I finally took my nephew to his first comic con in Portland last month.

He's twelve and really into Spider-Man, so I figured it would be a fun day out. I was ready for the crowds and the long lines, but what I didn't expect was how many people were there just to get signatures to sell online later. We waited for over an hour to meet an artist, and the guy in front of us had a stack of fifty identical books. When he got to the table, he just shoved them forward without saying a word. My nephew was really confused and asked me why that man didn't want to talk about the comics. It kind of put a damper on the whole 'community' feel I was hoping he'd experience. I guess I learned that the fan part of comic book fandom can get pushed aside by the business side pretty easily. Has anyone else run into this at cons and found a way to make it feel more personal for a new fan?

4 comments

4 Comments

anna5782mo ago

I used to think those resellers were just part of the con scene. Seeing a kid's face fall in line behind a stack of fifty books really shifted my view. It can suck the fun right out for new fans.

the_wesley2mo ago

That "kid's face falling" thing really hits home now.

the_jana2d ago

Wait, is it really true that a good artist always sets a limit at two or three items? A lot of the bigger guests I've seen just let it slide or have their handlers deal with it, not the actual artist. I feel like it really comes down to the con itself having a hard rule, because artists shouldn't have to police their own lines like that. Honestly, just taking your nephew to a smaller local con or a less busy day might be the real fix for getting that friendly, personal vibe.

ninaowens2mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst. I get what @anna578 is saying, but honestly, those guys with the stacks aren't always resellers. Some are just collectors getting stuff signed for their personal vault, which is its own kind of lame. The real problem is when the con or the guest doesn't set a limit. A good artist will cap it at two or three items per person right on their sign. That keeps the line moving and lets actual fans, like your nephew, have a real moment to say hi and not just watch an assembly line.