Convention questions

edited November 2013 in JoCo Cruise
I have a question that I feel that people here can answer. 

Wife and I were on JCCC3 and are excitedly booked for JCCC4. It's an unusual event for us though - neither of us have been to any kind of non-professional convention before. There's an Austin ComicCon-thing next week, and I genuinely can't figure out why I would pay money for it.

The highlights from the website (http://www.wizardworld.com/home-tx.html) basically describe 1) meeting famous people, and 2) a comic flea-market. I don't find either of those things to be that significant. (Okay, James Hong is awesome. But a 35-second meeting and a scribbled *something*... Meh)

I know there are convention people in the group - what am I missing? Is the website selling this thing poorly or am I genuinely missing something significant?

(I ask here because JCCC forms my frame of reference for the answer)

Thanks!

Comments

  • edited November 2013
    I have mixed feelings about commercial "comic-cons" and similar events -- even the ones that are nominally not for profit. The fans are awesome. The costumes are awesome. Some of the discussions are awesome. Talking with the artists in the "artists' ghetto" can be awesome. However, some common practices -- for example, charging absurd prices for a few minutes with an actor -- bother me. Let's face it: These people are famous, in part, because it's necessary for them to be successful in their jobs; being known helps them get work. And their fame, in turn, is just a natural consequence of the success of the projects in which they participated (along with many others whose faces didn't appear on the screen and may in fact be more responsible for that success). In some cases -- perhaps the majority -- their careers were kickstarted by a lucky break: being in the right place, at the right time, with the right connections or and/or physical appearance. They're not überhumans, with whom spending a few minutes is somehow ultra-valuable. Or even inherently more valuable than spending them with someone who is really good at a different task with a lower profile -- say, plumbing. Conventions should break down the artificial pedestals upon which we put people, rather than surrounding them with barbed wire. Or at least I think so. Everyone who does something beneficial, and does it well, deserves respect -- not just the few whose jobs cause them to be seen by many others.

    The "crowd control" tactics that these events use are also bothersome. Attendees are often treated like sheep whose time has no value. In fact, just getting a ticket for some of the biggest ones (e.g. San Diego Comic Con) requires stopping your workday at an arbitrary moment (perhaps when you're on a ladder, fixing a software bug, or seeing a patient) and dumbly, mechanically refreshing a Web page for half an hour before paying a king's ransom for a ticket. Again, it's a matter of respect. I don't feel that these businesses respect their customers.
     
    For these reasons, I favor fan-run conventions and attend commercial events and "comic-cons" only occasionally. And when I do attend the latter, I do everything I can to avoid the overcommercialized and overhyped aspects of them.
  • You might want to give it a try, just to see what it's all about, if you can afford the ticket price.

    You'll do some standing in line.  I've mostly enjoyed the panels, the shopping, and gawking at the cosplayers.   I didn't do any autograph line.

  • I went when I was young, like early 70s and have the picture of James Doohan and I to prove it. Until then I didnt realize he was missing a finger. 

     As a woman, I have heard that these events are not always particularly female friendly, esp if you are a 52 year old nubile middle aged woman. Maybe not unfriendly, per-say, but more I would be invisible. 

    I'm just introverted enough to find the idea of a packed civic center full of Convention Stench and young people STANDING ON MY LAWN that I doubt I will ever go to a big con again.


  • Invisible is the best way to go to a con, in my opinion. (I've worked a table at Houston Comicpalooza the last couple of years, and no one pays much attention to a grey-haired guy sitting behind a table full of plastic models.) People-watching, shopping, and sitting in on panels or Q&As can all be done without actually having to talk to anyone. I've talked to artists/actors when they don't have lines; they're usually happy for the distraction.

    All that being said, I don't know anything about the Austin show, and I'm not really into comics per se. But if it's not too far and not too expensive, I'd say give it a shot just to see what it's like.
  • I've been to WizardWorld's Philly event and it really seemed to lack the spirit that I found at cons like GenCon or DragonCon. It was mostly just an opportunity to pay for autographs or photos with celebrities/authors/what-have-you.  Which is fine if that's all you're looking for. I wouldn't hold WizardWorld's events up as what a con should be, though. 
  • edited November 2013
    Conventions do come in their own flavors and varieties and it all depends on what you're looking for.   For me, I tend to go to the Star Wars Celebrations and a few Boardgaming conventions (Euroquest this past weekend and BGGCon this coming one).   I've been to Origns, DragonCon, GenCon, PAX East, and a variety of smaller conventions over the years and not all cons are created equal.  I'd don't recall going to Austin Comic-Con back when I was in grad school (it may not have existed) but it sounds like convention that caters to the comic book fan with some sci-fi shows (Dr. Who, Firefly, Buffy)  as well (Shatner, Satie, Bakula, Campbell, Hasselhoff, Martsers) and a few directors (Rodriguez) and comic artists.   If I was in town and could afford to go, I'd probably check it out (not a full pass but a day or something).   I'll be up in Dallas playing boardgames 'till I drop.

    I'll just add that you'll never know what you're missing (or avoiding) at a Con unless you try it.
  • Thanks for your advice everyone - between the bad knees (hurts to stand), the not-so-great vibe I've gotten already, and the money I don't have, I think I'll be skipping this year. 

    There are just too many fun things to do in Austin to try something that isn't likely to be amazing.  :)
  • edited November 2013
    @Kvort_the_Duck I find conventions to be a mixed bag...in that I have little to no interest in the actual "convention" part, but I go to some and often have a great time because it's a place where the type of people I like tend to congregate. I think you made a good choice for this potential convention, but keep an eye out for an opportunity to attend one that might have more of interest for you. I've heard good things about GenCon, for example, where the main attraction for me would be the high density of Sea Monkeys and other friends!

    [Edited to expand the definition of people I am excited to see.]
  • "where the type of people I like tend to congregate"

    This

    Also, at GenCon I get to try out games that I might like and see some interesting things. 

    Also, since GenCon is in my home town AND is a fairly big draw for people out of town, I both see local friends that I might not otherwise get around to seeing and see out of town friends.

    At PAX East I hung out with SeaMonkeys. That was very cool.
  • I've only attended two real conventions in my life, the two MST3K conventions. And I met my wife at the second one. :)

    My gut feeling is that for me, a fan-specific convention for fans of a specific thing is preferable to a general "We like things!" convention. But I also tend to like smaller events more than larger events personally.
  • I know I'm quite late for this, but here are my two cents anyways. I've only been to one convention, and it was Denver Comic Con. I was a volunteer for it, and have recently been invited to be on staff for it for 2014, which I'm very excited about. The things that are awesome: costumes, people, gaming (depending on con), panels, artists, exhibitors (ware-sellers). Things that were less awesome: crowds, crowd control, expense, con funk. I'm with most the others here that say try it at some point to see if its for you.
  • I've only ever been to C2E2 in Chicago and I'm not a huge fan. Not big on crowds but I did catch some interesting panels. One with Jane Espenson talking about her web show and one with Anthony Daniels who is a gigantic ham, loves the spotlight. If you ever get a chance to see him at a con take it, he's hilarious.

    I do understand the paying for autographs though, it's just a matter of economics. There are just way more people at a con that want to meet those people than they could possible manage to in one weekend so you have to charge just to whittle them down to those that think it's worth it. Just supply and demand. I have always thought there are plenty of just as interesting people who I don't have to pay 60 bucks to get time with so I'll go talk to them instead.
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