Thoughts on IDW, Comic-Con and Publishers’ Presence at Conventions
Yesterday I linked to Tom Spurgeon’s interview with Ted Adams, president of IDW Publishing, about Adams’ recent announcement that this year’s show might be IDW’s last. Today, Spurgeon posted some thoughts from various figures in and around the comics industry about IDW’s decision, what it says about Comic-Con International and the convention scene, and how it all ties together with the changing face of the comics scene.
At Spurgeon’s request, I offered up my own reaction to the interview (you can find it down at the end of the post), and was joined by noted representatives of the publishing industry and comics media.
Here are some of the thoughts contributed by Fantagraphics’ Eric Reynolds on the issue:
I feel very strongly myself that sometimes the amount of effort and money expended on cons like Comicon and BEA is fairly absurd and might be simply better spent elsewhere. But no one wants to blink, including us. If everyone in publishing agreed to take a year off of a Comicon or BEA and simply not hold it, would the industry suffer? I doubt it. So I admire Ted’s take on it.
We don’t have any plans to not attend, and it really is an amazing show in most respects, but when you really sit down and add up all of the expenses of time and money at the end of the show, it’s absurd. We spend so much money to potentially make a very little bit of money when it’s all said and done.
Head over to The Comics Reporter for more on the IDW/Comic-Con debate.