Tampa Bay Comic Con - April 6-7, 2013 -- LAUREN COHAN from WALKING DEAD!

[G.A.tor]

Did Lauren ask where I was

[TupennyConan]

Goodnight, Tampa.

[A-DONIS]

Time for a bigger venue!

 

 

Nice seeing most of you guys

[400yrs]

Holy mess. Today was beyond ridiculous. If there are twd guests next time and it is at the doubletree, I will have to think hard if I want to deal with that mess. Just call it a walking dead con and be done with it.

[UnboxingTreasures]

Had a couple people tell me they couldn't get in because it was sold out!

 

Good and bad news at the same time, I guess.

 

Bring on the bigger venue! wo0t!

[Webhead1981]

Crazy too see how much the Con has grown. Maybe try the expo hall at the Fair Grounds, good to see the Con has our grown the Double Tree.

[Evil Cody]

How about the Tampa Convention Center?

[YancyStreetComics-migratio]

Great turnout guys! Congrats! Didn't make it over today, but Sat was a madhouse! I'll fall in line with everyone else, and agree that you've outgrown the Doubletree. Can't wait to see what's next!

 

[400yrs]

People are kind of going nuts on FB and I can't blame them. That place was a mess show and I left early (about 12:30) because I couldn't deal with it.

 

One thing which a facebooker mentioned that I figured was that there were a ton of people in there that didn't pay to get in. I know there was a bunch of people taking money, but no one checking for wristbands in that mess so anyone could just go right in if they wanted.

 

I'm sure you guys did the best you could, but it was pretty obvious that the show was too big for this place the last time when Chandler Riggs was there. Bringing in 2 stars from TWD and that Josh kid, well, it was pretty obvious this was going to be nuts.

 

Even if this moves to the Convention Center, I think you guys are going to need to figure out something with the TV guests. Figure out how many people they can handle meeting and give out tickets for that and cut it off after that or something. And make it known up front so there aren't thousands of people standing around for nothing without realizing they won't be able to get in.

[Quake1028]

I wasn't able to attend but would like to get my Thanos print that I paid for. Who should I contact?

[lookwhoitis]

If the fire marshall would've been there, he might've shut the place down.

 

he did.

 

(in all actuality he was pretty cool and worked with us while dispensing his laydown of the law. Thankfully we had already cut ticket sales and begun dispersing the 1200+ people who were jammed in the Doubletree lobby trying to get in to a packed house. Dude could have shut the whole event down but he only told us not to sell anymore tickets, which we had already implemented by his arrival)

[TupennyConan]

I wasn't able to attend but would like to get my Thanos print that I paid for. Who should I contact?

 

KingOfRulers. Thanks.

[Mark 1]

People are kind of going nuts on FB and I can't blame them. That place was a mess show and I left early (about 12:30) because I couldn't deal with it.

 

One thing which a facebooker mentioned that I figured was that there were a ton of people in there that didn't pay to get in. I know there was a bunch of people taking money, but no one checking for wristbands in that mess so anyone could just go right in if they wanted.

 

I'm sure you guys did the best you could, but it was pretty obvious that the show was too big for this place the last time when Chandler Riggs was there. Bringing in 2 stars from TWD and that Josh kid, well, it was pretty obvious this was going to be nuts.

 

Even if this moves to the Convention Center, I think you guys are going to need to figure out something with the TV guests. Figure out how many people they can handle meeting and give out tickets for that and cut it off after that or something. And make it known up front so there aren't thousands of people standing around for nothing without realizing they won't be able to get in.

 

 

Sounds horrible. That's too bad.

 

 

[A-DONIS]

Steve, Bill, and Neal did an amazing job this weekend.

 

The popularity of this show has taking it to new heights, which I hope will carry to the Tampa Convention Center. I trully believe that this show has the potential to be the NEXT BIG show in the South.

 

Congrats guys!

[TupennyConan]

I walked through the venue with the hotel manager & Fire Marshall, inspecting all doors & exists.

 

Then we took a walk outside & inspected the lines.

 

The three of us agreed to stop selling tickets & I made the announcement to the waiting crowds, personally.

 

Then I walked the line for Lauren, Emily & Drake with Lauren & Drake's agent & conferred with the agent for Emily. Together we all agreed to cut off autographs, made an estimate of the best point in line to do so, & did it.

 

Lauren's agent made that announcement to the fans in line, himself.

 

Emily & Lauren signed autographs & met with fans to the end of the line & hit the packed house panel room together at the end of the day. Right.on.time.

 

Here are some photos of the team from Saturday night. They all worked very hard & deserve high praise for a wildly difficult job well done.

 

Thanks to all in the photo & to the many volunteers not in it. We really appreciate it.

 

[TupennyConan]

The Tampa Bay Comic Con Beauties.

 

[TupennyConan]

As for facebook, I don't read it.

 

The concern is venue size & capacity relative to turn out.

 

We will be making an announcement in that regard soon.

 

The show will go on.

 

 

[capt_comics]

You guys have to EXPAND it...............

 

A bigger venue for sure.

[TupennyConan]

Special thanks also to Matt & Travis, two of the hardest working men from Brooksville, FL you could meet. They are on my maintenance crew, driving F-150's, moving concrete around in the Florida sun all day. Working the show as security this weekend was a cakewalk for them. They made the most difficult job look the easiest.

 

[mangbus]

I went Saturday only. I got their a few minutes early and left around 2. Was able to quickly check out all the booths, watch Clayton Crain paint an insane Carnage (per his usual,) and get autos from Clay, Clayton, Jenny, Jusko and Layton. I have to say though, the deals were pretty amazing. I didn't plan on spending too much but some of the dollar boxes were too good to be true. I got some incredible reading material and a few things for the collection.

 

Big purchase (not in a dollar box) of the show:

Pike hooked it up w/ a Batman 227.

 

"Should have bought it" moment of the show: (2 of them)

First:

I may have been blinded by the Sixth Gun #1 FCBD's I found but I swear a vendor (not a big one) had a Batman #15 CGC 6.0 for $650 and I feel like that was a sweet deal. He may have said $800 but that is even a deal.

Second:

I should have had Clayton paint me a Batman. His prices at this show were so affordable and by time I actually asked, his list was just long enough to where I wouldn't have been able to pick it up. Had I just asked early, there might have been an amazing sketch on my wall today.

 

Favorite Cosplay:

Tampa Comic Con dressing up as a small show! Love this show, glad you guys have one in Orlando coming up. Hope for continued success. I can see this show and the Orlando one being a 'can't miss' pair of Florida shows each year.