Sorry geeks. Sorry freaks. Gone are the dreams and dancing (well, not really ‘dancing’ – I forgot who I was writing about). Comic-Con is dead.
And I know right now there are hundreds of Dr. Who and Stargate Universe marathons going on in anticipation of this or that panel discussion, but, face it, it’s over. The cool dorks know it’s true. The rest will find out soon enough.
And it’s not really your fault that Comic-Con is dead. Unlike the whacked out kids in “Final Destination”, you DIDN’T see it coming. Hollywood, with its truckloads of swag and sizzle reels, just steamrolled you and took control of YOUR EVENT (this includes my own parent company – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company and Manka Bros. Publishing’s MC Comics).
It’s really sad but your beautiful ‘Woodstock of Geekdom’ has been crushed by the evil empire of big media.
I know you thought you dictated the terms and still think Hollywood needs your approval before going forward with a new comic book movie or TV show but, the truth is, you need Hollywood more than they need you.
It’s sort of like how you thought you and the cheerleader in high school would start dating because she was nice while you helped her get ready for a test. After the test was over, and she passed, it was right back to the quarterback and she didn’t even remember your name. The cheerleader is Hollywood.
The problem is, the cheerleader knows that all she has to do is smile and you will be right back on board – helping her with the next test.
Don’t take the bait anymore geeks! Rise up and stop helping the cheerleader with HER homework!
If Hollywood thinks it can get a good write up on your blog because they send Jessica Alba down to do body shots with you – they have another thing coming!
So here’s what needs to be done. Kill Comic-Con and go back to the church basement (or wherever) to whence it started and, like the best of the comic book origin stories, begin again. Rebirth.
Start your little A/V club from scratch and this time DON’T INVITE THE CHEERLEADERS! They don’t want to be there anyway. It’s totally messing up their summer vacations.
Jill Kennedy – OnMedea
You’ve got news stories talking about Ryan Reynolds costume one year ahead of the Green Lantern. Yes, Comic-con is dead. The studios control everything. And I work for Sony. So I know it’s true.
There is a church in Kansas that is protesting comic-con because “god hates nerds”
http://nerdbastards.com/2010/07/12/westboro-baptist-to-protest-at-comic-con/
Rest in peace, comic-con. I’ll miss everyone. But now I must save hot chicks and leave the freaks to fend for themselves.
Come on Jill. how else are they going to get Jessica Alba within five feet of them. This is their only chance.
But what about all those poor Batmen and Batwomen… where will they go?
This sounds like a geek movie to me>> Some SHOCKWAVE DARKSIDE 3D. A lesser known X-men alumni Mei Melancon is in it. The Psylocke that got no opportunity to do anything. Apparently Keenspot comics decided to make a movie with a guy who makes interactive video games? Jay Weisman Here are some links.
My question is, is this the only non studio film at Comic-Con? If so then comic-con is dead.
http://www.deadline.com/2010/07/comic-con-2010-preview-sunday-july-25/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shockwave-Darkside/118286964854938
http://www.shockwavedarkside.com
In terms of Hollywood takeover, Comic-Con has been dead for at least 5 years.
True, Al – but the studios used to believe the comic book guys had some power over the opening of their movies and treated them with a certain respect. Now they know they don’t and have decided to make it a giant publicity event instead and geeks be damned!
I wouldn’t be surprised if Lifetime and ESPN started going to Comic-con with their shows. Women’s issues programming and sports are really what the geeks are into.
Right right right! I am boycotting for that very reason. Seriously Salt? really Nikita? Come on. The CW is not this geek friendly network that they’re trying to make us believe. Gossip girl? Smallville and supernatural are borderline okay. why don’t they just fucking come down the America’s Top Model. At least then we’d have somethin gto look at.
I’m not sure exactly why you are declaring Comic-Con dead here and now. You complain about Hollywood taking over the show, but Hollywood really took over the show early in the 00’s. If you want to pick a specific time, it was probably in ’04 when they began using Hall H for the first time.
“If Hollywood thinks it can get a good write up on your blog because they send Jessica Alba down to do body shots with you – they have another thing coming!”- Exactly. Celebrities have been trotted out at Comic-Con for a decade now, and while fans are always happy to see them onstage, I think most of the regular attendees (Twi-hards excluded) don’t connect a celebrity actor appearance with film quality. The people who blog, professionally and semi-professionally, from Comic-Con are way past the point where a famous person will make them freak out.
I know you thought you dictated the terms and still think Hollywood needs your approval before going forward with a new comic book movie or TV show but, the truth is, you need Hollywood more than they need you.”- I’m honestly not sure what this means. I can’t remember a time when Hollywood brought a film or tv show to Comic-Con and let fan response determine if they were going to release it or not. I’m sure they’re happy when a panel leaves attendees buzzing, and unhappy when it makes attendees annoyed or angry, but that’s about all it does. Kick-Ass’s great ’09 Comic-Con panel may have inspired a bidding war but it surely didn’t affect its performance in mainstream release.
Comic-Con always makes people bitch about some thing or another, but the truth is that the convention still provides space to smaller publishers and small press comic outfits on its main floor and still has space for dealers. Comic-Con still has tons of comic book and geek-oriented content in smaller panel rooms away from the Hall H movie extravaganza and the Ballroom 20 tv show presentations for the people who aren’t interested in that stuff. It still has its independent film festival and anime showings, gaming rooms, etc. It’s all there and you can go to any of it, so stop complaining about Hollywood “ruining” the convention.
I agree, Chris, that Comic-Con was invaded by Hollywood years ago but I just feel that the convention was still being controlled by the fans more than by the studios. The studios have invaded with such force this year (Hawaii Five-O presentation and discussion just because the show runners worked on Star Trek???) that the smaller publishers and dealers have no chance to get seen by anyone outside of their core audience. It is possible that some media outlet (there to cover Angelina Jolie and Salt) would go off the beaten path and do some story on a smaller comic publisher – but I seriously doubt it.
To any outside audience, this convention is all about movies and TV shows. I bet if you walk up and down the aisles of the small publisher table or walk into a smaller panel room, you would find a lot of cynicism about what is going on in Hall H.
Everything now is about Publicity. Even within this publicity there is also competition. The more money a studio has or company has the more they are able to get their publicists to be able to call call email email push push. You don’t have money? You can’t barrage the market with enough content to push the already over crowded scene with information about certain movies, products etc. I personally went to 9 of the big panels ranging from the Comic book variety, television, to writer panels. I was surprised how so much of what was “the best thing” had to do with what was said was “the best thing”. I actually thought that the actors especially these very generic type shows, had little to know personality but what they did have was a big studio and money to back them. The general public are told something is great because it has a big room panel and they take it in. Comic-Con is not a market for film as much as it is a beauty contest at this present time.
Taking in the main floor made me change my mind. Artists are still revered and new original work of every sort is sought after just as much as the gigantic studio exhibits. Hopefully there is still scouts for the “new”. This is what Comic-Con was built on.