Comics reclaimed their spot in the Comic-Con pecking order at this year’s event, held July 23–27 at the San Diego Convention Center. While ongoing uncertainty and upheaval in Hollywood meant fewer movie stars made the trek to Hall H, comics sales surged at this year’s event, with multiple publishers reporting they had one of their best Comic-Cons ever. While the effects of Diamond’s ongoing bankruptcy saga were palpable, it was overall yet another successful SDCC, with an array of comics creators from Frank Miller to Raina Telgemeier signing, paneling, and selling.
Maya Bradford, assistant director of publicity for Ten Speed Graphic, reported that all their panels were packed, something that isn’t always a given. “I was really pleasantly surprised,” Bradford said. “People were lining up to get into panels that were just about graphic novels, which is always a good sign.” She noted that while the lack of competition from movie stars may have been a factor, “I like to think it's also because people just love comics.”
That sentiment was echoed by Lindsey Elias, director of brand events at Penguin Random House. PRH authors appearing at the event included The Martian author Andy Weir, whose books sold out. Weir appeared in Hall H to talk about Project Hail Mary, an upcoming adaptation of his science fiction novel of the same name (Ballantine) starring Ryan Gosling. Another hit at the PRH booth was Matt Dinnemen and his Dungeon Crawler Carl series (Ace). “We absolutely love this audience,” said Elias. “They're dedicated fans of our authors and we see them come back day after day, year after year.”
Elias also noted that it was heartening to see fans supporting banned books. “So many people love reading and are concerned about book bans,” she said. “I think it’s important for us to keep fighting that fight.”
Comic sales were especially strong this year, despite the frenzy for Labubus and other exclusive toys, according to most publishers we spoke with. “We sold out of every single Moomin item that we brought to celebrate their 80th anniversary, so that was a smashing success” said D&Q sales and marketing manager Francine Yulo. The Canadian publisher returned to Comic-Con as an exhibitor after several years away, with authors Nathan Gelgud, Mimi Pond, and Walter Scott making appearances.
Tom Akel, CEO and publisher of Rocketship Entertainment, called it an excellent show, one of the company’s most financially successful ever, pointing to a table that held a single layer of graphic novels: “This is all that’s left and there’s nothing under the table.”
Hall H definitely had less spectacle than usual, with Marvel sitting it out and WB opting to go for a fairly lowkey Peacemaker panel instead of spotlighting their upcoming DCU slate after Superman’s success. James Gunn, taking a victory lap for writing and directing Superman, also appeared on DC publisher, president, and CCO Jim Lee’s panel, speaking sincerely about the comics that he loves.
But there was spectacle elsewhere. People couldn’t stop marveling at an incredible 14-foot high Galactus costume, made by cosplayer Thomas DePetrillo of Extreme Costumes. The glowing, menacing creation stalked up and down the halls of Comic-Con, making for a breathtaking sight.
The other wonder of the show was a huge 200,000-piece Lego version of the San Diego convention center itself, complete with brick versions of Hall H, comics booths, the Masquerade, and individual Comic-Con regulars. Attendees lined up continuously to get a look at the display.
Little publishing news broke at the show, with no bombshell announcements dropping during any panels. Robert Kirkman announced the return of Capes, a 20 year old spin-off of his popular Invincible franchise, under writer Benito Cerino, while X-men artist John Byrne’s fanfic based on his own work, X-Men Elsewhens, will come out from Abrams Comic Arts via their partnership with Marvel.
Uncertainty over how Diamond’s bankruptcy will affect publishers may have contributed to the news dearth. Several publishers were absent due to a lack of books to sell. (Diamond is holding onto inventory while the legal mess untangles.) ComicsPRO sponsored retailer programming, but news was on the light side here as well: projects such as the COMET Standard metadata and the fate of Free Comics Book Day are still “being worked on,” said ComicsPRO executive director Marco Davanzo, while Local Comic Ship Day is getting a new emphasis.
But at least SDCC afforded a chance for all the players in the Diamond saga to be under the same roof for a few hours: representatives of Universal Distribution, Alliance Entertainment and even Diamond’s current owner, Sparkle Pop, were in the building, as were other behind-the-scenes players.
“Productive things happened that I think we’ll see come to fruition in six months,” said Rocketship’s Akel. “There were lots and lots of meetings about things that will be very helpful in solving problems.”
While ICE didn’t show up, as some feared, the Convention Center infrastructure showed a few cracks. On Thursday, five escalators went out, resulting in long lines to get in and highlighting the need for nearly $400 million in repairs at the aging structure.
At the annual “Talkback” panel, which takes place late on Sunday, a fan asked what the show would do in 2028 when the Los Angeles Olympics will be held at the exact same time as SDCC’s traditional slot. SDCC chief communications and strategy officer David Glanzer acknowledged that the showrunners have been thinking about this a lot, and moving or postponing the con are both on the table.
Until that happens, Comic-Con will remain a huge showcase for comics publishers. Michael Kingston of Headlocked Comics, an indie publisher that puts out comics by and about professional wrestlers, put it all into perspective. “I know there's always this sort of discourse that you can't sell comics here, but we sell comics every year, hand over fist,” Kingston said. “But you have to plan and hustle. This is the Wrestlemania of comic-cons and your house show set-up isn’t going to cut it.”
