Is the San diego Comic con leaning even farther away from being a Comic con?

[action1kid]

I know the show has been getting away from its roots of being a comicbook show for a while now but for those who went to this years show is the trend continuing at an even more accelerated pace?

[comicartcom]

of course it is. when dealers like myself stopped going it has to become a mass exodus at some point. I exhibited for 25 years. When they moved the dealers and made us second class citizens in our own ghetto it was the end for me.

 

Plus it is an incredibly expensive show to exhibit at now. I don't know what booths are now, but hotels are almost 300 a night. If you are there for 6 nights (arrive tues, leave sun) and if you bring help so you need 2 rooms, hotel alone is $4000. with taxes

 

If you have one booth, parking, 1 hotel room 6 nights, gas to the show from where ever you are or airfare... you're talking almost 5k in expenses before you make $1.00. When I stopped going in 2003, it was costing me $9000 a year with my 3 booths, help, food, exhibit supplies.. It costs a fortune to setup at shows today and the whole city of San Diego rips off the attendees now with high prices on everything.

 

Those costs mean nothing to Sony or WB, but to dealers selling $5-30k (depending on what you sell and what your merchandise costs are), the cost of showing up is the loss of your inventory and all you got out of it was a working vacation.

[40sJohn]

I know the show has been getting away from its roots of being a comicbook show for a while now but for those who went to this years show is the trend continuing at an even more accelerated pace?

 

Interresting question - look forward to the answers.

 

[Designer Toast]

It'll be interesting to know if there were more or less comic book dealers at this year's show. Has anyone ever done a year by year count for dealer attendance?

[VintageComics]

From what I heard this weekend there were less dealers this year than last.

 

The comic book area was surprisingly small as far as number of dealers and total volume of books based on my experience at the Chicago and New York shows.

 

It's just a ridiculously expensive show to attend.

 

[dupont2005]

There will always be a Superman logo somewhere, but it's becoming less and less likely that you will actually score a Superman comic there. Maybe meet the guy that plays Superman on Smallville though.

[spongerob86]

I complain every year about comics being less and less a part of the Con, and this year there seemed to be an even bigger drop off (not sure what the actual numbers are, but just my impression from walking around.)

 

I've gone to SDCC since I was in middle school (this year was probably my 12th or so), but I did not pre-register for next year yet and don't really know if I'm going to go anymore. If I do, probably won't be buying a pass, just borrowing a friends when they take a day off from the con

[spongerob86]

There will always be a Superman logo somewhere, but it's becoming less and less likely that you will actually score a Superman comic there. Maybe meet the guy that plays Superman on Smallville though.

I thought the exact same thing when I seen this year's SDCC t-shirts, they had Superman and others on the shirt. Kinda false advertising at this point. hah

[Tsimanga]

You want comics in a California show - go to Wondercon..

[VintageComics]

It's a vicious cycle that will eventually be broken one way or another.

 

The expenses are likely what is killing the show for dealers. You're looking at about $3-4000+ in travel expenses alone for a person. Lou and I are into the trip for $4500 and that was being relatively moderate on meals and travel (like taxis) where at other cons we wouldn't pull any punches and still come out cheaper.

 

That's not including table costs or any purchases.

 

Either all the dealers will leave and just make their own cheaper show or Comic Con will have to do something to stem the tide.

 

At this point there is no other resolution that I can see.

 

 

[action1kid]

I dont think they care one bit if they lose the dealers,Not when Warner Brothers and the like are replacing you.

[PokerKid]

of course it is. when dealers like myself stopped going it has to become a mass exodus at some point. I exhibited for 25 years. When they moved the dealers and made us second class citizens in our own ghetto it was the end for me.

 

Plus it is an incredibly expensive show to exhibit at now. I don't know what booths are now, but hotels are almost 300 a night. If you are there for 6 nights (arrive tues, leave sun) and if you bring help so you need 2 rooms, hotel alone is $4000. with taxes

 

If you have one booth, parking, 1 hotel room 6 nights, gas to the show from where ever you are or airfare... you're talking almost 5k in expenses before you make $1.00. When I stopped going in 2003, it was costing me $9000 a year with my 3 booths, help, food, exhibit supplies.. It costs a fortune to setup at shows today and the whole city of San Diego rips off the attendees now with high prices on everything.

 

Those costs mean nothing to Sony or WB, but to dealers selling $5-30k (depending on what you sell and what your merchandise costs are), the cost of showing up is the loss of your inventory and all you got out of it was a working vacation.

 

An excellent explanation of some of the major obstacles.

 

If the convention moved to a city more accustomed to handling large conventions, such as an Anaheim or Vegas as has been discussed, would the lower hotel costs be enough to draw you and other dealers back in?

[HOTFLIPS]

of course it is. when dealers like myself stopped going it has to become a mass exodus at some point. I exhibited for 25 years. When they moved the dealers and made us second class citizens in our own ghetto it was the end for me.

 

Plus it is an incredibly expensive show to exhibit at now. I don't know what booths are now, but hotels are almost 300 a night. If you are there for 6 nights (arrive tues, leave sun) and if you bring help so you need 2 rooms, hotel alone is $4000. with taxes

 

If you have one booth, parking, 1 hotel room 6 nights, gas to the show from where ever you are or airfare... you're talking almost 5k in expenses before you make $1.00. When I stopped going in 2003, it was costing me $9000 a year with my 3 booths, help, food, exhibit supplies.. It costs a fortune to setup at shows today and the whole city of San Diego rips off the attendees now with high prices on everything.

 

Those costs mean nothing to Sony or WB, but to dealers selling $5-30k (depending on what you sell and what your merchandise costs are), the cost of showing up is the loss of your inventory and all you got out of it was a working vacation.

 

An excellent explanation of some of the major obstacles.

 

If the convention moved to a city more accustomed to handling large conventions, such as an Anaheim or Vegas as has been discussed, would the lower hotel costs be enough to draw you and other dealers back in?

 

Yes. I did the show last year for the first time and did not do it this year. It was a learning experience for us though. Bring too much of one thing, not enough of another. Also we werent even set up by the comic people.

 

Comicart said it great. It was way too expensive to do, however there are not many other conventions that have the word "comic" in it that can draw 125,000 people. Even if the majority are not into comics, there are a lot of impulse buyers there. I dont mind paying there prices for the booths to an extent, but its the other expenses that make it not worth it. Such as hired help and driving cross country with a rented truck AND airfare.

 

Vegas and Anaheim have an abundance of hotel rooms and i think their rates would be significantly cheaper. Saving half your expenses on hotels and parking and other things would go a long way. Just my two cents,

 

Jeff

[comicartcom]

of course it is. when dealers like myself stopped going it has to become a mass exodus at some point. I exhibited for 25 years. When they moved the dealers and made us second class citizens in our own ghetto it was the end for me.

 

Plus it is an incredibly expensive show to exhibit at now. I don't know what booths are now, but hotels are almost 300 a night. If you are there for 6 nights (arrive tues, leave sun) and if you bring help so you need 2 rooms, hotel alone is $4000. with taxes

 

If you have one booth, parking, 1 hotel room 6 nights, gas to the show from where ever you are or airfare... you're talking almost 5k in expenses before you make $1.00. When I stopped going in 2003, it was costing me $9000 a year with my 3 booths, help, food, exhibit supplies.. It costs a fortune to setup at shows today and the whole city of San Diego rips off the attendees now with high prices on everything.

 

Those costs mean nothing to Sony or WB, but to dealers selling $5-30k (depending on what you sell and what your merchandise costs are), the cost of showing up is the loss of your inventory and all you got out of it was a working vacation.

 

An excellent explanation of some of the major obstacles.

 

If the convention moved to a city more accustomed to handling large conventions, such as an Anaheim or Vegas as has been discussed, would the lower hotel costs be enough to draw you and other dealers back in?

 

I'm not likely to go back at all, even if Faye Desmond were to beg me & give me free booths and by the time the show does come to Vegas there won't be any comics left there anyway. Also, even if the show came here, you wouldn't save much money. The hotels all raise the rates for big conventions and it's no longer a fair value to come here like it was 20+ years ago (oh PokerKid, you do realize that I am in Las Vegas, right?).

[Allen James]

I watched almost all of G4s live show yesterday and the only comic dealers they showed were by accident if they happened to be behind an interviewer. they made one reference about what would comic con be without comics and then went to the floor to the image and top cow booths

 

you would have thought with the record prices being reached lately they would have at least gone to Metro's booth for a pic or two

[comicartcom]

I watched almost all of G4s live show yesterday and the only comic dealers they showed were by accident if they happened to be behind an interviewer. they made one reference about what would comic con be without comics and then went to the floor to the image and top cow booths

 

you would have thought with the record prices being reached lately they would have at least gone to Metro's booth for a pic or two

 

Scarlett Johanson and Sylvester Stallone are a bigger draw

[VintageComics]

Heard Leo Decaprio was in the room today. Gator saw him with two body guards and a swarm of people around him while he was having a smoke outside the con.

 

I also had my picture taken with Bill Duke (Predator) who was such a gentleman that he actually made me feel like it was his pleasure to meet me. What a guy.

 

I understand both sides of the argument with SD Con and comics, unfortunately business is business and some people are taking it personally.

 

Don't get me wrong, I would love more than anything else to have a room full of dealers selling vintage comics but those days are gone because ain't nobody giving up a fistful of dollars to please a few hundred comic geeks.

 

 

I can understand why the promoters would rather have Movies and Video Games in the room. It's not personal.

 

I think that either the dealers (or someone) will have to make a new con or it will continue to be a tenuous relationship with no real solution.

 

 

[Kirk Kenobi]

I think there needs to be a group of dealers and fans that get together and put a rigid criteria on the term "Comic-Con." I'll start with a few simple rules.

 

Rule #1: If at least 60% of the floor space is not dedicated to the buying and selling of comic books than you can't be called a comic-con.

 

Rule #2: If professional wrestlers are signing autographs you can't be called a comic con.

 

Rule #3: Movies promos not based comics or graphic novels are strictly prohibited.

 

Anyone got any other ideas?

[paleontol99-migration]

If you would all like to save a ton of money, for the 6 grand it costs you to do this or any other show. Get yourself and RV. I have an Ford F 250 pickup truck and have a Lance 835 Camper on the back of it. The campe comes with refrigerator stove, a queen size bed for 2 and another size bed that will hold 1. It has air conditioning, and microwave and while everyone is paying $ 75 to $ 300 a night or more, Im sleeping for free. If your paying 6 grand to attend a show, skip the show , bit the bullet, and buy the camper. You will not be unhappy. I should have done this 25 years ago. Ive been doing it for about 5 years now. Best thing I ever did. Now, every time I drive past a hotel, I go cha ching and save there is minimum 50 bucks saved and it would buy me a common 9.8 book with that 50.

It can be done for 6 grand and campers used and basically the same as campers new. There is not much difference except price. Good luck.

Oh, yeah, forgot to mention. Insurance on the camper is cheap. Mine is $ 189 a year. Why, cause they dont believe you are going to fly down the block at 90 miles a hour and crash your mini house with all its books inside.

[Big Daddy]

of course it is. when dealers like myself stopped going it has to become a mass exodus at some point. I exhibited for 25 years. When they moved the dealers and made us second class citizens in our own ghetto it was the end for me.

 

Plus it is an incredibly expensive show to exhibit at now. I don't know what booths are now, but hotels are almost 300 a night. If you are there for 6 nights (arrive tues, leave sun) and if you bring help so you need 2 rooms, hotel alone is $4000. with taxes

 

If you have one booth, parking, 1 hotel room 6 nights, gas to the show from where ever you are or airfare... you're talking almost 5k in expenses before you make $1.00. When I stopped going in 2003, it was costing me $9000 a year with my 3 booths, help, food, exhibit supplies.. It costs a fortune to setup at shows today and the whole city of San Diego rips off the attendees now with high prices on everything.

 

Those costs mean nothing to Sony or WB, but to dealers selling $5-30k (depending on what you sell and what your merchandise costs are), the cost of showing up is the loss of your inventory and all you got out of it was a working vacation.

 

An excellent explanation of some of the major obstacles.

 

If the convention moved to a city more accustomed to handling large conventions, such as an Anaheim or Vegas as has been discussed, would the lower hotel costs be enough to draw you and other dealers back in?

 

I'm not likely to go back at all, even if Faye Desmond were to beg me & give me free booths and by the time the show does come to Vegas there won't be any comics left there anyway. Also, even if the show came here, you wouldn't save much money. The hotels all raise the rates for big conventions and it's no longer a fair value to come here like it was 20+ years ago (oh PokerKid, you do realize that I am in Las Vegas, right?).

 

Are there any big comic shows or comic conventions in Vegas?