So I’ve been attending San Diego Comic Con since 1987 (when I was 14 years old), so I have a lot of history with the world’s most famous annual pop culture gathering. Some years are better than others, though for several years running it has, from a subjective standpoint, felt like it was overall in decline (weighing the positives and negatives). However, I believe that things have shifted direction in 2018, so here are my thoughts on Comic-Con International this time around.
There seems to be a consensus with at least some of the other old timers I know that things over the past few years have left us feeling a bit like things aren’t anything like they used to be. And that won’t ever really return, as so much has changed in the past three decades.
Even the nature of comic books are large have changed dramatically, which has nothing to do with comic book conventions at all. I was at a smaller con over the weekend talking with a comic store owner who travels to sell at conventions every week all over the U.S. It doesn’t seem that many people even read comic books anymore, and the nature of comics as collectibles has changed dramatically. Key issues are worth a lot more, and everything else, in many cases is literally worthless. It’s quite strange how much things have changed. And those that do still read comics are just as likely to download their comic books versus buying “real” copies at a store, because again, they just aren’t as collectible as they used to be. The industry has really been flipped on it’s head compared to what it was in the early 90s.
But there is still a presence of comic books at San Diego Comic Con, though it will never be what it was. It has certainly transformed to become more of a “pop culture” event. And even that keeps shifting (in good and bad ways).
I had found myself feeling that four to five days was a bit much each year, so in 2017, I actually did all of my usual coverage all in one day, as the hassle of securing a hotel close to the convention has more and more each year become more a game of chance with the scrambling for what has become a hotel lottery system.
So with 2018, I basically told myself if I could get a hotel within a few blocks of the convention center, I would go the full length of the show; otherwise I would limit myself to a one day visit. To my surprise, I was lucky enough to get the Hyatt Manchester, which is adjacent to the Marriott Marquis (where I’ve stayed many times), which in turn is adjacent to the convention. And it was actually my favorite place I’ve ever stayed during Comic Con. It was very close, but not too close.
There were some things that continued on in 2018, which I found unfortunate in past years. Probably #2 on my list was the prevalence of dealers selling “loot boxes”. I’ve always found this practice to be pretty despicable, in that for the most part predator dealers are taking advantage of children and ripping them off what was is essentially gambling. Though gambling might be too kind a word, as that implies that there is a chance that a customer will be pleased with what they’ve gotten, or that there is a chance to get something with a value that is higher than what they’ve spent. For those unfamiliar with the practice, a significant portion of the main convention center has been taken over by dealers selling mystery boxes… they sometimes promise what “might” be in them… but obviously there is no oversight over any of it, so I assume it is all mostly just junk. And this is being sold to kids. And a lot of it is sold in boxes showcases various franchises and brands, and I suspect much of this is completely without license or authorization from the rights holders of those properties. It’s akin to the trashiest, low end parking lot carnivals with games of chance rigged to be unwinnable, with big prizes no one ever actually wins. I imagine that there are a lot of honest and legitimate dealers turned away from Comic Con each year due to space. I would like to see all of these bullshit merchants not invited back, and to let Comic Con be a place that is not targeting minors to take advantage of them by fleecing them of their money, in exchange for worthless junk and disappointment.
#1 on my list over the past few years at San Diego Comic Con, on my personal negatives list, as been security. Given the dangerous world we live in today, San Diego Comic Con has been a huge potential soft target, and I’ve always found it very worrying. And experiencing the con, it has never felt very safe. Much of it volunteer run, in past years walking the convention I would go hours without seeing an actual uniformed law enforcement officer, and the ease with which one could not only enter the convention (even without a badge or credentials) as well as do so with presumably faux weapons and/or unchecked cases and rolling luggage has always been worrisome to say the least.
2018 was the first year I’ve seen a real shift in beefing up the security. It still needs a lot of improvement, but it was much, much, much improved compared with even 2017. They shut down the main road in front of the convention center, which they should have done ten years ago. They required at least a visual check on badges near the exterior of the convention center. There was much more of a real law enforcement presence in and around the convention center. And I noticed a lot of adjustments overall. So kudos to the organizers for finally taking a big leap in the right direction on this front.
Overall though, I found the show to be very enjoyable. There was an impressive presence of original props and costumes from the usual entities that showcase such things. It didn’t “feel” quite as oversold as in past years. So I left feeling pretty happy about the experience overall this year, and look forward to 2019.
Below are some random photos that didn’t fit in any of the previously published articles:
For all coverage of Comic-Con International: San Diego this year, click the link below…
Jason DeBord