Why Don’t They Just Call It ‘Viral-Con’

Comics have nothing to do with Comic-Con anymore and they haven’t for many years – so just stop.

It’s just about what is popular in culture. They could call it “Pop-U-Con” as well.

Sure, there are comic book elements to the show: Batman movies, Batman TV shows (“Gotham” which may feature a very young Batman – or not),  Batman games, Batman slot machines, etc.)

Also, people dress up as Batman – which makes it a comic book convention, right?

And, yes, people get comic book artists to sign their shit.

Their Mad Magazines from 1973.

Their 1977 Spider-man issue which featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

It just goes on and on

And that’s great for a comic book convention. That’s what you would expect.

But now people also dress up as characters from “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Good Wife.”

And this year, the “50 Shades of Grey” movie has a a’first-look’!

At this point we have left comic book land.

Seriously, look at all these TV panels – there are six comic book related TV shows and probably about 40 TV show panels which have nothing to do with comic books or comic book culture.

And no one seems to care.

Just as no one seems to care that “House of Cards” and “Orange Is The New Black” aren’t TV shows – but yet they get nominated for Emmys and no one seems to care.

Comic-Con is not a comic book show, it’s a popularity show.

Popular things (like cheerleaders) and comic book fanatics are like peas in a pod, right?

I can’t even imagine what someone like “Comic Book Guy” from The Simpsons would ask the “50 Shades of Grey” panel.

Seriously, comic book geeks need to start something new that is far far away from the movie studio PR machines.

I fear that no one really cares that Hollywood has commandeered this convention for their own selfish reasons – and that is the biggest drag of all.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea