(PCM) There is no doubt about it, conventions have grown in popularity over the last ten years, but is that a good or bad thing? I guess it depends on what side you’re on.
San Diego Comic-Con International,started in 1970, is one of the must go to events of the year. A four day event that brings a lot of genres of entertainment together. The convention has gotten so large that one building can hardly contain everything. They have to use various buildings around the San Diego area to all fans to experience it all! Now that’s a great thing for the city of San Diego and promoters of the Con, but what about the little guy?
Those peeps in artist alley. The reason Comic Con’s started in the first place. They were a way to get the word out about the artists who can’t afford a multimillion dollar marketing campaign for their art and skill. The next best thing out there could be right at your footsteps, but you’re too busy looking at something that a major movie studio has put out to be sure you notice with their flashy installations and viral marketing campaigns.
The major movie studios have the money and stars to market in any avenue they want. It seems they have set their sights on the convention world. And this is not against them getting their product out there, but sometimes other people get put on the back burner, because they don’t have the money to rival what the studios can do.
This year, 2016, will see the release of many comic books turned into film. They include Deadpool, X-Men Apocalypse, Captain America, Batman Vs Superman, Suicide Squid, Gambit, and Ninja Turtles 2. And you can bet when the convention season starts up you will see a lot of information about these films. And as your attention is on them, another comic book will become just a memory. If the studios keep on pumping money into conventions and not into other avenues of marketing, like everything, it will eventually run its’ course.
Are people going to forget about comic books? I hope they don’t. Are they just going to look forward to seeing the latest celebrity stopping in and waving, and charging too much money for an autograph? I hope not. I hope fans keep on reading comics and forget about all the hype that the major studios bring. Some of it’s cool, but it can be a little much. Stick to making movies, and if it’s good the fans will find it on their own. On their own dime and time.
I hope people look for the smaller conventions. There are many around. The people there are the creative force behind their own product. And you could find your own next favorite comic book and artist. These artists are the heart and soul of their product. And it would make their day if you paid a little bit more attention to them. Give your money to them instead of some celebrity who will not remember who you are, but the artist most certainly will!