The Pros of Con

Comics fans rejoice! The New York Comic-Con (NYCC) is back again this month at the Jacob Javits Center, offering twice the space as last year—approximately 60,000 net square feet for booth space and 500,000 square feet in total—in the comic book industry's historic home city. The inaugural show last year had brought in 40,000 to 50,000 attendees over a three-day weekend, a turnout that far surpassed the expectations of just about everyone involved.

Greg Topalian, group vice president of show manager Reed Exhibitions—the Norwalk, Conn.-based division of Reed Elsevier, parent company of Playthings—says this year will be better than last when attendees had to be turned away because overflowing foot traffic worried safety officials.

A key objective for this year's event is programming for retailers who want or need to understand the comic categories better, Topalian tells Playthings. "Book shops and toy stores are interested in comics, but don't get that excited about it. They can have dedicated hours with trade buyers where they can ask questions like 'How do I shelve this? I'm not an anime fan but would like to carry it.'"

Additions for 2007 include 100 exhibitors, including video game companies like Sony Computer Entertainment and Namco Bandai Games, trading card makers like Inkworks and anime creator Top Cow Productions.

And what Comic-Con would be complete without exclusives for purchase? Diamond Select Toys (DST), Timonium, Md., has a Symbiote Spider-Man bust produced in a 600-piece run that can be purchased for $45, and a Star Trek Nemesis Geordi, a hand-numbered action figure available in only a 1,701-count.

Micheal Leavey, marketing coordinator for Diamond, tells Playthings that the major focuses for the company at the show will be the 10th anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the launch of the first series of Battlestar Galactica figures, resin busts and the first three series of Battlestar Minimates, available for viewing.

Last year really took everyone by surprise, says Leavey, so Diamond is ready for the Big Apple crowd this year with an expanded island booth. "If this year's show is as successful as I think it will be, I hope that future years will see us have an even larger presence at the show with more exclusives and promotions with the show itself," he says.

Milwaukie, Ore.-based Dark Horse Comics (Emily the Strange, Hellboy, Sin City) is keeping most of its show surprises a secret, but there are some highlights that can be shared, including a new wave of Serenity action figures and unique Mutts items like collectible bookends.

David Scroggy, vice president of product development for Dark Horse—and also a longtime veteran of San Diego's Comic-Con who helped organize that show from 1975 through 1994—tells Playthings that he left last year's NYCC show with a positive feeling.

"To see companies falling all over one another to exhibit—it speaks strongly to the desire to have a show in New York. I'm glad they're moving the show to April [in 2008] between all the different shows [to attend.] I certainly hope future interest takes it to the next step in evolution. It's easy to have a first success, but to maintain that is harder than it looks."

That this Comic-Con is in New York speaks volumes about the industry, especially to fans, adds Mike Pasciullo, vice president of business development for Marvel Comics, New York. This year, Marvel will be hosting the "Dark Tower: Gunslinger Born" comic book panel on Saturday featuring Stephen King, Joe Quesada, Robin Furth, Peter David and Ralph Macchio. And Marvel is already working with NYCC to develop programming and activities for fans and to draw in readers in 2008.

"In the age of the Internet, face-to-face conversations and discussions have seemed to become extinct and the vocal minority is heard the most," says Pasciullo. "This Con gives us all a chance to meet, listen and discuss (another concept that is on the endangered species list) different topics with a diverse cross section of readers, from the 8-year-old girl who has just discovered the X-Men to the 52-year-old man that has grown up with Peter Parker. The value of that interaction and feedback is priceless."

"New York is the home of comics," says Reed's Topalian. "San Diego has a strong movie element with Hollywood, but New York also has two things that are its own: books and publishing. We're bringing in people who are not part of the comic world. The goal for this industry is to reach a broader audience. For a business to grow, you need to reach different retailers, libraries—everyone!"