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Comic-Con International has released the floor plan for WonderCon 2016, scheduled for March 25-27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. After four years of steady growth in Anaheim, CCI has moved WC to downtown Los Angeles. Some wonder if the site is suited, given the lack of hotel rooms and the location. (Yes, these are […]

Embed from Getty Images Well, it was that time of year again… Tickets for Comic-Con International went on sale Saturday morning at 9 AM Pacific Time, and sold out within hours, if not less than an hour. The official announcement was posted just before 1 PM: Comic-Con 2016 badges have sold out! We thank all […]

That time of the year my geeks love is almost here. SDCC is so close. Before everyone starts complaining about the lines and the availability of soft pretzels all over San Diego, Aspen Comics are letting fans know what they can expect to see and hear about on pop culture’s grandest stage.

This October, the publisher [Aspen Comics] will debut the action/adventure saga set in Feudal Japan, Oniba: Swords of the Demon, by Paolo Pantalena (Fathom Blue, Red Hood/Arsenal) and Vince Hernandez (Fathom: Kiani, Charismagic). This all-new Aspen series will center around Yukiko, a deadly ronin on a quest to eradicate the ancient demons plaguing her land, as well as her past. The zero issue will feature two covers by Pantalena, and the series will include covers by Pantalena, as well as Mahmud Asrar (All New X-Men), Joe Benitez (Lady Mechanika), Laura Braga (Witchblade), Eric “Ebas” Basaldua (Fathom Blue), Mirka Andolfo (Damsels in Excess, Vampirella), Sabine Rich (Executive Assistant: Assassins) and more to be announced. This will be Aspen’s first standalone zero issue released in over three years.

 

Aspen will reveal a new series from creator and writer David Wohl (Executive Assistant: Iris, Witchblade, Aphrodite IX) featuring art by veteran Aspen artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Fathom: Kiani, Trish Out of Water). This all-new Aspen title will be Wohl’s first new series since the popular Executive Assistant: Iris property debuted. The story centers on a young woman given a rare and powerful gift that soon turns out be something far more dangerous than she could ever imagine.

 

This Fall, Aspen will further expand Siya Oum’s hit title, Lola XOXO, with the anticipated second volume from creator Oum. Following the conclusion of the first spin-off mini-series, Lola XOXO: Wasteland Madam, Oum will hint that the series will see even more expansion in the upcoming year, with new spin-offs and other Lola XOXO products in the works. November will also see the trade paperback releases of Lola XOXO: Volume One and Lola XOXO: Wasteland Madam Volume One.

 

2016 will also see the introduction of Aspen E-Book Novellas, beginning with the release of a new Executive Assistant story by writer Heather Finley (Executive Assistant, Zombies vs. Cheerleaders) featuring a young assassin named Zinnia, and her love affair that threatens her future—as well as her present.

 

Aspen Comics is expanding upon the first two releases from their Aspen Novels line of prose novels, “The Lost Spark” and “Seven to Die,” with a third new novel, “The People Vs. Planet Earth” by writer Vince Hernandez. This intergalactic drama will feature an alien forced to defend the planet Earth from imminent extermination at the hand of a much more advanced planet.

 

Aspen’s planned graphic novel release schedule for the final quarter of 2015 and into 2016 will see over eleven new and returning out-of-print trade paperbacks released via the publisher’s commitment to bolster their trade paperback shelf presence, beginning with the Lola XOXO trades, Jirni: Volume One, Charismagic: Volume One, Michael Turner’s Soulfire and Fathom sold out volume one and two reprints, as well as Soulfire: Volume Two for the first time ever. New trade paperback releases include Psycho Bonkers: Volume One and The Four Points: Volume One.

 

Aspen will be premiering new Aspen Convention Exclusive Hardcover Editions of their popular series at this year’s Comic-Con, beginning with the release of Michael Turner Presents: Aspen The Extended Edition hardcover by Geoff Johns and Michael Turner and the Damsels in Excess hardcover edition by Vince Hernandez and Mirka Andolfo. These convention-exclusive editions will be highly limited to 50 copies each.

 

Aspen’s Big Dog Ink imprint will see the conclusion of the re-mastered Shahrazad, Critter and Legend of Oz: The Wicked West series this year and the publisher will begin debuting the all new Aspen-BDI titles in 2016, as well as the first ever BDI Annual Issue featuring a selection of new stories from various BDI properties and creators. The publisher will debut the first ever Art of BDI: Volume One at this year’s Comic Con at the Aspen Comics Booth #2321, featuring artwork from Big Dog Ink’s large assortment of talented artists including J. Scott Campbell, Jen Broomall, Mike Debalfo, Eric “Ebas” Basaldua and more. BDI publisher Tom Hutchison will be on hand at the Official Aspen Comics Panel 2015 to discuss the imprint’s future titles and more.

On the merchandise side, Aspen Comics will release an all-new Aspen Comics T-Shirt for both men and women available exclusively at the Aspen Comics Booth #2321, and the publisher will reveal a sneak peek at their long-awaited line of Aspen apparel and products at their panel featuring many of Aspen’s popular characters and titles. This new line will emphasize both men and women’s fashion, providing options for all fans of Aspen Comics. Comic Con 2015 attendees will also be able to purchase Aspen’s new string-back tote bag directly from the publisher’s booth #2321.

 

Fans attending the Official Aspen Comics SDCC Panel 2015 will also receive a one-of-a-kind panel-exclusive variant copy of Critter #1 featuring an Aspen Comics/Big Dog Ink jam cover by artist Alex Konat (Fathom, Eternal Soulfire). Aspen strongly encourages fans to arrive early to ensure their copy.

 

It looks like this will be the year Aspen finally brings apparel back to their catalogue. For the last few years the publisher has worked extensively to find the right licensing company to produce clothing. As we get closer to the show we’ll learn more about what the exclusive hardcovers look like and what else the publisher might announce at the show.

Might Comic-Con International actually move from San Diego?

Comic-Con International has yet to sign a contract for 2017 and 2018, and it looks uncertain whether America’s Finest City™  can convince CCI to remain in San Diego.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

With an expansion of San Diego’s convention center stalled, other Southern California convention center operators are making a play to lure away that city’s biggest and most profitable convention.

Organizers of the annual gathering of more than 130,000 comic book and pop culture fans are now considering suitors, including Los Angeles and Anaheim, as they weigh the option of signing a contract to stay in San Diego after Comic-Con’s convention next year or finding a new home.

“The proposals we’ve received are pretty amazing,” said David Glanzer, a spokesman for Comic-Con International. “It’s not an easy decision.”

Variables include:

• The San Diego Chargers want a new stadium/convention center to be built nearby, but the Hotel owners favor a contiguous space.  (Although, plenty of people walk over to Petco to take part in that comic-carnival.)  If the Chargers don’t get their way, they may move to Los Angeles.  (Yeah… good luck with that.)
• Financing the $520 Million was derailed when the state appeals court struck down the taxation scheme created to fund the expansion.
• The agreement with the hotels to provide event space for free and lock in hotel rates (which can be pricey, if you can reserve one) has been extended to 2018.
• CCI gets a discount rate on convention center rental.  In 2014, they paid $188,925, discounted from $479,535.

• Anaheim, the largest convention center on the West Coast, is starting its seventh expansion of their convention center, building a 200,000 square foot addition on the parking lot north of the Hilton Hotel.  It’s scheduled for completion in 2017.  Meanwhile, the rest of the center is available, and WonderCon has been there since 2012.  (Although, financing might be subject to a legal challenge.)
• Nine new hotels have been built or are being constructed near the ACC, adding 1500 new rooms to the 13,000 already nearby.
• The reason for the expansion?  Trade shows are threatening to leave for larger spaces!  (NAMM arrives next week.  WonderCon will be there in early April, and will use the entire building?)

My point of view?

I attended the American Library Association annual conference in Anaheim in 2012.  They use a lot of conference space for committee meetings, which limits them to locales with large convention centers and numerous hotels.  (They held a winter conference in San Diego in January 2011.)

I stayed in a motel near the interstate, a twenty-minute walk to the convention center.  The weather was nice for late June.  Sometimes I took a shuttle bus, most times I walked, as Anaheim is very flat.  There is Anaheim Resort Transit which offers trolley buses around the area, as well the expected convention shuttles.

Could Comic-Con work in Anaheim?  I think so.  Would fans have to compete with Disneyland for hotel rooms?  Possibly, although I had no trouble booking a room.  How much of Disney’s attendance is regional, and how much is transient?  (Don’t forget… there are three Disney hotels on site, and many more north of the park.  Families can also plan their vacations around Comic-Con, if hotel rooms are scarce.)  (Have people attending WonderCon had any trouble booking hotels?)  (What about NAMM?)  (Oh… and it’s not a major holiday, like the surge seen during Winter Break.)

Does Anaheim lack the ambience of Old Town?  Sure.  But thanks to Disney, there are numerous eateries nearby at a wide range of budgets.  (My fave: Star Burger, a korean burger joint!)  And let’s face it… Downtown Disney is better than Horton Plaza!

The convention center?  Bigger and easier to move around in.  It’s not as long (four halls instead of eight), so you’re not walking as far to get somewhere.  (A fifth exhibition hall is located underneath the main floor, and the expansion pictured above will connect via a pedestrian bridge.)  The two upper levels of meeting space are easy to access, and have roomy pre-function space.  There’s an attached arena for 8,700 spectators.  The biggest Hall, D, can seat 15,000 in a theater configuration, and use Hall E below as a holding pen!  San Diego’s Hall H?  6,130.

CCI already uses the facility for WonderCon, and this year (the fourth in Anaheim) seems to have rented the entire building.  Thus they have local experience.  Attendance is in the neighborhood of 50,000, but that can change rapidly, especially in the current climate of media shows, and it being one of the first big shows of the year.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it does move.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t.  San Diego doesn’t want CCI to leave, as evidenced by the current Mayor and hotels eager to please.  CCI could stay through 2018, use Anaheim as a backup plan, and ankle if the expansion funding isn’t solved by then.  CCI could flip the two shows…  WonderCon in SD in April, CCI in Anaheim in July.  Maybe a third show in LA, just to test the waters.

Scheduled to debut in 2015, Comedy Central's "Moonbeam City" is described as an absurdist take on the sex-drenched crime dramas of the 1980s.

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Well, WonderCon’s continued presence in San Francisco remains in doubt, as seen here, and mentioned here back in March, as the Moscone Center gives WonderCon the Cinderella treatment.  What’s in store for WonderCon, and what are their options?

As in 2012, WonderCon will once again take place in Anaheim, scheduled for March 29-31, 2013, which also is Easter weekend.

WonderCon, originally held at the Oakland, California, Convention Center, moved to the Moscone Center in San Francisco in 2003.

In 2012, Moscone was under renovation, making space a premium.  In 2013, that renovation should be complete.  So what’s happening in April, 2013, at Moscone?

—

Moscone West cannot accommodate a weekend show, as the midweek shows require at least one day of moving out and moving in.

Moscone North/South?  It could host WC the weekend of the 6th and 7th, or the 27th and 28th.

But Moscone can host whomever they wish.  As a public venue, they are susceptible to public pressure, so perhaps a grassroots effort could be made to convince the village elders to accommodate a local cultural event.  Perhaps Jerry Sanders could call Edwin M. Lee and clue him in to the amount of money being lost to Anaheim.

—

So, in 2013, WonderCon will once again take place at the Anaheim Convention Center to the east of Los Angeles.

Here’s the plan of the convention center:

Last year, WonderCon used Hall D for exhibition space.  (Here’s the exhibitor map.)  That’s 221,284 square feet.  It’s a huge building, with over 813,000 square feet of exhibition space (Halls A-E).  Moscone has 538,000 sq.ft. of exhibition space; San Diego, 525,701 sq.ft.

In 2011, WonderCon used Halls A-C of Moscone South for the dealer’s room.  That’s 260,560 square feet of space.  2010 had the same footprint; in 2009 it was Halls B & C.

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So, if Moscone disowns WonderCon like a single mother tossed out into a snowstorm, where could they relocate to?

Well, there is Anaheim, which will have hosted two shows.  Comic-Con International has filed to claim “Anaheim Comic-Con” as a trademark.  (They have also filed for “Los Angeles Comic-Con” and “San Francisco Comic-Con”.)  There is a lot of space to expand, both in the Arena which can host “Hall H” media events, as well as a large ballroom on the Third Floor.

I attended the annual conference of the American Library Association here last June.  There are numerous hotels around the area, mostly due to Disneyland.  I had no trouble finding an affordable hotel room, and though the trek was a bit long, the weather was pleasant.  There was no “fighting” with Disneyland tourists for hotel rooms or restaurants.  The convention center was easy to navigate, both horizontally and vertically.  The length of the center was not weary to walk, even on the last day of the show.  I especially liked the outdoor courtyards built between each hall.  There were 20,000 attendees, yet it wasn’t difficult to walk between hallways. (Of course, surf the web for reaction to last year’s WonderCon in Anaheim.)

—

But, where else could it go?  Some local fans are criticial of Comic-Con International moving out of the Bay Area, wondering why they do not move the show to another regional venue.

What exists?

First, there’s the Oakland Convention Center, which originally hosted the show from 1987-2002.

It has 48,000 square feet of exhibition space.  That’s one-fifth of what WonderCon used in 2011.  There’s also not a lot of space for programming.

—

San Jose?  Located on the south side of the San Francisco Bay, it once hosted CCI’s Alternative Press Expo at Parkside Hall before it was moved to the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco.

The San Jose Convention Center has 143,000 square feet.  54% of WC ‘11.

—

Santa Clara?  112,775 sq.ft.

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Now, what if WonderCon went back to its fan-based heritage, and followed the hotel-centric layout of Dragon*Con?

What’s that?  A major regional convention which doesn’t use a convention center?  YUP!  Dragon*Con is a science-fiction convention which has grown to epic proportions!  They embrace almost every fandom, and like smaller conventions, rent conference space in various hotels, decentralizing everything.  Exhibitors and dealers are housed in three separate ballrooms.

Our host hotels for 2012 will again include the familiar surroundings of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta along with the legendary Atlanta Marriott Marquis, the Hilton Atlanta, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, and the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel.

They sell out the hotels, usually a year in advance!  Which is what convention bureaus love!  46,000 fans attended in 2011, according to Wikipedia.

Could that happen in San Francisco?

WonderCon could use the Marriott Marquis, the Westin, and the Four Seasons for events (with the W and St. Regis for overflow), bypassing Moscone completely.  The three main hotels are all in the same block just north of Yerba Buena Gardens (and two blocks north of Moscone).

WonderCon had about 39,000 attendees in 2011 in San Francisco (the latest year I could find).  WonderCon is similar to Dragon*Con in scope and size, so let’s see what space D*C has available [click on the hotel name to go to the hotels' meeting space pages] :

• Hyatt Regency Atlanta 113K  (six different spaces)
• Westin Peachtree Plaza 51.8 K (four floors, multiple rooms)
• Sheraton Atlanta Hotel 43.4K (three floors, numerous meeting rooms)
• Hilton Atlanta 41K Exhibit Hall + 41.3K + meeting rooms (four floors)
• Atlanta Marriott Marquis 88.7K +meeting rooms (four floors

The Grand (hotel) total: 379,200 approximate square feet.

Now, realize that Dragon*Con has three exhibition spaces:

• Dealers (retailers) are in the Hyatt’s International Hall (9,150 sq.ft.)
• Exhibitors (companies) are in the Marriott’s Marquis Ballroom (21,983 sq.ft.)  and the Imperial Ballroom (15,640 sq.ft.)

—

Now, what if we tried the same thing in San Francisco?

• Westin San Francisco Market Street 12K + smaller ballrooms (two floors)
• San Francisco Marriott Marquis 64.9K + numerous meeting rooms (five floors)
• Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco 9.4K + 4 meeting rooms (one floor)

That’s a grand (motel) total of approximately 86,000 square feet, all on the same city block.

Add the nearby St. Regis (13.3K) and the W (7.4K) and the total is 107,000 square feet.  That’s a tight fit.  The Marriot Marquis could host the Exhibitors space, the Westin could host the dealers.  Meeting rooms might be a concern, although there are smaller boutique hotels with smaller (but not numerous) meeting rooms.  Of course, that all depends on the major exhibitors.  If Marvel, DC, Capcom, and/or Nintendo balk, then the show might suffer by their absence.  (Of course, fans could view it as WonderCon returning to their fan-based heritage, ignoring the hyperbole which fuels Comic-Con International: San Diego.)

——————-

But there’s another possibility, further north.  Sacramento.

Sacramento, the capital of California, has two major exhibition spaces:

1. The Sacramento Convention Center
2. Cal Expo

The Sacremento Convention Center has 134,006 sq.ft. of exhibition space, which is smaller than San Jose.  So that’s not worth the trouble of moving outside the Bay Area.

But consider Cal Expo.  What’s that?  It’s the site of Big Fun, the California State Fair.

It has a complex of buildings which could be utilized for a large convention, turning it into a “comic-county fair”!

Think that’s crazy?  Consider CeBIT, held every year in Hannover, Germany.  Held at Hannover’s Messegelände (fairground), that electronics trade show uses 5 million square feet in 27 different halls and attracted 312,000 attendees in 2012 (850,000 during the dot-com boom).  CCI:SD caps attendance at 130,000.

So, what sort of space does Cal Expo offer?  Here’s the map of the fairgrounds.  Specifically, Buildings A, B, C, D, the Pavilion, the Cove, and the Expo Center.  The PDF of building specifics is here.

• Building A 27,700 sq.ft., with 8,600 sq.ft. on the mezzanine.  [Connects with Building B]
• Building B [identical to Building A]
• Building C 28,000 sq.ft.  [column free, connects to Building D]
• Building D 20,000 sq.ft.  [column free]
• The Pavilion 98,000 sq.ft.
• The Cove A shaded seating area, seats 4100, stage measures 48 x 40 ft.  (Think “Hall H”.)
• Expo Center 58,870 sq.ft.  Eight buildings sharing an outdoor brick plaza.
• #1 = 7,549 #2 = 5,987 #3 = 7,929 #4 = 7,860 #5 = 7,934 #6 = 7,832 #7 = 7,931 #8 = 5,848

That’s a grand total of 277,470 sq.ft. of space, larger than the 260,560 sq.ft. used in Moscone South.

The column free space of Building C and D would be perfect for the larger exhibitors.  Each Expo Center building could cater to a different fandom, grouping retailers together.  Or the Expo Center could be one big miss-mix-mashed bazaar, encouraging attendees to wander from one building to the next, and congregating in the middle.

Hotels?  There are many north of the fairground, so shuttle buses would be used, just like at every other comic con in the country.  Big Fun lists local transit options to downtown. Or, unlike most other shows, you can camp in your RV.  Parking?  15,000 spaces, $10 a car.

What about the weather?  According to Wikipedia, the average temperature in Sacramento for April is 47-72 degrees Fahrenheit.  San Francisco?  50-64 degrees.

Will people travel from San Francisco?  Well, to drive from Moscone to Anaheim takes 6 hours, 45 minutes.  From Moscone to Cal Expo?  1 hour, 35 minutes.  Lots of parking!

The Big Fun Map.  The Golden1 stage is The Cove.

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So, those are the most likely solutions for WonderCon.  I’m hoping that Moscone and CCI can come to some agreement, while Anaheim can become another great regional convention.

Less than a week remains until Comic-Con International begins in San Diego, and whether you’re a fan of animation, comics, fantasy novels, movies, or a little bit of everything, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for. Our own Jerry Beck will be at the convention as both a fan, a professional and a panelist for a number of events (see his post for details), but the animation excitement doesn’t stop there. We’ve pulled together a list of all of the panels, screenings and presentations related to animation so that attending Brew readers can navigate the halls of the gargantuan San Diego Convention Center and find their cartoon fix.

Take note: seating for all of the events listed below are on a first-come, first-served basis. Last year there were seventeen separate rooms hosting panels, with the seating ranging from small rooms with 280 seats to the largest at 6500 seats. As one Comic-Con traveler to another, I’d recommend showing up extra early for the panels you’re most interested in… and above all else, have fun!

Thursday, July 12

11:00-12:00 Nickelodeon: Butt Biting & Magical Mischief!— Meet series creator/executive producer Butch Hartman along with the casts from both The Fairly OddParents and T.U.F.F. Puppy, including Nick talent Jerry Trainor (iCarly) as Dudley Puppy. This year’s panel is totally interactive, with the fans interviewing the cast directly, plus a sneak peek from the Nickelodeon live-action movie A Fairly Odd Christmas, along with a chance to win prizes. On hand: Jerry Trainor (voice of Dudley), Tara Strong (voice of Timmy and Poof), Grey DeLisle (voice of Kitty and Vicky), Daran Norris (voice of Chief, Cosmo and Dad), Matt Taylor (voice of Snaptrap), Susanne Blakeslee (voice of Wanda and Mom), and Carlos Alazraqui (voice of Crocker). Moderated by Dana Cluverius, executive in charge for Nickelodeon. Room 7AB

11:00-12:00 Bongo Comics/United Plankton Sneak Peek— Bongo Comics and United Plankton Pictures offer a tantalizing preview of upcoming projects featuring The Simpsons, Futurama, SpongeBob SquarePants, and a few other surprises. Bongo’s creative director Nathan Kane, managing editor Terry Delegeane, and art director Jason Ho are joined by intern/fan favorite Louis Lane and Simpsons/Futurama-ologist Bill Morrison for a fun and informative free-for-all. Find out what’s in the future for Futurama Comics, what to surmise about Simpsons Comics, and what’s next for Bongo in the print world and beyond. Also, Chris Duffy, managing editor of United Plankton Pictures, will dish up some Krabby Patty-infused morsels of what’s to come in SpongeBob Comics. Room 9

11:00-12:00 Filmation and Lou Scheimer: Celebrating a Generation of Animation and TV Heroes— One of the most successful and groundbreaking television animation studios was Filmation, whose productions shaped Saturday mornings and daytime syndication from the 1960s to the 1980s. From Superman, Batman, and Aquaman to The Archies, from Fat Albert and the Groovie Goolies to the live-action Shazam! and Isis series, up to the groundbreaking