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.
What I got out of the interview was that IDW felt that San Diego had become overwhelmed by Hollywood, so it became more about film and television and less about comics. And, looking at what IDW publishes – a lot of licensed film properties, from Transformers to Star Trek – you'd think that passing on SDCC would be a bad thing for them.I'm not certain that it would be, though.The licensed properties they publish they can't shop to studios for film or television, because they don't own them. The original properties they publish, they'll still be able to shop to studios, but they don't need a giganda convention to do that. What, a movie studio is going to pass on optioning Joe Hill's Locke & Key because IDW passed on attending SDCC? I don't think so.A more comics-focused convention would be more in line with IDW's needs with promoting their slate of projects. Or if they need to promote their licensed properties, they could hit BotCon for Transformers, Gallifrey for Doctor Who, or any number of Trek cons for their Star Trek line. "Work smart, not hard," was Scrooge McDuck's advice on DuckTales, and that seems to me what IDW's president was saying in the interview. San Diego is a lot of hard work, and they can get the same benefit — or better — but working smarter on other venues.
I certainly understand and appreciate Ted Adams' point of view — in fact, IDW EIC Chris Ryall mentioned it to me the week before SDCC, so I know this is a well-considered opinion. San Diego has become totally overwhelmed by the media and the toy companies. If not for a couple thousand people dressed up as Heath Ledger, SDCC would appear to be no different from the Licensing Show or Book Expo or any other large media show. The suits outnumbered the capes.Having said that, I go to SDCC to work. It's six days of solid, near-sleepless work plus two days for travel and about two weeks to recover. One meeting after another; mostly with good people, many with friends, but it's work that must be done.IDW is IN San Diego. They'll be there on the floor, doing the meetings and pressing the flesh. 40 years ago (gasp) I went to my first Phil Seuling New York show. There were, I was told, an astonishing 400 people in attendance. It was great; we didn't know there were so many of us. Today SDCC attracts a reported 150,000, an increase of about one billion percent. SDCC has evolved into just another huge trade show, like the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas or the Housewares Show in Chicago. That's good for business, but not good for fans.I'm looking forward to the Baltimore show next month.
How many of the Comic Mix contingent are you planning on sending to Baltimore?