ReedPOP created a Con for pretentious Millennials

11 MAY 2016



Take this whole post with a grain of salt, because I'm probably too uncool to understand the very special nature of this new Con. Write things like "unique event that will bring together a consumer experience carefully curated by the most influential minds in the world" and "creatively push ourselves to constantly elevate and re-imagine our shared horizons" and I go blind for a few seconds. Anyhow.

ReedPOP has partnered with COMPLEX, a "Millennial media platform," to create ComplexCon, a festival that will bring together pop culture, art, music, food, style, sports, sneakers and more. So... everything? "World renowned icon and renaissance man" Pharrell is involved and so is Takashi Murakami, who was inspired by the "good vibe and untamed, youthful energy they possess." (Sorry for all the quotes but I write like an 18th century spinster compared to this press release, and I want to do justice to the hyperbole.)

ComplexCon is in Long Beach on 5-6 November. If the terrifying robot in charge of their website is any indication, they might have some kind of brainwashing film, like LOST's room 23, to wipe this election year from your mind. That alone would be worth a ticket.

And hey, maybe this is right up your alley! My crankiness aside, this could be a fun event. You can buy sneakers, go to concerts, see innovative art, eat locally sourced loup de mer (guessing) and revel in your transcendental hipness. There's no end to the wonders ReedPOP is ready to bring you, especially involving "the brands you love."

Okay, I'm done quoting. Tickets aren't on sale yet but you can sign up on their site to get advance notice, and presumably more information on the bands, food, products and other offerings. ComplexCon, everyone! For the capitalist visionary cyborg in you.

My Comic-Con coverage

16 JULY 2013


While I'm in San Diego, I'll be providing daily summaries and any news updates I hear that seem relevant. I'll also be a lot more active on Twitter than I normally am. I'm going to be in the Ballroom 20 line Wednesday night, so I may go dark for some time as my devices tend to fail within the convention center. But I will be answering emails so go ahead and ping me with any questions.

As far as good Comic Con coverage - below are a few sources. It's not just for people at home; attendees can benefit by reading some sites to find out what's sold out, what's available, special appearances and surprise guests, sudden parties, and so on. Comic-Con is so intensively immersive that it's almost impossible to get an overview once you plunge in. Catching up on some online coverage can help you discover things you would have otherwise missed.


DC & Vertigo news, photos, video, updates
Collider 
Bleeding Cool 
Marvel
io9 
MTV
Comic Book Resources
Screen Rant

Comic Con Coverage

30 JUNE 2011


io9 just put up a fairly comprehensive post on which sites are covering Comic-Con. Rather than rehash it, I'll just strongly recommend reading it and tell you this.

You're probably thinking that you'll be too busy at the Con to bother reading about the Con. That would be a mistake, because the Con is so big and busy that you are likely to overlook at least one or two absolutely magnificent features and then kick yourself for weeks as you hear about them from everyone else. Take some time out every day to see what people are saying online: you will find out about good swag, tickets, booths and events you otherwise wouldn't. I can't emphasize this enough. Just walking around with your eyes open is not enough.

Bookmark this.

Hollywood has spurned Comic Con

13 JUNE 2011

Not really, but that's what you would think from the rush of panicked articles spreading through the interwebs today.

The New York Times notes that Disney, Warner Bros., Dreamworks, the Weinsteins and possibly Marvel (please) are sitting out this summer's dance. ( MTV thinks Marvel will definitely be there.)  Newsarama says that's because any bad buzz generated at Comic Con is as lethal as good buzz is lucrative, and besides, all that glittery swag is expensive to produce. That's true; the recession has hit the marketing budgets of movie studios, too.

But mostly it's all getting blamed on poor Scott Pilgrim. Remember last summer's ridiculous banner unscrolling down the side of Hilton? That right there was the sign that expectations were way too high. Hollywood saw promoting to Comic Con nerds as shooting fish in a barrel, because of our rabid fan-mania (and, I suspect, our alleged lack of a social life.) They miscalculated. Twilight would have been Twilight without coming to San Diego, Scott Pilgrim's fan base was never going to look like The Dark Knight's and besides -  these days TV is the new Film. The most committed fan devotion these days goes to shows like True Blood, Lost, Game of Thrones, Fringe, The Walking Dead, and so on. Fans give their hearts to stories that continue, not one-shots; nerds love ongoing universes they can get lost in, whether those worlds look like Lord of the Rings or Star Trek. Movies rarely offer that and when they do, it's often a retconned version.

So what movies will be showcased this year? Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Cowboys and Aliens (again), Spider Man and - sorry - Breaking Dawn. Hall H will have the same lines as always, even if we don't get panels for The Dark Knight Rises and Superman. While some attendees will no doubt be disappointed, I don't think the studios' partial withdrawal is going to affect much. If anything, it will please the many attendees who feel the Con has become too Hollywood in recent years. It could even be a step back toward the years when the Con was less about celebrities and more about comics.