The internet reacts to…Wizard World’s development deal with Sony

That story about Wizard and Sony teaming up to develop stuff from the Artist Alleys of Wizard Worlds drew a strong response on Twitter.

TL;DR: Wizard will be getting a finders fee for projects Sony finds in their artist alleys.

Artists may want to ask why they’re getting charged for table space at these shows… and consider getting an agent so they’re not exploited. https://t.co/vfn0Q83RT5

— Pia Guerra (@PiaGuerra) February 13, 2018

https://twitter.com/DaveScheidt/status/963276501201444864

I dunno what Sony hopes to find by developing a project of creators that attend Wizard World. Maybe they’re hoping this deal proves mutually beneficial and attracts well-known comic creators back to WW.

— Nanaki Mark XIII (@SimPurist) February 13, 2018

Having visited artist alleys of recent Wizard Worlds, and with some exceptions, they’re kinda sad-looking. Maybe Sony wants to make a movie based on Rob Schamberger’s drawings of WWE superstars.

— Nanaki Mark XIII (@SimPurist) February 13, 2018

I still can't believe Wizard sweet-talked Sony out of its money like that. Then again, it ain't trickin' if you've got it.

— Cheryl Lynn Eaton (@cheryllynneaton) February 13, 2018

https://twitter.com/CurtPires/status/963264791614652418

https://twitter.com/JAMALIGLE/status/963232937801060353

Sony's "deal" is to go to Wizard World shows and walk thru Artist's Alley? pic.twitter.com/7Yg050LVrc

— Christopher Sebela (@xtophersebela) February 12, 2018

Having covered a pact or two in my day, I can say that about 99.8% of them never amount to anything, and this smelled strongly of “guy at Wizard knew guy at Sony and they cooked something up over lunch.” In fact if you read all the quotes in the pr that’s kind of what it says. The tell is in the part in THR where they say “oh we haven’t figured out what this actually means yet.” I read it as Wizard World, a publicly traded company trying to drum up something that looks like progress, announcing a nebulous “deal” that gives the look of activity for very little investment.

Yet the idea of a convention company somehow mining their exhibitors for media rights is a highly dubious one, as several pointed out.

https://twitter.com/neilkleid/status/963157082383044608

And would a creator be expected to give a piece of their property to a convention? I’ll hold back my umbrage until I see the details. :)

— Kody Chamberlain (@KodyChamberlain) February 12, 2018

https://twitter.com/neilkleid/status/963160159160807426

Also, for those concerned that Sony didn’t know that Wizard World is a “garbage fire.” well, Sony Pictures is also a garbage fire at the moment. The CEO of BIG sony, Kaz Hirai, announced he’ll be stepping down, and he was the biggest fan of owning a movie studio at the electronics-focused parent company. Sony Pictures is widely seen as another movie studio in search of a new owner. So who knows, mabe the pacting made them look good, too.

But we’ll leave the final word to an ex-Wizard employee.

https://twitter.com/LYTrules/status/963295588371582976