Like No Other
San Diego sets record
By Tina Benitez -- Playthings, 9/1/2007
Was it 140,000 or 200,000? Depends who you ask, but the swelling crowds were obvious as attendees ambushed the exhibit floor of the San Diego Comic-Con. By show's end on Sunday, July 29, the city had had its biggest Comic-Con ever.
The show boasted the usual heavy hitters—DC Comics, Marvel, Lucasarts. But the 460,000-square-foot exhibition hall had plenty of room for new exhibitors like Flapjack Toys. The 2-year-old Millcreek, Wash.-based company, started by Funko founder Michael Becker, showcased its Spooky Kookys characters (Glum, Ivan and Lenny), a monster rock band first created by his father Gerald in 1970 as an animated series that never quite made it to the Saturday morning lineup. The company showcased “spooky” pillows, vinyls and skateboards.
For Huckleberry Toys, Northridge, Calif., its Gwen Stefani dolls—which outsold Bratz dolls at a rate of 5 to 1 at Target.com recently, according to the company—continued to gather fans at the show because of bonus items included with each doll, like hairbands and bracelets. “The dolls have real accessories,” says Hugo Stevenson, president. “We set ourselves apart.” There are 25 new dolls in development for 2008.
Some new arrivals, in-booth artist sketching and celebrity appearances by the likes of actress Jennifer Love Hewitt and Naruto voice actors brought flocks to Inkworks. The Morrisville, N.C.-based trading card company premiered its new cards for Jericho as well as additional selections for Buffy, The Golden Compass and Supernatural. Allan Caplan, president of Inkworks, also shared news of its latest licenses for '08: The Spiderwick Chronicles, Kung Fu Panda, Flash Gordon and Lionsgate's The Spirit, written and directed by Sin City's Frank Miller.
Not too far from Inkworks was Pretty Ugly, which offered the Ice Lodge Uglydolls, Comic-Con exclusive white versions of 17 characters in 12-inch and Little Ugly sizes. Alita Friedman, sales director for the Edison, N.J., company, told Playthings that the exclusives were something for the fans, but also for faithful store buyers. “Our retailers know we'll give them something special.”
“I love it,” said Mark Moriarty of first time exhibitor Tonner Dolls, Hurley, N.Y. “The level of participation [here] by the consumer is like no other.” The collectible doll company sold out of its Harry Potter Draco exclusive doll, a $49.95 item, and is already signing on for next year's show. “These people are really into it,” he said.
Comic-Con 2008 is scheduled for July 24-27.
