San Diego Comic-Con International 2002 Report #3

Howdy! At long last, the San Diego Comic-Con International has fulfilled my expectations. I was a bit worried about the health of the convention earlier in the week, as the crowds were seemingly not as large this year as in years past. The turnaround came Friday afternoon, when the aisles finally started being crowded. This trend continued immediately on Saturday morning, as tens of thousands of fans streamed into the massive San Diego Convention Center. I took a survey at 3 PM, and I estimate that between 25,000-30,000 fans were in the building at just that single time! I spoke to one young man who said that the line for admittance snaked down the street for about six blocks. It took him nearly an hour and a half to finally buy his ticket. This should be a warning for those of you might be planning a trip here next year. Buy your ticket by advance registration! Part of the reason that it took a while for the aisles to fill during the early part of the convention was the expansion in the amount of floor space given over to this year's show. The convention center has been doubled in size during the past two years, and the show has gradually begun to fill in the new available space. Last year, we expanded from three 50,000 square foot bays, to four. This year, yet another bay was added, taking the total exhibit space of the convention up to approximately 250,000 square feet. It goes without saying that it takes a very large crowd to fill that much square footage... Once it filled up, however, it was incredibly impressive. This afternoon I spent an hour walking the convention floor, and I was astounded at just how many people had come to the show. Yesterday, I alluded to one problem this has caused, which is the dissipation of the pure comics atmosphere of the convention. I spent a bit more time searching for comics booths this afternoon, and I found an entire area buried to one side filled with the dealers who used to be the core of the convention. These people were all moved this year from their traditional locations into an area reserved strictly for back issue comics and comics art dealers. While this did make it easier for fans to shop for old comics or comics art, I heard many complaints from the dealers about having been moved to the far side of the convention hall, where the overall foot traffic is far less than in the middle. The general feeling I heard expressed from the dealers was that the convention staff has abandoned its traditional constituency in favor of the deeper pockets of the media, game, and toy companies. This does not bode well for the future of the San Diego Comic-Con International. While there is a larger compliment of comics dealers exhibiting this year than I represented in yesterday's newsletter, I think the number of old-line comics dealers exhibiting at the show will shrink even further next year. I believe this would be a very sad development, as meeting with those old friends has been much of the rationale for Mile High Comics to exhibit at the San Diego convention. Moving on from the distress I feel at how the convention is changing, I have to admit that this social and cultural phenomenon that has evolved from what began as a simple gathering point for fans of comics is simply amazing. While comics are no longer in the forefront, what exists today is an astoundingly vibrant and exciting exhibition of all manners of popular culture. The broad appeal of the current exhibitors is reflected in the remarkable diversity of the crowd at this show. Last year, I made a big deal about how young women were starting to flock to the show without the impetus of following a boyfriend or mate. This trend grew even more this year, with women now constituting at least 40% of the overall attendees of the convention. Taking this trend even further, the racial and social makeup of the crowd now reflects the most extreme diversity that the polyglot nature of the American democracy can provide. During my traditional 30 minutes that I spent standing still at the middle of the hall on Saturday afternoon, I was struck by how every creed and nationality was represented at the convention. Even older women, the last remaining group that was underrepresented at the convention, are starting to come into the show from the San Diego community. I was watching some of these 50+ ladies as they browsed the hall, and I was surprised at how much they seemed to be enjoying the color and dynamic imagery of the convention. This simply would not have been the case 10 years ago. San Diego Comic-Con International has, quite literally, become an event that has elements which can please anyone. As I promised yesterday, Pam spent several hours today shooting pictures of fans in costumes. The costumes this year are even more fantastic and (in some cases) risqué than in years past. The San Diego Comic-Con International has become a mecca for exhibitionists, and those who love to watch just how outrageous and creative their fellow human beings can be when placed into an environment that allows them to explore their inner fantasies in tangible form. I think you're really going to like these pictures! (click on image for large view) That's it for today. I now need to start getting ready for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund auction, which will be held this evening at 8 PM. I volunteered to be the live auctioneer this year, and I am looking forward very much to working to squeeze every donation I can out of the crowd at the auction for this very worthy organization. This will be fun! Happy collecting! Chuck Rozanski, President - Mile High Comics, Inc. Giving away free comics at the Mile High Booth Aurora's Light character Anna Ross The Penguin, Catwoman, Joker & Harley Quinn Heather from Denver as BatWoman Animation Blast Lady California store employee Cameron with Chuck Catwoman! Meow! Satan's Cheerleaders Chewbacca and friends Chris Claremont signing at the MHC booth Chris Claremont with Batgirl GI Joe Cobra Agent Dragonball Z Super Sayain Goku Edward Scissorhands Neon Genesis Evangelion Heavy Metal's FAKK 2 Characters from Final Fantasy 10 Playdigm's Galactic Gladiators Harley Quinn Harley Quinn & The Joker - looking fabulous A huge Klingon family Lady Death Another Lady Death with spooky eyes Just another day at the Con Knights Mystery Science Theater 3000 Rich Koslowski & Chuck Gene Simmons from Kiss greeting his fans at the Dark Horse Booth Spider-Man & Green Goblin at it again Princess Leia, Boba Fett & Stormtrooper Luke Skywalker & Enemies Han Solo in carbonite & The Death Star Tokyopop spokeswoman Top Cow Betty Hello! Tusken Raider