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

Some ideas for the Wizard World x Sony Collab 1. A heist film that takes places in a Wizard World con where attendees try and steal back the money they spent on a unbelievably shitty covention.

— Dave Scheidt (@DaveScheidt) February 13, 2018

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.

— Mario is Missing! (@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.

— Mario is Missing! (@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

So, let me get this straight. Wizard World sets up an Artist Alley..Sony comes to the show and if they find a property they like, Wizard gets a finders fee?
Fuck that. That’s guarantees I’ll never attend a Wizard World show again. https://t.co/e0z4wlivSU

— Jamal Igle, ANTIFA Shop Steward, Local 2814 (@JAMALIGLE) February 13, 2018

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

— Christopher Sebela (@xtop) February 12, 2018

Sony after their first wizard world: "so we need to make lots of Deadpool… Pinup… Movies…starting the cast of bsg?"

— Sarah Horrocks (@mercurialblonde) February 13, 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.

 

@KodyChamberlain So here's my concern: what does this to do the contract/process for buying space at a wizard con now? If I buy a table at a wizard con am i automatically making them a potential production partner?

— Neil Kleid (@neilkleid) February 12, 2018

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

EXACTLY. That's what I think this implies…until I see otherwise. But yeah, does this just mean more Sony people will be walking the Alley at Wizard Cons? Great. But I think it's a bit more than that…

— Neil Kleid (@neilkleid) February 12, 2018

 

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