Chicago Comic Con: A Tale of Two Cons (Part One)
We, the true believers all have that “home show”. That convention we never miss because it’s in our backyard. We treasure the memories we build there. And for those of us who aspire to become creators (like me and my Unshaven Comics cohorts) the “home show” is also where we first took the plunge and moved to the other side of the aisle to become creators, not just conventioneers. For me, that home show has been the Chicago Comic Con. I, of course, knew it as “Wizard World Chicago” when I first walked in the doors a newly christened comic fan in 1999. Ever since, that show has been a stalwart in my calender. I’ve not missed it, now, for 11 years in a row. Suffice to say, I’ve had a ton of great memories over the years. From catching the first glimpse of The Dark Knight, sitting mere feet away from Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, and David Goyer… to sitting in a jam packed ballroom, sharing a laugh over the secrets of Wonder Woman #219… to that first year I had to give up attending Wizard School panels, in order to sell my first graphic novel.
As the years have passed, my Unshaven family and I have noticed a rising trend. What started as just ribs and pokes from snottier fans who’d long proclaimed Wizard to be unhip and “mainstream”, changed to a general malaise from many of the fans we stood shoulder to shoulder with in lines for huge attractions like Kevin Smith Q and A’s to the aforementioned Dark Knight sneak preview. It seemed many Windy City con goers where feeling a slow and steady decline in attendance, in spirits, and most importantly in quality. As I touched on it in a previous article… it would seem that at last year’s Chicago Comic Con, a keystone had crumbled. Where once mighty booths manned by the biggest publishers stood greeting con-goers as they entered the center, were now gone, and replaced with questionable replacements. In 2009, where DC’s mighty banners once hung, and the DC Direct glass where my nose was pressed with palpable envy stood a Tonner Doll booth… where porcelain cherubic faced Harry Potters and Twilight Edwards now glared at me in monotone smiles. Where the Mighty Marvel erected it’s booth where cathartic creators sat and signed piles of books now sat a blacklight-rave music pumping-psuedo ninja weapon booth, manned by people who I can assure you couldn’t tell the difference between Deadpool and Deadshot. Thus, today it was with fearful steps that I entered that large hall once more… and hours later, I sit here, truly sad to type these words: My home show is a sorry shadow of it’s former self. (more…)
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