What Happened To The Big Apple Comic Con?

[MedicAR]

Does anyone know if the Big Apple Comic Con is still going to happen? It's one of Wizard's shows and had a set date of May 19-20. When I went to the site today, it has "TBA" in place of the dates.

 

Has anyone seen or heard any definitive information?

[VintageComics]

There was a 1 day show last week that I think was supposed to be the Big Apple show.

 

 

[blazingbob]

Probably not happening.

 

Until a suitable venue is found I don't see how a Wizard NY show would be successful.

 

If you want to charge convention prices than book a "convention" center.

 

If you want to charge convention prices don't book a flea market setting.

 

 

[MedicAR]

Do you mean Mike Carbo's New York Comic Marketplace? I believe it used the name "Big Apple" at one time before Wizard co-opted it.

 

The show I'm looking for is here.

 

This is Mike Carbo's show.

 

 

[MedicAR]

Probably not happening.

 

Until a suitable venue is found I don't see how a Wizard NY show would be successful.

 

If you want to charge convention prices than book a "convention" center.

 

If you want to charge convention prices don't book a flea market setting.

 

 

Is Penn Station not that big? I used to work trade shows and thought that we shipped in there quite a bit.

 

Not that I care, I'm just remembering 10 years ago and can't make it to any of the shows anyway.

[VintageComics]

Probably not happening.

 

Until a suitable venue is found I don't see how a Wizard NY show would be successful.

 

If you want to charge convention prices than book a "convention" center.

 

If you want to charge convention prices don't book a flea market setting.

 

 

Is Penn Station not that big? I used to work trade shows and thought that we shipped in there quite a bit.

 

Not that I care, I'm just remembering 10 years ago and can't make it to any of the shows anyway.

 

The room they use at the Penn Plaza hotel is wide and long but not very tall. Overheating in the summer time is a problem and the room is very "broken up" as far as the venue goes with Pillars every few feet and what looks to be an elevator shaft in the middle of the room.

 

It's not as much a convention room as it is a sweat gallery, much like a pig pen in the summer although it might have been a decent convention room circa 1900.

 

And load in is a nightmare...if the hydralic lift that you use to get through the 1/2 sized door at the back of the room doesn't fail that is. If it fails then there is no load in. You have to carry every box in by hand.

 

 

[MedicAR]

Probably not happening.

 

Until a suitable venue is found I don't see how a Wizard NY show would be successful.

 

If you want to charge convention prices than book a "convention" center.

 

If you want to charge convention prices don't book a flea market setting.

 

 

Is Penn Station not that big? I used to work trade shows and thought that we shipped in there quite a bit.

 

Not that I care, I'm just remembering 10 years ago and can't make it to any of the shows anyway.

 

The room they use at the Penn Plaza hotel is wide and long but not very tall. Overheating in the summer time is a problem and the room is very "broken up" as far as the venue goes with Pillars every few feet and what looks to be an elevator shaft in the middle of the room.

 

It's not as much a convention room as it is a sweat gallery, much like a pig pen in the summer although it might have been a decent convention room circa 1900.

 

And load in is a nightmare...if the hydralic lift that you use to get through the 1/2 sized door at the back of the room doesn't fail that is. If it fails then there is no load in. You have to carry every box in by hand.

 

 

 

Wow...I had never heard the horror stories. Thanks for the info!

[WEBHEAD]

Probably not happening.

 

Until a suitable venue is found I don't see how a Wizard NY show would be successful.

 

If you want to charge convention prices than book a "convention" center.

 

If you want to charge convention prices don't book a flea market setting.

 

 

Is Penn Station not that big? I used to work trade shows and thought that we shipped in there quite a bit.

 

Not that I care, I'm just remembering 10 years ago and can't make it to any of the shows anyway.

 

The room they use at the Penn Plaza hotel is wide and long but not very tall. Overheating in the summer time is a problem and the room is very "broken up" as far as the venue goes with Pillars every few feet and what looks to be an elevator shaft in the middle of the room.

 

It's not as much a convention room as it is a sweat gallery, much like a pig pen in the summer although it might have been a decent convention room circa 1900.

 

And load in is a nightmare...if the hydralic lift that you use to get through the 1/2 sized door at the back of the room doesn't fail that is. If it fails then there is no load in. You have to carry every box in by hand.

 

 

 

Wow...I had never heard the horror stories. Thanks for the info!

 

Ditto

[mrwoogieman]

Do you mean Mike Carbo's New York Comic Marketplace? I believe it used the name "Big Apple" at one time before Wizard co-opted it.

 

The show I'm looking for is here.

 

This is Mike Carbo's show.

 

 

I believe Carbo sold the Big Apple Con name to Wizard and that his one day show two weeks ago was a swan song of sorts for his putting on shows in NYC. Another character on the Con circuit winding things down. I remember for years back in the 90s all NYC had were Mike C. shows, at the church up on 9th and 60th and then downtown at some space on 18th street I believe, and then for a long run at the Penn Pavilion across the street from Penn Station.

 

His venues and vendors have lent an air of local show moreso than a proper convention.

 

 

 

[Buzzetta]

The Carbo show was a slight disappointment. I felt as if the big players didn't bring their A-Material with them. Harvey Yee made an appearance but was obviously drained from jetlag. Other dealers brought their stuff but told me that the things I wanted were left back home.

 

Unfortunately there was a lot of riff raff tables in attendance. It is kind of disheartening to see a Metropolis' display and a few others a few mere tables away from the old discarded and broken toys that usually belong at a train station flea market.

 

The show could have been better. I remember the shows at the church years ago on the Upper West Side and I look forward to a return to those type of shows. I am not a big fan of the Penn Pavilion.

 

If Big Apple comes in May I am curious to see where they have it. Hopefully it will be at another location. I would even be happy if they went out to the Island and book the Nassau Veterans Coliseum in Uniondale as they did in the mid 90's or another larger venue.

[VintageComics]

Pier 92 was a decent show a couple of years ago as far as dealer representation although poor Joe Verenault spent the entire show next to a broken window in the winter time. His booth needed winter coats and heaters.

 

It can't be that hard to find a decent location in NYC, can it?

[Buzzetta]

Pier 92 was a decent show a couple of years ago as far as dealer representation although poor Joe Verenault spent the entire show next to a broken window in the winter time. His booth needed winter coats and heaters.

 

It can't be that hard to find a decent location in NYC, can it?

 

The Church was a decent spot. That was where I picked up my ASM1 back around 99. I remember that being a decent show. They could easily use the smaller venue attached to MSG or a better hotel than the Penn Pavilion.

 

I want to clarify something concerning how crappy that place is. About 8 years ago I was snowed in and the Long Island Railroad was shut down. I could not make it back home. I am a big boy and being stranded in the city like I was, I got a nice meal and then swallowed my pride and stayed at the Pennsylvania.

 

If you are looking for an authentic 1970's experience then stay at the Pennsylvania. I cannot describe the room here as the censors will block out most words that I can use to describe it. Let us just say that I would have been better off riding the subways all night like the homeless do.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen...

THIS is where they put the comic book show I went to last week. In the same building that houses "The Pennsylvania"

[blazingbob]

The Pier was a flea market setting also.

 

Hot air heat where the front of the show was steaming up the actor's hairstyles and the back of the room froze.

 

Reason - The hall is on the pier out on the water.

 

Not airtight, wind whips threw the walls.

 

Wind was blowing and even with a space heater Joe V froze his butt off.

 

Left the show after Saturday.

 

New York is a very expensive place to run a show. You get what you pay for.

If you are running shows to make money NY is not for the wallet challenged.

 

You need a very well run operation to keep costs to a minimum.

 

And I'll be blunt, New Yorkers want their money's worth so again, you CANNOT charge convention prices for a crappy hall. You can fool people once but you cannot do it consistently.

[Speedy-D]

Those cons upstairs in The Penn suck. That space is hella unpleasant.

[comicparadox]

I know I'm probably in the minority (as usual ), but I have very fond memories of the Penn shows. I bought my first AF15, ASM1, and DD1 in one fell swoop there. Mike C was mad at me because he was trying to sell me an absolute rag of AF15 and the one I bought from another vendor (Rainbow Trading Post, wonder if they still exist) was a touch more ragged, but much less expensive.

 

I remember the ones that got away, too - the Whiz 2 for $100 that I just knew was waay too costly leads the list. :doh:

 

Of course I attended the shows in the early 1980s. I think Blazing Bob was just a matchstick back then, but even then, the hotel was down-at-the-mouth.

[Ghost Town]

The Church was a decent spot. That was where I picked up my ASM1 back around 99. I remember that being a decent show. They could easily use the smaller venue attached to MSG or a better hotel than the Penn Pavilion.

I liked the Church shows too. Penn Pavilion is horrible. Whenever I go to the Penn Pavilion show, I just want to go home and take a shower immediately.

 

I really appreciate that Mike and Vinnie stepped up all those years ago and started the Church show when the Greenberg show collapsed. I'm sure it wasn't easy and I doubt they ever got rich from the effort.

 

It's too bad that creating respectable NY show (other than the Reed show) seems to be such a tough and costly endeavor. I think the demand is there.

[Green]

I think Blazing Bob was just a matchstick back then

[Buzzetta]

Who is the name of the guy that runs around like a crazy man with the mop of grey hair and a scarf all the time? He is an interesting character to say the least. I believe that he may own Neat Stuff Collectibles.

 

 

[VintageComics]

Who is the name of the guy that runs around like a crazy man with the mop of grey hair and a scarf all the time? He is an interesting character to say the least. I believe that he may own Neat Stuff Collectibles.

 

 

The guy that looks like a mad scientist?

 

That's Carbonaro. He works with Neatstuff. Is their buyer I think.

 

The longer his tongue wags out of his mouth the closer you know you are to a deal with him.

 

He's quite the character.

 

[aardvark88]

Mike Carbonaro is the head of or principal partner of Neat Stuff. Think he started selling at NYC comicons when he was 14 and had 3 dealers tables for himself. He was in a national magazine article around 1977 with a pic of him wheeling and dealing comics.