Mile High Comics Finished With SDCC
A few years ago at SDCC I overheard something that’s both sad and funny all at the same time.
“Where are the comics at San Diego Comic Con?”
That was a very honest and accurate question for anyone at San Diego Comic Con to ask. While there are definitely comic books to be found, the bulk of the convention is more about television shows and movies than it is comics, and year after year we’ve been watching the comic dealers get smaller spaces or just stop attending. And now Bleeding Cool reports that Mile High Comics will stop attending the convention.
“In a nutshell, the comics publishers with booths at the San Diego convention have so cleverly exploited the greed and avarice of comics fans through limited edition publications that are only available through their own booths, that there is no longer enough disposable income left in the room to sustain us.”
The exclusive releases at San Diego Comic Con are a big deal to those who attend the show, with the exclusives sold on eBay generating enough cash for some to allow them to attend. If you’ve never been to San Diego Comic Con then you may have no idea how terribly expensive the convention can get; hotel rooms for $1,000 a night aren’t unheard of . . . and the financial costs are only part of the expense since standing in lines consumes so much time that I would not go to the show if it wasn’t for work.
Seeing a major used comic dealer like Mile High put an end to attending SDCC should make all of us stop and ask: Just what is SDCC and should it even be called a “comic con” these days?
Related articles
- SDCC 2014: Marvel Booth – Ant-Man cast signing phots (jedimouseketeer.com)
- SDCC 2014: A publisher’s perspective from Action Lab (graphicpolicy.com)
- Chibi Robotech by Toynami – Seen @ #SDCC2014 (toysrevil.blogspot.com)
Sort of like MTV and how it’s got little to do with music these days.
But again, as I said on Twitter, his complaint is about not being sold the exclusives to turn-around and re-sell back to attendees. He’s upset that companies are now starting to refuse dealers the opportunity to buy the exclusives. Which is the way it should be!
Dealers should not be allowed to purchase the exlcusives which increases the chances of them selling out and creating a false demand that they take advantage of. I say good riddance to Mile High and others if this is how they feel.