Not Comics: Con Analysis Update



* I completely lost track of this letter of support from Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Charles Brownstein for the early March general show WonderCon from CR advertisers Comic-Con International, and, starting next year, the unofficial kick-off to comics' long convention season. Since it addresses some assumptions I made about attendance, and since I rarely get these sort of institution saying nice things about another institution missives, I thought it worth printing despite what in comics terms must seems like a hundred-year delay. Captain America was alive when this message was written!

I checked with CCI's David Glanzer, and he confirmed that while attendance concerns didn't lead to an exact repeat of last year's overcrowding concerns, 1) the space was bigger so eyeballing the crowds in comparison would have indeed been difficult, 2) preregistration was up, 3) a first count of on-site registration indicate each day's numbers was up and 4) on-line registration was shut down for three hours on Saturday to ensure the accommodation of preregistered attendees. So: healthy.

* I also missed this: Dean Haspiel reports on STAPLE!

* Las Vegas resident Katherine Keller wrote a smart essay for Sequential Tart about the potential of moving Comic-Con International to Las Vegas from its traditional home in San Diego. This has become a more heated issue this year as housing concerns have tightened up.

My opinion has been that this year is sort of a watershed in the hotel room department because not only were con-sponsored hotel rooms snapped up immediately, it felt to me that for the first time other reasonable options were completely off the table even for those who planned months ahead and were willing to spend a significant amount of money. Others seem to feel this has been the case for a while now. Regardless of where you're coming from, Keller marches through the numbers with aplomb and makes a fine case. As I've said in the past, if Hollywood's willingness to use CCI for promotion is still a growth area rather than a cyclical one based on types of moves the studios are pursuing, this may be the best solution.

I have to say, though, as a typical American male who has made the standard 2.3 trips/year to Las Vegas for a decade now, it'll take more than numbers regarding capacity to convince me that McCarran is a better experience than San Diego International. I've never done anything but walked right off the plane in San Diego to a cab, waiting a few minutes once in twelve tries, while every trip to McCarran and its famous cab line feels like a life-changing ordeal.

photo of WonderCon '07 provided by WonderCon
 
posted 3:40 am PST | Permalink
 

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