CCI wants you to name their new attraction

6 MARCH 2018

I blinked in disbelief tonight when I saw a Comic-Con survey in my inbox. Naturally, I assumed it was from ECCC - who already sent out one survey invitation - and then I looked closer. "Comic-con.org" was in the return address. Color me astonished.

CCI typically does host Talkback panels at their Cons, but that feedback is obviously limited to a small percentage of their attendee base. And they just haven't solicited input and opinions from attendees as openly or frequently as other Cons have. So it's a nice feeling to have them reach out and actually ask us what we think.

In this case, we're not being asked just what we think about SDCC; rather they want to us to help "shape the vision" for the pop culture museum/attraction they're building in Balboa Park. (Hilariously, the survey does ask what SDCC "does really well" but doesn't ask for any criticism or development areas.)

Now - while I urge you to take the survey if you haven't already, you should be aware of 2 points:

• CCI asks you to actually name this attraction. So come up with something clever before you start the survey. I couldn't think of anything catchy under pressure.
• CCI also proposes having a membership for this attraction and asks what different perks would interest us - nonchalantly including, "Early access privileges for Comic-Con badge sales."

WHAT? I responded they would have more members than they can handle. Did some random market research manager throw that in, unaware of our raving hysterical mania? Because there is no alternate timeline where someone says, "Oh, yeah, and if you become a member, you get early access to a badge sale" and someone else says, "Eh, no thanks."

At any rate - I like the way they're thinking. Not only are they asking our advice, which makes me downright tingly, but they're clearly trying to create a year-round community that extends the excitement and engagement people feel each July. That's great news for everyone who likes Comic-Con but it's especially great for people who don't get a badge. They'll still have a way to be part of things.

So go ahead and name our future Balboa Park headquarters something cool - and take advantage of this chance to be candid with CCI.

ETA: I realize not everyone has gotten this survey. They may be conducting them in batches or picking people at random - there are a lot of us, after all. I'll see how many other people get them and update you.

ECCC wants to hear from you, cosplayers

15 DECEMBER 2015




Emerald City has a survey for cosplayers to make their "cosplay experience at ECCC 2016 even better." They want to know typical things like if you go to panels about cosplay, where you're photographed most often, how much time and money you spend on your cosplay and so on. It's very quick, so go on and take it. Who knows, maybe we'll get a red carpet for cosplayers like at NYCC.

The face of fandom - how typical are you?

16 SEPTEMBER 2015

Another survey examining our Comic Con ways is stirring discussion. This isn't entirely new, as it's a continuation of the Eventbrite surveys that have been going on since 2013. But the data does reveal some interesting stats on who today's superfan is, how many Cons they go to, what they spend and what they buy. Let's look.

• Here's one absolutely shocking fact: women like going to Cons and now make up half of attendees. Next thing you know we'll be voting and driving cars. Overall the split is 49/49, with 2% defining themselves as non-binary/other gender. 

• 46% of fans go to 3 or more shows annually - slightly more men than women. So don't feel you have to be monogamous with San Diego Comic-Con (which, let's be honest, will never offer a guaranteed badge in return for your loyalty.) Look around and find other events that appeal to your interests. Superfans know each Con has a different energy and offerings, so don't think adding a 2nd or 3rd Con to your annual roster is redundant.

• Women dominate media, fantasy/sci-fi and manga/anime, while men dominate comics and gaming. But every category has a fair amount of both genders, with other/non-binary gender represented most strongly in Alt/Small Press.

• Age and gender patterns intersect. Under age 40, female fans predominate 51% to 46%. Male fans tend to be older, with over a third over 40, and tend to have a longer Con history and higher income.

• Onto cosplay. We've all heard the ridiculous complaints that fake geek girls are using up all the badges just to cosplay for attention and they're not even real fans! Another complaint: those evil women don't spend money on the floor, hurting the exhibitors. So here's what the data actually shows. 
• 2/3 of women do cosplay sometimes at Cons and 30% said it was their primary or exclusive interest. (55% of men said they never cosplay.) 
• "Most male and female fans spend money at comparable levels on the same kinds of stuff. When you adjust for age and household income, women actually spend slightly more and female cosplayers spend about the same as everyone else." The survey has spoken.
• But this stereotype holds true; men spend more on toys and comics while women "slightly" prefer clothes and accessories.

• The number one purchase across every demographic? Original art and prints. That surprises me.

Do you see yourself in these results? Are you Nouveau Comic Con or part of the Old Guard? I don't think any of this is terribly surprising; if you've strolled around a Con in the last year, you've probably seen these trends with your own eyes. 

And they are just trends, not concrete statements on gender preferences and patterns. Plenty of attendees (like me) fly in the face of "boys like comics and girls like costumes" generalizations that might seem supported by the above. Still, it is an interesting look at who's going to Comic Con and why. Hopefully as Con life becomes increasingly recognized as the cultural juggernaut it is, we'll get more data examining our experiences and the factors driving the growing demand for attendance.

The Comic-Con business survey

24 JANUARY 2015

If you're curious what kind of money vendors actually make at Cons, check out this survey from The Devastator and The Beat. 107 vendors weighed in on their 2014 sales and the results were rather shocking - to me, anyway.

Such as:

• The average income per convention is only 1K. It breaks down to 1450 per Comic Con and 615 for indie Cons.
• Craftspeople tend to average 4500 in revenue; publishers, artists and cartoonists hover in the 800-1100 range.
• Exhibitor booths bring in an average of 2255, while Artist Alley and Small Press make 845 and 900 respectively.

The top-earning shows were - no surprises here - SDCC, Denver and NY. But when rated by survey respondents, the winners were Toronto Comic Arts Festival, Phoenix Comicon and Small Press Expo. The majority said sales were up and almost a third said they would be at more shows in 2015.

Still. When you consider that many artists are only making 900 bucks over the course of 4 days, you can see why many wouldn't want to pony up for airfare and hotel rooms and floor space. It's clear now why so many popular artists and writers are sitting out Comic Cons. It's just not worth it for them to attend. Of course, I've heard this from creators for years, and I have one friend who barely recoups his costs even though he's constantly busy on the floor. Still, it's surprising to see the dollar amounts when my friends who are bartenders, strippers and psychics all pull down that kind of cash in a night or a weekend.

The survey also ranks marketing channels and other data significant to convention pros - so check it out if you're in any way considering selling something at a Con in the future. You'll have a better idea of what to expect in revenue and which convention - if any - could be profitable for you.

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