MH Chuck is not happy with SDCC...

[General Zod]

The complaint sounds legit to me, but if it's all that bad then I'm left wondering, why he is going? If any place I do business with pizzes me off that much I just stop doing business with them. Seems like a pretty simple way to get rid of the aggravation.

 

He should be organizing a boycott. That would certainly have interesting repercussions. "Hey, where are the comics at this con?"

[gaz973]

The complaint sounds legit to me, but if it's all that bad then I'm left wondering, why he is going? If any place I do business with pizzes me off that much I just stop doing business with them. Seems like a pretty simple way to get rid of the aggravation.

 

He should be organizing a boycott. That would certainly have interesting repercussions. "Hey, where are the comics at this con?"

 

The comic dealers should pull out and leave the shows to who's left and then organise another show that would attract customers. I know the big shows pull in a lot of people but how many of them spend much on the comics? Comic collectors go where there are a good selection of comics.

[OldGuy]

The complaint sounds legit to me, but if it's all that bad then I'm left wondering, why he is going? If any place I do business with pizzes me off that much I just stop doing business with them. Seems like a pretty simple way to get rid of the aggravation.

 

He should be organizing a boycott. That would certainly have interesting repercussions. "Hey, where are the comics at this con?"

 

I don't think that 90% of the people there would notice.

[HOTFLIPS]

If the comic dealers pulled out they still would be hurting themselves i think. Please note ive never been there so this is just my opinion. If you had all the comic artists pull out too, then maybe there would be a slight deduction in attendance. I know most of the artists do well, so i dont think they are leaving anytime soon. As long as people go see the artists, i think there is a market for comic books. How much, i dont know. Just my opinion though.

[aardvark88]

Fans return to SDCC EVERY year for the comic artists, inkers, writers, publishers, Hollywood or TV tie ins, x-over audience of Star Wars/Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, and programming (e.g. anime, manga, cosplay, tribute panels to Kirby, Dave Stevens, etc). Positive word of mouth advertising for the "best" summer city in the USA and the mother of all comic-cons. Yes, the cost of hotels and airfare/gas has gone up but it is peak tourist season. Location, location, location.

[synch]

location does not matter when every single ticket sells out online I think the convention is too expensive as is for just lookieloos to pop in if they are not already into the hobby

 

Oh, I was just reading on another forum about how sdcc canceled on a bunch of artists tables to make more room for some kind of starwars thing as well... some kin of new starwars cartoon or some such

 

 

[jdjunker]

I'm not setting up so I'm not privy to the load-in instructions... but is the problem specifically about this sentence?

 

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?

 

So is the problem that Chuck's books are not on pallets? If a dealer's stock is on pallets, would he be allowed to unload at the convention center?

 

That's a big difference in my mind.

 

 

 

In the past, exhibitors checked in at a marshalling yard and were then directed to the convention loading dock area to unload their trucks, trailers etc.

This year only large box trucks with pre -palleted loads can have access to the docks. Everyone else must unload and palletize their merchandise at the marshalling yard. That material will then be trucked by Convention Center union staff directly to the exhibitors booth with an arrival time over the next 24 hours. This requires exhibitors to be in San Diego a day earlier than previous years (extra hotel cost, which this year is exorbitant to begin with). It also requires that exhibitors have staff on call in preparation for a set-up time that is unknown and dependant on when the Convention Center staff is able to physically get product to the booth.

 

Whoa. I assume SDCC has been up front with what the cost of this "service" will be? The trade shows that I go to always have a charge for this, usually it is calculated per pound. One of my customers sells air compressors to Fire Departments and it costs him $3k-5k+ just to get his compressors from the dock to his booth!

 

Wasn't it the outrageous union fees at Javitz (among other things of course) that led to the demise of the NY show back in the 90s?

[sckao]

I'm not setting up so I'm not privy to the load-in instructions... but is the problem specifically about this sentence?

 

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?

 

So is the problem that Chuck's books are not on pallets? If a dealer's stock is on pallets, would he be allowed to unload at the convention center?

 

That's a big difference in my mind.

 

 

 

In the past, exhibitors checked in at a marshalling yard and were then directed to the convention loading dock area to unload their trucks, trailers etc.

This year only large box trucks with pre -palleted loads can have access to the docks. Everyone else must unload and palletize their merchandise at the marshalling yard. That material will then be trucked by Convention Center union staff directly to the exhibitors booth with an arrival time over the next 24 hours. This requires exhibitors to be in San Diego a day earlier than previous years (extra hotel cost, which this year is exorbitant to begin with). It also requires that exhibitors have staff on call in preparation for a set-up time that is unknown and dependant on when the Convention Center staff is able to physically get product to the booth.

 

Whoa. I assume SDCC has been up front with what the cost of this "service" will be? The trade shows that I go to always have a charge for this, usually it is calculated per pound. One of my customers sells air compressors to Fire Departments and it costs him $3k-5k+ just to get his compressors from the dock to his booth!

 

Wasn't it the outrageous union fees at Javitz (among other things of course) that led to the demise of the NY show back in the 90s?

 

Load-In and Load-Out during scheduled times are part of the booth fee usually for Comic-Con unless it's changed in the last couple of years.

 

 

 

 

[MrBedrock]

I'm not setting up so I'm not privy to the load-in instructions... but is the problem specifically about this sentence?

 

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?

 

So is the problem that Chuck's books are not on pallets? If a dealer's stock is on pallets, would he be allowed to unload at the convention center?

 

That's a big difference in my mind.

 

 

 

In the past, exhibitors checked in at a marshalling yard and were then directed to the convention loading dock area to unload their trucks, trailers etc.

This year only large box trucks with pre -palleted loads can have access to the docks. Everyone else must unload and palletize their merchandise at the marshalling yard. That material will then be trucked by Convention Center union staff directly to the exhibitors booth with an arrival time over the next 24 hours. This requires exhibitors to be in San Diego a day earlier than previous years (extra hotel cost, which this year is exorbitant to begin with). It also requires that exhibitors have staff on call in preparation for a set-up time that is unknown and dependant on when the Convention Center staff is able to physically get product to the booth.

 

Whoa. I assume SDCC has been up front with what the cost of this "service" will be? The trade shows that I go to always have a charge for this, usually it is calculated per pound. One of my customers sells air compressors to Fire Departments and it costs him $3k-5k+ just to get his compressors from the dock to his booth!

 

Wasn't it the outrageous union fees at Javitz (among other things of course) that led to the demise of the NY show back in the 90s?

 

Load-In and Load-Out during scheduled times are part of the booth fee usually for Comic-Con unless it's changed in the last couple of years.

 

As far as I know, this new load in is supposed to be covered in the booth cost. But in the past others have had to deal with inadvertant invoices from the Convention Center for services that were supposed to be included. Year before last Rory at Comic Relief got a gargantuan bill for freight handling that was supposed to be covered. I would imagine that with the new system mistakes are going to made and headaches will be plenty.

[General Zod]

The complaint sounds legit to me, but if it's all that bad then I'm left wondering, why he is going? If any place I do business with pizzes me off that much I just stop doing business with them. Seems like a pretty simple way to get rid of the aggravation.

 

He should be organizing a boycott. That would certainly have interesting repercussions. "Hey, where are the comics at this con?"

 

I don't think that 90% of the people there would notice.

 

The show promoters would since they'd get nobody to pay those booth prices.

[fingfangfoom]

I really think there is an opportunity here. Chuck could organize a San Diego show either the weekend prior or post in the old convention center. Take advantage of the fact the San Diego "multi media con" has already drawn in many collectors and dealers already. Truly make a full week of it. For me, it no longer makes sense to travel across the country with family or solo. I look at the expenses incurred as added costs on book purchases and my last trip out saw me leave with a large chunk of my spending budget intact becuase of the lack of material in the room.

[That Ron Dude]

I see his point.

 

In a way it ties in with the use of the phrase "dead dog party". I know what that it, because I was around when science fiction fandom and comic fandom had a greater overlap. Strangely comic and science fiction fandom is most of the world now, most of them get in the movies and video games though, not through the beautiful colour pamphlets now purchased in speciality stores.

 

You can't expect many people to know, even on a board like this, what a dead dog party is. Times have changes.

 

We got what we wish for. We took over the world. The last major science fiction con I went to was in 2003. Most of us were were old. There was really no new generation there. We old guys didn't give them an anime area, a video game area, nor was much attention paid to the new wave of movies. Furthermore, the Isaac Asimovs and the the Robert Heinleins are dead. The new writers, many of whom are enormously talented, don't have their clout.

 

San Diego is the only convention that is truly able to capitalized on the world wide phenomenon that comics have become. Through the wisdom of their committee or the proximity of Hollywood, the convention has changed and left traditionalists in the back seat. This is lamentable but nothing is going to change it. If Chuck and other dealers pull out because they aren't making money new dealers will come in who deal in the stock and trade of mass media.

 

If I could afford a regular trip to San Diego I am sure I would love it to but I would go with different expectations than I have when I go to the Chicago Comicon.

 

And if I don't get a dig in people will assume this is a forgery so... CHUCK, IF YOU DROPPED YOUR DAMN PRICES MAYBE MORE OF THE PEOPLE THERE WOULD BUY SOMETHING FROM YOU!!!!!!