Super-Con in San Jose

[batman_fan]

I just heard about it today at Wonder-Con. Looks like it could be pretty decent, June 2nd and 3rd.

[Neurosis138]

June 2-3 Sat. & Sun.

Guest of Honor: Jim Lee

 

www.super-con.com

[Neurosis138]

 

[Nexus]

I go to a lot of cons...SD, WonderCon, Emerald, Wizard World LA, etc. But the one con I look forward to the most is Super-Con. It's the most comics oriented show out of all of them, with a real emphasis on artists. The guest list has been amazing the last two years. The artist/attendee ratio is high, so it's your best opportunity to interact with your favorite artists and get on sketch lists. I talked to one of the organizers this weekend and he said that there are lots more artists still to be announced. I'll post more names as I hear them.

[CW]

I will be there, set up. Probably near Nexus again (Fingers crossed) (That means I get to talk art all weekend) And I will be accepting signature subs for signature series signings. Mucho Mucho Fun!!

The artist list is waaayyyyyyy to big. Awesome!

[CW]

Is Hughes coming back? I thought I saw him on the original list?

[paperheart]

that's quite a guest list. are these confirmed or steve's wish list?

[Kevin Boyd]

Alas, I wish I could go to this one, as it looks great, but it's the weekend before my show in Toronto, and I'll be too busy to go.

 

As far as I know CGC will be going. I'll be making some SS announcements pertaining to this event in early May.

[jbud73]

I'll be there, not sure about both days, but Saturday for sure.

[sckao]

 

I considered signing up for a booth for this show... but after I went to the Website and found dead links to the Dealer information and contradictory information on their Website for booth prices vs the PDF application I WAS able to find, I decided that it probably wasn't a good idea to set up at this convention.

 

(My emails about getting a booth were also never answered.)

 

http://www.super-con.com/info.html

 

The Dealer Table Info says each booth is $550.00 on that page. However, it says $500.00 on the actually PDF (which is below the first PDF link on the right column that doesn't work.) The links down at the bottom of the left column also point to a PDF that isn't there.

 

I hope it's a success, but so far, from a sometime dealer trying to set up, it hasn't been a good experience.

[CW]

Steve Wyatt had the official dealer sign up forms with him at every show after last year. I just got one from him in SD last year. He even offered those of us that did the last show a nice discount.

 

Sckao,

If you need an email addy I have Scott's, PM me. He has answered all of my queries.

 

This show is more of an art collectors dreamland than anything else for me. The cool artist per sq ft ratio is off the top of the map! I am counting my spare change for this one. Fire sale coming soon!

[sckao]

Steve Wyatt had the official dealer sign up forms with him at every show after last year. I just got one from him in SD last year. He even offered those of us that did the last show a nice discount.

 

Sckao,

If you need an email addy I have Scott's, PM me. He has answered all of my queries.

 

This show is more of an art collectors dreamland than anything else for me. The cool artist per sq ft ratio is off the top of the map! I am counting my spare change for this one. Fire sale coming soon!

 

Yeah, I know. I see Steve all the time actually. From a dealer's perspective though, the reason why the artist ratio is so good is because not that many people make it to the convention.

 

I'm just trying to point out that a Website that has bad links for a specific event (Dealer info link to a PDF especially!) isn't conducive to running a successful convention. If I didn't know Steve and were someone new, I probably wouldn't sign up for the Convention. The links have been bad since before WonderCon.

 

I could call him directly, but I was ambivalent about setting up and spending so much money (almost as much as WonderCon's booth prices.) Not being able to see the Dealer Info PDF (and I emailed about the PDF errors) and not getting an email response or even seeing them fixed is the problem.

 

Also, If they don't have any more spaces, they should indicate that on the site... or have a waiting list.

[Nexus]

I signed up at WonderCon and got a nice discount. I believe it's still available if you sign up now. Of course, that might be hard if there isn't a working link on the website...I'll e-mail Steve about it ASAP.

 

For what it's worth, I know the organizers are extremely passionate about making this show work. They've definitely put their money where their mouths are in terms of lining up "A" guests. Super-Con has made some real leaps in the overall quality of the show in just a couple of years. Local fans are really lucky to have an alternative to the megashows like SD to meet this many guests. I'm going to continue supporting it and hope others will, too.

[CW]

From a dealer's perspective though, the reason why the artist ratio is so good is because not that many people make it to the convention.

 

Not quite, I was refering more to the list of names. It rivals if not bests Wondercon for the quality of artists appearing.

 

Sales have been slow at the last 2 but I agree with Nexus that this is by far one of the most enjoyable shows for me second only to SDCC. Plus it's 30mins south of my house and I don't have to go through the city. Overall I am rooting for it as a return to comics in a comic convention. The rate I got for my booth was a 1/3 lower than the max discount for Wondercon but it was, I believe, prerequisite on having set up previously. Sure the website is lagging and the PDF doesn't work but Wondercon was slow as well and just as frustrating with some of their one week deadlines for forms and such. I'm just saying cut them a little slack.

[Steve Morger]

Nexus just notified me of this thread. I am one of the promoters of the show. I'm handling guests while Steve Wyatt is handling the dealer side of things. A little background: Steve Wyatt had been doing Super-Con as a small one or two show for a number of years. Two years ago he did a two day show in Oakland called the Golden State Comic-Con (or something like that). It was okay but guest list was not that strong. He approached me about coming aboard to upgrade the show, both because I know a number of creators and since I've got slightly deeper pockets. I agreed and 2006 was our first "real" Super-Con. For me, comic-cons have always been about the artists/writers/other creators. I love SDCC but it has evolved from a comic show to a popular culture show. Ditto with WonderCon. I love attending both but my idea of Super-Con was much more comic oriented. (We will have non-comics guests but they won't be the focus.)

 

So, last year I think we had a good guest list. Besides the normal U.S. creators, I wanted to expose people to some new blood. Jordi Bernet was it because he is friends with a buddy of mine (Manuel Auad). Jordi both as a guest and from fan's reaction exceeded all expectations. All of the guests seemed to have had a good time. Adam Hughes and Allison indicated that they wanted to come back and the feeling was mutual. They were originally on the guest list. However, after confirming, All-Star Wonder Woman and the Star Wars show at the end of May sucked up their time. They had to cancel 2007 but have already indicated they would be back in 2008.

 

As for the other guests, I have already purchased the tickets for Frank Cho, Doug Sneyd, Dean Yeagle, Terry and Rachel Dodson, Aaron Lopresti, Doug Sneyd, Steve Mannion, Stuart Sayger and others. I should be purchasing Sanjulian's tickets in the next week or so. Not sure who posted the guest list as being "Steve's wish list" but it's both a wish and a reality. Steve has been dealing with Jim Lee but I've received confirmations from a couple sources that he's very much on board.

 

Finally, since things were going too well, the Oakland Convention Center F'ed up our reservation and gave it to someone else. Not happy since I literally work across the street from the convention center. However, in some ways (not convenience for me), the change to San Jose has been a blessing. The people down there have been amazing to work with -- from the convention center to the hotels. Very nice change of pace. We're leaning towards staying in San Jose permanently. Longer drive for me. Kills my pre-show BBQ for the guests (but I'll find something else) but the support from San Jose more than makes up for it.

 

If anyone has any problems or questions on any aspect of the show, please let me know. I'll put you in touch with the right person or handle the question myself. I'd never been involved with a show before last year so the learning curve is in play.

 

Thanks for the good words. We hope to live up to them and more. Best, Steve Morger.

 

P.S. If I get who I want as a guest next year, it'll be awesome.

 

P.S.S. Bernet will also be back in 2008.

[CW]

I am glad to hear your focus on comics and there creators. I think it's going be great. As a dealer my hope/prediction is, in a few years this show may surpass Wondercon as the Bay area's premier comic event but it will hinge on geting the crowds there. As a collector especially of art, I hope that the crowds don't show because of the past two years experience I have had gabbing with the artists. You really don't get too many chances to talk for more than a few minutes with the big names at any venue but this show has been the exception.

 

I'm conflicted.

Thanks for the hard work Steve. You will have to get your own booth in artists alley to display your art collection!

[batman_fan]

I plan on attending. I did the Oakland show and found it to be more of a buying show for me. Reasonable group of dealer trying to sell books which I really liked. Also, I found the atmosphere to be pretty relaxed. Now I DO live in San Jose and downtown is a quick hop on 87 for me so maybe a 20 minute drive. Probably leave the family at home and focus on buying.

[sckao]

 

Don't get me wrong... I hope the convention turns out well and becomes very successful.

 

However, there is a very real cost in setting up at conventions especially if you're not doing it full-time. (As in time lost from your real job, travel costs, booth costs, transportation rentals, etc.) If some of the dealers are saying that they didn't have very good results, that basically equates to giving away comics or materials for free. Now, I basically like giving away free comics to kids... but I'm not in it to lose money as a dealer.

 

If I don't set up there, I'll probably still attend and spend money at the convention.

 

However, it's a chicken and egg situation. Yes, artists and special guests bring in attendees... but so do dealers. As a sometime dealer, I need to know that there will be enough people there to make setting up there worthwhile. Oakland was nearer than San Jose and would have been more convenient. This move to San Jose after it's been established as being in Oakland (at the old WonderCon location) is also unfortunate.

 

The couple of times I set up in the San Jose area in the past years, there seemed to be fewer people than in Sacramento. (I realize this is now a larger convention with a lot more guests.)

[CW]

I can see your point. I look at it this way; I loose time off of work (obviously not as seriously as you would) but I figure it is important to get to the shows. My business is under the same category as this show at this point. I am not making profit so much as establishing a reputation making conections and getting my name out there. I am investing in a future of sales as I slowly improve my stock and my set up. I work weekdays at my day job and have a smaller set up in relation to yours so it isn't that big of an investment in time to get ready and I lose one day of pay.

 

Overall I feel this show will start to draw crowds. The move may hurt at first but I think it is important to maintain the quality and level of the guests and comic dealers. There are a number of big dealers in the SJ area that will show up as well as John at Torpedo comics (He always has a ton of stuff). Frankly the first year when a lot of the big national dealers showed up versus last year with more locals I didn't really see a change in attendance (for better or worse).

 

I don't subscribe to the idea that one should wait for something to be sucessfull to participate. I believe it is important for comic lovers/collectors/dealers to support efforts they feel will nurture and support our hobby in the long run rather than waiting for fair weather. If we support shows like this now perhaps we can help to build a truly great con that might otherwise wither if no one participates waiting for the first big dealers to take the risk. Sometimes you have to take a risk or loss to make gains.

 

My 2 cents.

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

Which Steve (from Bakersfield) was it at WWLA selling the UG comix?

 

Nevermind, I think it's Wyatt after seeing the CalComicCon.com website