On Sunday afternoon, the final day of Emerald Metropolis Comedian-Con 2023, a five-person panel from showrunner ReedPop, headed up by Kristina Rogers, Vice President, World Comics Portfolio shared their tackle what labored, what didn’t, and what they hope to do subsequent time at this Seattle popular culture conference. In addition they responded to feedback and questions from a comparatively small, however engaged group of present attendees who got here to the “Discuss Again” session.
On the entrance of the room was Rogers, Chris D’Lando, Occasion Supervisor; Kylie Mason, Advertising Supervisor; Ryan Will, Senior Director, World Gross sales; and Liz Jaite, Content material Supervisor for ReedPop’s Comics Occasions. Every responded to feedback about varied facets of this 12 months’s present, together with the smaller-than-usual roster of comics creators as visitors and comics publishers within the exhibit halls, snafus with the escalators and elevators within the new Seattle Conference Heart Summit Constructing, and the “anemic” presence of manga and anime panels or visitors on this 12 months’s present programming.
However that’s to not say that it was all complaints. As one attendee put it, “the distinction between whining and complaining is with the ability to recommend an answer.” A number of attendees supplied constructive criticism and solutions for enhancements, together with kudos too. Right here’s a few of the highlights and key takeaways from the ECCC 2023 speak again session:
ATTENDANCE UP, BUT STILL NOT AT PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS
When requested about ECCC 2023’s attendance numbers in comparison with years previous, Rogers replied, “2023’s attendance is up 10% in comparison with 2022, and 2022 was up 9% in comparison with 2021, however we nonetheless haven’t hit our 2019 (pre-COVID) attendance.”
NEW BUILDING, NEW PROBLEMS
This 12 months’s present was the primary main occasion held within the new Seattle Conference Heart Summit Constructing. A stunning six-story constructing with a lot of considerate architectural touches like indoor steps/benches that look out onto Pine Avenue to the waterfront, together with pretty dependable free wi-fi, and extra USB/electrical plugs than most airports. Nonetheless, there have been a number of issues with the constructing, together with escalators that had been shutdown throughout busy durations of the present, elevators that had been slower than traditional and had been typically too busy to accommodate attendees with wheelchairs or strollers.
One other ache level was that the principle exhibit corridor was on a decrease degree, Flooring 0, a undeniable fact that was missed by many attendees who as an alternative went to Flooring 2 the place artists alley and several other cubicles had been situated.
There have been lengthy traces for meals concession stands, partly as a result of there have been so few of them. All of those points and extra had been mentioned, and Rogers and staff promised to look into them and tackle them earlier than subsequent 12 months’s present.
WHERE ARE THE COMICS PUBLISHERS?
One attendee on the ECCC Discuss Again panel remarked, “I see the comics facet of Comedian-Con going downhill.” Whereas there have been a handful of publishers, together with MadCave, Xenoscope and indies like ShortBox and Bulgilhan Press exhibiting this 12 months, it’s additionally true that the most important US publishers DC and Marvel, in addition to Pacific Northwest-based corporations like Darkish Horse Comics, Picture Comics and Fantagraphics had been lacking from the exhibit corridor flooring.
“The relationships are nonetheless there, however staffing is a matter,” stated Will, Senior Director, World Gross sales for ReedPop. Exhibiting at a present like ECCC signifies that corporations have to have folks to employees the sales space, in addition to the manpower and finances to plan, design and convey inventive expertise to the present. “(Publishers) are keen and excited to return again, however for this 12 months’s present, the timing simply didn’t work out.”
However even for the publishers that had been there, one large downside was the present maps, which lacked sales space numbers on the printed maps and some omissions that left exhibitors questioning in the event that they missed out on gross sales as a result of folks didn’t know they had been there or the place they had been situated on the present flooring.
First time exhibitors Zach Clemente of Boston-based Bulgilhan Press and Zainab Ahktar of UK small press writer ShortBox had just a few issues to say about their ECCC experiences after the present:
Simply landed again in Boston. We had a beautiful time in Seattle assembly comics makers and displaying off our books to new readers at ECCC. Sadly, our gross sales had been fairly poor – hopefully we’re in a position to work with ReedPop sooner or later to higher embrace small press publishers.
— Bulgilhan Press (@bulgilhan) March 6, 2023
After we emailed @emeraldcitycon a few refund, they informed us to suggestions to them how issues went and so they’d decide after the con with our enter. Obtained an electronic mail on Sat telling us somebody had walked by our sales space and it ‘seemed busy’ in order that they wouldn’t be refunding us.
— ShortBox (@Short_Box) March 7, 2023
We might like to do ECCC once more and reliablely desk at ReedPop reveals when it is smart to take action, however this problem must be addressed for all small press/comics collectives. It simply will not be economically viable for us in any other case.
— Bulgilhan Press (@bulgilhan) March 6, 2023
NEW AND POPULAR: LARPING AND Ok-POP
“We elevated neighborhood programming since you requested us for extra methods for attendees to work together with one another. We did LARPing for the primary time, and our Ok-Pop dance programing was very fashionable too. We actually wish to broaden gaming subsequent 12 months, particularly tabletop gaming,” stated Rogers. “We wish to provide attendees worth for his or her badges.”
The LARPing space on the third flooring was spacious and gave followers who received the required wristband to register their ‘weapons’ house to cross swords and spar. It was fairly the sight.
Different applications that had been nicely obtained included the cosplay workshops, though one attendee was stunned to see that attendance required join prematurely. “The cosplay workshops got here in fairly final minute,” stated Jaite, Content material Supervisor for ReedPop comics occasions. “They’re actually superior, in order that they’re undoubtedly coming again subsequent 12 months, however we’ll attempt to make it simpler so that you can join via our web site and app.”
Kudos had been additionally shared for the varied “lounges” for attendees, together with the Delight Lounge, and a Quiet Lounge to calm down, away from the noisy and busy present flooring.
“ANEMIC” ANIME AND MANGA PROGRAMMING
One notable lack within the ECCC programming and exhibitor combine this 12 months was anime and manga. On Flooring 0, there was a big Bandai Namco / Tamashii Nations sales space, together with a World of Ghibli sales space providing Totoro plates, plushies and extra. In the meantime, on Flooring 5, there was an ‘anemic’ Pop Asia space, with tables selling Japanese tradition and journey to Japan, a half-baked manga library with some beanbag chairs, cosplay meet-up areas and Ok-Pop dance periods.
When requested about this state of affairs, Rogers replied, “We wish to assist the AAPI neighborhood right here, however we additionally don’t wish to come throughout as ‘othering.” I requested, “Why not work with Sakura-Con on this?” (Sakura-Con is the regional anime conference that’s historically held just a few weeks after Emerald Metropolis Con in late March / early April). “They by no means reply our emails,” replied Rogers. “It’s not like we don’t wish to work with them.”
One other issue that received in the way in which of inviting visitors from Japan for this 12 months’s present is that “the US/Japan journey restrictions solely loosened up just a few months in the past, in order that made it tough to make journey plans for these visitors,” stated Rogers.
KUDOS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE ECCC MOBILE APP
The ECCC cellular app received some good compliments for ease of use and options that made it simple to search out the varied occasions the place the present’s particular visitors may very well be discovered all through the weekend. There have been just a few solutions so as to add further options to make it simpler to navigate the present, however general, it received extra constructive feedback than “constructive criticism.”
YOU TOO CAN TALK BACK TO REEDPOP ABOUT ECCC
Need extra comics publishers and comics creators at ECCC subsequent 12 months? Fil out the survey (hyperlink despatched by electronic mail to all attendees). “Inform us who you wish to see (as visitors). The survey is how we plan our technique for the present.” stated D’Lando.
“If you wish to see your favourite comics creator on the present, inform us on the survey,” stated Will. “It helps us make a case to publishers once we can inform them 50 folks informed us they wish to see somebody right here on the present subsequent 12 months.”
The survey arrived in ECCC attendee inboxes at present, so if you happen to had been on the present this 12 months, fill it out and make your voice heard about what you wish to see at Emerald Metropolis Comedian-Con 2024.
Able to make plans for subsequent 12 months? 2024 dates had been introduced this week too: February 29 – March 3. Join at https://www.emeraldcitycomiccon.com/ to get notified first when tickets go on sale.
Did you go to Emerald Metropolis Comedian-Con this 12 months? What did you suppose? What had been your highlights or ideas about what you want was completely different about this 12 months’s present? Add your feedback beneath!
