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Wizard World Austin -- October 30-31, 2015

Started by mysterio,

79 posts in this topic

mysterio

mysterio

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Interesting, it looks like Wizard dropped the Thursday for this show and the Greenville show. They're both now showing as Fri-Sat only. I guess the debacle a couple of weeks ago showed them the error of their ways on that goofy schedule...

 

No Sunday is still dumb as hell. :sumo:

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Weird Paper

Weird Paper

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Based on the meager showing last week, I'd say Wizard's eyes are bigger than their stomach. I actually think their dilution of the convention market is bad for the hobby. I wonder if you asked all the comic dealers who set up at the most recent Austin debacle if they're coming back, what they would say? Maybe Wizard can host the first comic convention that features zero comic sellers?

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mysterio

mysterio

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Based on the meager showing last week, I'd say Wizard's eyes are bigger than their stomach. I actually think their dilution of the convention market is bad for the hobby. I wonder if you asked all the comic dealers who set up at the most recent Austin debacle if they're coming back, what they would say? Maybe Wizard can host the first comic convention that features zero comic sellers?

 

That may be what they are aiming for. I'm not sure that you can completely blame the bad showing in Austin on the dilution of the market, as the ACL festival and weird Thursday to Saturday schedule really hurt this show, but I do agree that they've got to be bumping up on the limits of expansion.

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kaholo1256

kaholo1256

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True. After to speaking many of the book sellers paying the over blown $1200 plus for end cap table spaces and the meager showings, then early wrap up on there busiest day hurt there sales. Spoke to many who didn't even get out of the red on this one.

 

Most artists on Thursday looked as if they were hurting for business and Friday didn't look like it did anything more for them. Would have to say the only artist that looked busy was Greg Horn as usual. That man knows how to sell with the back lighting and front side appeal. Other than that many just seemed to draw to keep themselves busy. Unless they go big with names I'm canceling this one from now on. Almost didn't think I made it worth my time.

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Trev

Trev

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I was talking to Phil noto and he was saying wizard booked him a 230 sat flight home so he couldn't even stay all day on the busiest day. He had to leave at noon.

 

That decision probably cost him a few hundred dollars.

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mysterio

mysterio

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According to last year's WW sales packets, Chicago is doing very well:

 

Screenshot2015-01-20at110420PM_zpscd942aea.png

 

 

Seeing this graph I'm even more surprised at the terrible decisions made over scheduling this show. They were getting good crowds and nice growth, according to these numbers anyway, and they basically decided to kill this show by giving it only two days in 2014 and repeating that idiotic scheduling this year. I just can't understand how dropping Sunday is attractive to them, or how they think that attracts vendors/creators to their shows.

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mysterio

mysterio

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Seven months away. :P

 

I'm hoping they take the route they did with Greenville and cancel Austin for 2015 rather than run this show into the ground further with this misguided two day schedule. Of course, this just opens Austin up for some competition to come in...

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mysterio

mysterio

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They need to reroute it away from ACL and UT football…move it to August or June.

 

I can't imagine them moving it away from fall semester. The timing has been roughly the same on this show since its inception, and they'd be foolish to hold it when the university isn't in session and all those potential customers are out of Austin. Plus the weather in June would be terrible, much too hot and humid. I definitely prefer October to June. They just need to fix the asinine two-day scheduling.

 

Six months away. Wish I still looked forward to this one. :P

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Trev

Trev

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They need to reroute it away from ACL and UT football…move it to August or June.

 

I can't imagine them moving it away from fall semester. The timing has been roughly the same on this show since its inception, and they'd be foolish to hold it when the university isn't in session and all those potential customers are out of Austin. Plus the weather in June would be terrible, much too hot and humid. I definitely prefer October to June. They just need to fix the asinine two-day scheduling.

 

Six months away. Wish I still looked forward to this one. :P

 

completely agree -- october is the best month, but there is a ton of competition in oct just because it's the best month. If they were going to move it, they would have to move it to march or april and that bumps into too many other shows, I think.

 

The show was a lot better about 10 years ago when it was in arlington. As much as I love the convenience of Austin, it's now mostly a one day show for me unless there is an artist there i really want a commission from, then it's a two day show just so I can pick up things.

 

I'm also expecting fewer dealers this year that will travel in for the show. Most of the ones I talked with last year were saying they didn't think they would be back this year. And even the regional ones like Duncanville have stopped doing wizard.

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kaholo1256

kaholo1256

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They need to reroute it away from ACL and UT football…move it to August or June.

 

I can't imagine them moving it away from fall semester. The timing has been roughly the same on this show since its inception, and they'd be foolish to hold it when the university isn't in session and all those potential customers are out of Austin. Plus the weather in June would be terrible, much too hot and humid. I definitely prefer October to June. They just need to fix the asinine two-day scheduling.

 

Six months away. Wish I still looked forward to this one. :P

 

completely agree -- october is the best month, but there is a ton of competition in oct just because it's the best month. If they were going to move it, they would have to move it to march or april and that bumps into too many other shows, I think.

 

The show was a lot better about 10 years ago when it was in arlington. As much as I love the convenience of Austin, it's now mostly a one day show for me unless there is an artist there i really want a commission from, then it's a two day show just so I can pick up things.

 

I'm also expecting fewer dealers this year that will travel in for the show. Most of the ones I talked with last year were saying they didn't think they would be back this year. And even the regional ones like Duncanville have stopped doing wizard.

 

This show has just gotten so disappointing for me. The guests are always rinse wash repeat and usually turns into a one day show as long as I can get commissions on day one. Last year turned into a single day convention simply to get signatures for Undertaker, and to pick up commissions from Noto and maybe a total of 2 other artists. The best part about last year was getting to drop off books from Alamo City Comic Con simply to save on the shipping costs. Most likely going to skip this year as I'm starting to hate the almost Flea Market feel this show is starting to have.

 

Its sad when I start looking more forward to attending a smaller hotel 2 day show than something that should be a huge event. Figure October has Mondo Con in the beginning, I'll head to NYCC the week after and then call it a season for me unless I choose to do Comikaze.

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The Blot

The Blot

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It's such a shame WW is killing this con. I've had to stop going the past few years with this Thurs-Sat schedule. Not taking 2 days off to travel for a small con. I can't figure out what they're doing. How can it ever grow with 2 day cons or a Thurs-Sat schedule? So odd...

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Monster's Lair Comics

Monster's Lair Comics

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It's such a shame WW is killing this con. I've had to stop going the past few years with this Thurs-Sat schedule. Not taking 2 days off to travel for a small con. I can't figure out what they're doing. How can it ever grow with 2 day cons or a Thurs-Sat schedule? So odd...

 

Things going against this show:

Cost of tables

Cost of hotel rooms

Availability of hotel rooms

Two day show

Friday/Saturday schedule

Few comic dealers

Other stuff to do in Austin (nightlife, football, ect)

Celebs canceling

 

Things going for this show:

Not much......

 

 

This used to be a really fun show, when there was a bunch of dealers there, but it's gotten thinner and thinner on comics, and now fills the empty booth space with time share's, and other flea market merch. I don't anticipate this show surviving much longer without a move to a different time of year, or another drastic change.

 

 

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