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How NOT To Start Up A Comic Con

Started by jcjames,

14 posts in this topic

aardvark88

aardvark88

Posted
Posted

I am sure most of us know someone who ran their comicon into the ground. Here is a local Vancouver, BC example from about 15 years ago.

 

1. Promoter leaves his phone # and email OFF of the comicon flyer on purpose because he does not like getting phone calls at home after his day job.

 

2. Promoter does list his basic web page address on flyer but the web page has no links to contact info, a location map, vendor's tables info. Just a scan of same flyer that has no contact info but lists admission at $3.

 

3. Promoter solicited his anime, toy and comic buddies to buy vendor's tables so he expected a sold out show. Some vendors had to cancel under short notice but flyer did not have promoter's recent tel #. New vendors wanted to try out his inaugural show but their was no contact info on the flyer.

 

4. No guerilla marketing from Face Book links or email blasts back then, thus attendance at the gate was about 12 ppl.

 

The vendors that did show up felt so sorry for the promoter losing his shirt that they still paid their table fees even though most of them barely broke even. :pullhair:

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revat

revat

Posted
Posted

So why is wheeler out of favor at cgc?

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mysterio

mysterio

Posted
Posted
I am sure most of us know someone who ran their comicon into the ground. Here is a local Vancouver, BC example from about 15 years ago.

 

1. Promoter leaves his phone # and email OFF of the comicon flyer on purpose because he does not like getting phone calls at home after his day job.

 

2. Promoter does list his basic web page address on flyer but the web page has no links to contact info, a location map, vendor's tables info. Just a scan of same flyer that has no contact info but lists admission at $3.

 

3. Promoter solicited his anime, toy and comic buddies to buy vendor's tables so he expected a sold out show. Some vendors had to cancel under short notice but flyer did not have promoter's recent tel #. New vendors wanted to try out his inaugural show but their was no contact info on the flyer.

 

4. No guerilla marketing from Face Book links or email blasts back then, thus attendance at the gate was about 12 ppl.

 

The vendors that did show up felt so sorry for the promoter losing his shirt that they still paid their table fees even though most of them barely broke even. :pullhair:

 

Is it fair to call them a promoter if they don't actually promote?

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stanley1883

stanley1883

Posted
Posted

If love to get more info on this as j was at the Amazing CC and they were pretty cool. After some brief looking, apparently it is now being called the Wild West Comic Con and the dude apologized on FB. I'm still curious as to how this all got started, how it spun out of control, and why for the love of all that is holy did this dude speak on behalf on Jimmy Jay and more or less cause this while cluster F to begin with only to issue an apology on FB. I'm intrigued. Can anyone give me the cliff notes?

 

The bleeding cool article did not help me.

 

 

 

My mistake. Poor grammar strikes again. I did not mean to imply that Amazing is now Wild West though it looks like that. I meant that the new guy is calling his Con Wild West Con, Amazing Con is still Amazing Con. My apologies.

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Loukayza

Loukayza

Posted
Posted

Just my take, but 98% of comic-con goers couldn't care less about this backstory, or read Bleeding Cool. Rob Liefeld is a great dude but this show can go on with or without him. I've had a number of people at work and in other non comic places, in real life, mention they went to some of the regional cons and in some cases they can't even tell me the name of the Con. They just say "I went to comic con before!"

 

It seems like a stretch right now, but if this person can align with some experienced organizers, and avoids everything Aardvark88 posted, he has the chance to succeed since he's setting up in an established market. Free publicity from Bleeding Cool doesn't hurt either...

 

 

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jcjames

jcjames

Posted
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Posted

 

No, Amazing is NOT "now being called Wild West" - they have nothing at all to do with each other (as emphatically stated by Jimmy Jay in the links) and yet that's of how this guy tried to con others into joining his upstart and got caught red-handed and called out publicly.

 

Then made a dork of himself, again publicly, crapping all over Liefeld and Jimmy Jay because they didn't take to kindly to their names being used to con others.

 

Point is that this guy misrepresented, lied about affiliations that weren't in existence in order to ride the coat-tails of the out-going Amazing Con. Why? Because he can and since the average Joe probably won't know any backstory of this or any other "shady" dealings in the past, then let the "CON" go on.

 

 

 

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JimmySJay

JimmySJay

Posted
Posted

Yeah that pretty much sums it up.

 

my point is that anyone can start their own events.

Ultimately a convention's success is how it performs, and how the organizer performs. Everyone should have to earn their own reputation and not use anyone else.

 

I am upset that someone used by name without permission to try in order to attempt gain relationships with talent.

 

I am upset that someone erroneously used AMAZING COMIC CONVENTION as a show that they were "taking over".

(Amazing Comic Con was never up for sale)

 

I am upset that it was stated that the crew we utilize with Amazing Comic Conventions is now working for party.

(No member of our staff pat or present is working with the wheelers)

 

these were all blatant misrepresentations.

I received a number of emails, texts, messages wanting to know the legitimacy of those claims. These came from DC Comics, the offices of Jim Lee, a number of the highest profile guests we have hosted. Two different talent reps.

 

A number of people were mislead, or lied to.

 

Again I have the emails, the calls, the texts-

in writing, from credible sources, and many phone calls from the most respected names in our industry.

 

After a week's worth of FB postings, Mike and Mindy Wheeler tried to explain themselves on FB and on a local podcast.

 

Quite frankly- their versions of the stories have shifted, backpedaled, got nasty on their part, turned apologetic, and more.

 

I really don't care.

 

Just leave my name, and company name, and the staff we work with out of all these dealings. We are in no way, shape or form, affiliated with the upstart convention person Mike Wheeler, nor his wife.

 

They have their own reputation- which you can look it up online...

 

Just as Amazing Comic Conventions has our own track record.

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Jimmy Linguini

Jimmy Linguini

Posted
Posted
Wasn't there a connection between JCJAMES and Mike Wheeler back in 2014/15? Mike worked for them. Long story behind their relationship.

 

He talks about you and a little about that in his podcast interview.

 

But I mean the guy is delusional so what do you expect?

 

I really believe that someone that lives in their comic book store can afford to put on a comic convention where all the profits go to charity.... oh wait..

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