How will the cancellations of Conventions affect the Comic Biz?

[Kirby101]

I don't know how much the big announcements at conventions help the larger publishers. But I would think smaller publishers are aided by the Cons. There are also many creators whose incomes come from convention sales.

There is a chance there will be no conventions this year. I think San Diego is very iffy.

[babyblob]

If things keep going the way they are I thing the cons will for sure not go on. And that makes me sad. We have a comic book Expo here is Cincy and I used to love going. I would take pictures with cosplayers, talk to others about comics in a personal basis, gert some great comics for my collection, and see some local artists and writers promote their stuff. It is great fun.

But right now I think the safest place for comic book nerds in in our moms basement manning the internet.

[Kirby101]

Hey, that is a crass characterization. Some of us sit in our living rooms manning the internet.

[babyblob]

Hey, that is a crass characterization. Some of us sit in our living rooms manning the internet.

I stand corrected

[DrNewGod]

I don't know how much the big announcements at conventions help the larger publishers. But I would think smaller publishers are aided by the Cons. There are also many creators whose incomes come from convention sales.

There is a chance there will be no conventions this year. I think San Diego is very iffy.

I am not an expert on cons, but your first three sentences make a great deal of sense to me as to what effects we can expect from any cancellations.

[Iron Maiden]

Hey, that is a crass characterization. Some of us sit in our living rooms manning the internet.

That's right. A lot of us here in this forum are like me and paying a mortgage on a home or condo! Or paying rent in their own place.

I think the industry will survive. Although conventions are another means of promoting the product people are still going to buy comics. You can find a lot of promo videos on the Marvel site and various youtube videos. Not everyone can afford to go to conventions anyway. I was surprised to see how much C2E2 was this year and your chance of getting into a panel depended on how much you wanted to pay. For example, I got into panels like Hickman's Secret Wars panel in 2015 and one lead by Tom Brevoort about upcoming Marvel stuff from free. Now with these packages they sell your badge guarantees you seating at select panels. Of course these are probably ones like the Jim Lee or Hickman X-Men panels they had this year. So essentially you're paying for the panels now because I know the packages were sold out online. They were pretty lucky cause this year I think they were the last con held before everything got shot down.

And too tell the truth the crowds are so large now, there's no places to sit etc. You spend all day in a huge throng where you take baby steps to get from one spot to another where the booths are. I guess I'm just too old for this stuff anymore!

[Attila Kiss]

The comic book industry will not be affected much by the lack of cons. Not more than it is hit by its own problems. Which is not to be said for the movie industry.

[kjn]

It varies a lot. And there are really two different con circuits: the fan-run ones and the commercial ones (though even the commercial ones are often dependant on volunteer labour). But you have to remember that cons serve several different purposes. And three big ones are connections, PR & announcements, and sales.

For the large- or medium-size publishers (those with national distribution) sales aren't important. They're nice vehicles for doing PR & announcements—you have a huge primed audience and lots of stuff happening at the same time, reinforcing each other. But the most important factor is probably connections: it's here the editors and creators can sit down and chat with each other, and aspiring creators with promising portfolios can get that first important personal meeting with editors or publishers.

At-con sales is more important at the lower level. There are some vendors, like Larry Smith Bookseller did, that specialise in only selling at cons. They can be important income streams for small publishers or individual creators—and remember that even a 10% drop in revenue can be the difference for the business being no longer sustainable. Seanan McGuire has mentioned that appearances at larger cons are good marketing for her, even if she doesn't sell directly herself, it will generate royalties for her down the road.

Anyway, I expect the fan-run cons, especially on the smaller end, will get back quicker. They're less dependant on capital and on the presence of big names, and compared to the commercial ones they have a long tradition behind them. Of course, things like SDCC or NYCC aren't going anywhere else soon, but cons and LCSs suffer from a double whammy right now: lots of people have less beer money, and far less incentive to go out.

[Joker]

What cons are you going to that are actually about comics anymore?

I stopped going because I don’t give a **** about Funko Pops or meaning actors.

The comics industry might see a shift to digital if people keep getting shut in for long periods of time. Might be the straw that pushes it to a more digital based industry.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Hey, that is a crass characterization. Some of us sit in our living rooms manning the internet.

Speak for yourself. I prefer my bedroom. Much more comfy.

[Kirby101]

What cons are you going to that are actually about comics anymore?

I stopped going because I don’t give a **** about Funko Pops or meaning actors.

The comics industry might see a shift to digital if people keep getting shut in for long periods of time. Might be the straw that pushes it to a more digital based industry.

I like going to artists alleys and meet creators.