tilt in adding thousands of comics per day from my Charlotte and Chicago buying trips into our online inventory. The tally for just Monday and Tuesday is over 13,500 additional choice back issue comics and magazines! If you've been watching our website for a while waiting for a particularly hard-to-find back issue to arrive in our inventory, this may well turn out to be your lucky week. At least another 20,000 back issues will be added during the next three days, so keep a sharp eye on both New-In-Stock and $50+ New-In-Stock. I also highly recommend that you take the one-minute needed to set up your own personal "Want List" profile. Once you have a password established, you can enter your entire want list of back issue comics and magazines into your own personal area on our website. As each issue that you are seeking arrives into our inventory, our computer will automatically send you a free e-mail notification of its arrival. You can then decide to purchase it, or not, as there is no implied obligation either way. Our "Want List" program is just a free and easy way for us to help you with finding the comics that you are seeking. Before we can help you, however, you do have to let us know which comics that you are looking for...

 

In sales news, initial response to our annual 30% off SANDIEGO codeword sale has already more than doubled our sales. The 30% off discount provided when you type the SANDIEGO codeword into the special line provided on our website is just the beginning of your savings, however, as a great many of our comics are already discounted in our website listings. The 30% SANDIEGO codeword discount is applied AFTER all other discounts are taken into account, which means that you are frequently multiplying your savings on any given issue. With a great many of our comics already listed at 55%-60% off, the SANDIEGO codeword will take your net discount on many issues into the 70%-80% off range! Comics simply do not get any cheaper... (codeword does not apply to new comics, Dallas Stephens comics, statues, supplies, trade paperbacks, or hardcovers)

 

That's it for today. I have three days left before we leave for San Diego, so I need to really hustle to get all of my work done before we go. I hope that you have a great rest of the week, and that you enjoy your SANDIEGO savings!

 

Happy collecting!

 

Chuck Rozanski,

President - Mile High Comics, Inc.

 

 

I enjoy Chucks con reports and pics every year. (thumbs u

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cloudofwit

cloudofwit

Posted
Posted

What was with the reference to the "dead dog" party for volunteers? :shrug: Some elaboration would've been nice (the only reference to a dead dog and a party I know of--and a hilarious one--is from the GREAT movie "Wonder Boys" starring Michael Douglas, Robert Downey, Katie Holmes, and Tobey McGuire...)

 

As to ignoring the comic book aspect of San Diego, last summer I distinctly recall when IFC (Independent Film Channel) did a little 15-20 minute segment on the San Diego con. And although I realize they're in the film business--there was not one mention of comics at all. Once, the host (Matt Singer?) was in front of a table full of long boxes and I thought, "Okay, this is where they'll acknowledge the comics part of the Comic Con," but no dice. Ah well, like the biblical narrative, the handwriting has been on the wall on this one for a while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bhhooks22

bhhooks22

Posted
Posted
What was with the reference to the "dead dog" party for volunteers? :shrug: Some elaboration would've been nice (the only reference to a dead dog and a party I know of--and a hilarious one--is from the GREAT movie "Wonder Boys" starring Michael Douglas, Robert Downey, Katie Holmes, and Tobey McGuire...)

 

As to ignoring the comic book aspect of San Diego, last summer I distinctly recall when IFC (Independent Film Channel) did a little 15-20 minute segment on the San Diego con. And although I realize they're in the film business--there was not one mention of comics at all. Once, the host (Matt Singer?) was in front of a table full of long boxes and I thought, "Okay, this is where they'll acknowledge the comics part of the Comic Con," but no dice. Ah well, like the biblical narrative, the handwriting has been on the wall on this one for a while.

 

I'm with the twit ! ...................................... :whistle:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sterlingcomics

sterlingcomics

Posted
Posted
from the feedback i have seen here on the boards its starting to seem like WW Chicago is the place to be! Sad to hear SD going down the drain!

 

exactly. And I prefer not to fly coast to coast...making plans for that con next year...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cloudofwit

cloudofwit

Posted
Posted
What was with the reference to the "dead dog" party for volunteers? :shrug: Some elaboration would've been nice (the only reference to a dead dog and a party I know of--and a hilarious one--is from the GREAT movie "Wonder Boys" starring Michael Douglas, Robert Downey, Katie Holmes, and Tobey McGuire...)

 

As to ignoring the comic book aspect of San Diego, last summer I distinctly recall when IFC (Independent Film Channel) did a little 15-20 minute segment on the San Diego con. And although I realize they're in the film business--there was not one mention of comics at all. Once, the host (Matt Singer?) was in front of a table full of long boxes and I thought, "Okay, this is where they'll acknowledge the comics part of the Comic Con," but no dice. Ah well, like the biblical narrative, the handwriting has been on the wall on this one for a while.

 

I'm with the twit ! ...................................... :whistle:

 

:luhv:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
thehumantorch

thehumantorch

Posted
Posted
What was with the reference to the "dead dog" party for volunteers? :shrug: Some elaboration would've been nice (the only reference to a dead dog and a party I know of--and a hilarious one--is from the GREAT movie "Wonder Boys" starring Michael Douglas, Robert Downey, Katie Holmes, and Tobey McGuire...)

 

As to ignoring the comic book aspect of San Diego, last summer I distinctly recall when IFC (Independent Film Channel) did a little 15-20 minute segment on the San Diego con. And although I realize they're in the film business--there was not one mention of comics at all. Once, the host (Matt Singer?) was in front of a table full of long boxes and I thought, "Okay, this is where they'll acknowledge the comics part of the Comic Con," but no dice. Ah well, like the biblical narrative, the handwriting has been on the wall on this one for a while.

 

The dead dog party is a traditional Science Fiction Convention wrap up party on the last night of the con attended by the volunteers and any fans still in town. Usually you are so partied out by that time you feel like a dead dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
joeypost

joeypost

Posted
Posted
from the feedback i have seen here on the boards its starting to seem like WW Chicago is the place to be! Sad to hear SD going down the drain!

 

Chicago and Baltimore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cloudofwit

cloudofwit

Posted
Posted
What was with the reference to the "dead dog" party for volunteers? :shrug: Some elaboration would've been nice (the only reference to a dead dog and a party I know of--and a hilarious one--is from the GREAT movie "Wonder Boys" starring Michael Douglas, Robert Downey, Katie Holmes, and Tobey McGuire...)

 

As to ignoring the comic book aspect of San Diego, last summer I distinctly recall when IFC (Independent Film Channel) did a little 15-20 minute segment on the San Diego con. And although I realize they're in the film business--there was not one mention of comics at all. Once, the host (Matt Singer?) was in front of a table full of long boxes and I thought, "Okay, this is where they'll acknowledge the comics part of the Comic Con," but no dice. Ah well, like the biblical narrative, the handwriting has been on the wall on this one for a while.

 

The dead dog party is a traditional Science Fiction Convention wrap up party on the last night of the con attended by the volunteers and any fans still in town. Usually you are so partied out by that time you feel like a dead dog.

 

:hail: Many thanks. I consider myself enlightened now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing