As crazy as it sounds, comic conventions used to be about comics.
If not comics, then comic-related movies or shows, science fiction and sometimes even board games. Now, thanks to Hollywood, comic conventions come with a red carpet, “E! News” coverage, and a swarm of fans who’ve never picked up a comic in their life.
The first and only time I attended the San Diego Comic-Con was about a decade ago. It was the biggest convention I had been to, but still modest and easy to navigate. Cosplayers walked the floors, occasionally one Spider-Man would bump into the other, but there weren’t enough costume-clad people to, say, assemble the entire Justice League at a moment’s notice.
The most exciting thing about that year was that my favorite artist, Tim Sale, was there signing autographs.
Dan Casey, a reporter for Wired and senior editor for Nerdist, describes the first comic convention ever held in San Diego as a “small, one-day affair” with two celebrity guests in attendance. Now, if someone wants to attend a convention, they have to keep in mind that they’re squeezing through intense crowds because Jennifer Lawrence or the cast of “Once Upon a Time” are in the building.
No true nerd is going to moan and groan about waiting for hours to see a panel about a Marvel movie. But when you’re competing for a seat with people who are there for a “My Little Pony” panel, comic fans can’t help but wonder “What are you even doing here?”
Comic conventions are now about anything that exists in entertainment, and the line is drawn somewhere before “MTV reality shows.”. Worst of all, this problem might never be addressed because real comic fans are in the minority now.
As long as conventions keep scheduling panels for unrelated, popular entertainment, like “The Big Bang Theory” or “Twilight,” people will keep shuffling in, clogging up hallways while comic fans are shoved to the side.
We have enough coverage about movies and television cycling through all forms of news; we don’t need these things at comic conventions.
So here’s a (graphic) novel idea: let’s get rid of all the unrelated Hollywood additions. Let’s tell the cast of “American Horror Story” that, no, they can’t come in.
Let’s make comic conventions about comic books again.