Con wars are back! Only not warlike. After a long absence from the crucible of New York City’s cramped and expensive venues, Wizard World is coming back to the city that started it all with the WIzard World New York City Experience, to be held June 28-30 at Basketball City Pier 36. The venue is known to us but does recall the cavernous Pier 94 where Wizard held its 2009 show. The date doesn’t seem to conflict with anything too major, save for a few smallish cards and comics shows in the Midwest.
UPDATE: I understand that this show will NOT be a comics show in any way. Unless comics are “other attractions”:
celebrities, creators, sports stars, music, exhibitors, parties and other attractions
So there you go, Nerdlebrity Con 1
Otherwise, expect to meet a lot of Walking Dead personnel.
Experience New York City, differently, as Wizard World brings together celebrities, creators, sports stars, music, exhibitors, parties and other attractions at the 2013 Wizard World New York City Experience, June 28-30. Comics legend Stan Lee, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” icon Patrick Stewart and “The Walking Dead” trio of Norman Reedus, Michael Rooker andJon Bernthal are the first stars scheduled to attend the extravaganza at Basketball City (Pier 36) in lower Manhattan, overlooking the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty and steps away from vibrant South Street Seaport.
“Fans will want to keep the last weekend of June open,” said John Macaluso, Wizard World CEO. “We have a star-studded affair planned and we are excited to launch with an early guest list, with more to follow. This show will have an all new look and feel that encompasses talented artists, unique shopping opportunities, specialty programming, sports heroes and much more. It will be a true experience unlike any other for New York fans.”
Tickets go on sale for this exclusive event, with limited tickets available, on March 1 at www.wizardworld.com. Additional guests, special receptions and events, start and end times and ticket prices will be announced shortly.
Surprised? Don’t be. They’ve been heading down this road since the restructuring.
I was puzzled reading this: “After a long absence… Wizard World is coming back to [New York City].” Hasn’t Wizard World been running the Big Apple Con in New York each spring?
They do say “creators” in the release as well as “talented artists.” And Stan Lee is on there.
When was the last time you read a comic actually written by Stan Lee?
Does that matter? There are a lot of creator that don’t make comics anymore that are still considered comics professionals.
Wizard pretty much drove the Chicago show into the ground with it’s lack of comics and a bigger emphasis on autograph booths featuring long ago has beens. While Stan is a draw, I’ll bet looking at the rest of the “in person” big stars falls pretty far really fast. I remember a couple years back, when disgraced Illinois governor Blagoyovich was sadly selling autographs at Wizard World, and they announced it over the loudspeaker incessantly. When you’re featuring a guy heading for prison as a “personality”, you pretty much know what to expect from Wizard.
ok, so it seems the focus of this show will be an array of celebs from different areas of the entertainment field and less of a focus on comics and comic industry folks. so if you’re more of a comics fan than anything else, you can skip this show and not think twice about it. considering all the shows, big and small, all over the country that focus on nothing but comics that a true believer of comics can go to, who gives a rat’s rump what goes on with this one insignificant show. by the way, i read a comic written by stan lee the other day. he wrote it in 1968, but it was written by stan lee. as long as he has a body of work that the fans love, fans will come to see him wherever he shows up.
I attended Comic Con in San Diego last year and was very aware of the shift away from a comics-only emphasis. Wizard Chicago was well attended and I suspect the various “celebrities” were the draw due to a broader appeal. Shows do what they need to do in order to bring in fans.
Wizard World Chicago remains my best-selling con of the year, from my spot in Artist Alley. Fewer publishers up front and an enormous AA means comics fans spend more time meeting writers and artists and less time waiting in line for giveaways and organized signings. Works for me.
http://basketballcity.com/bbc.php?city=newyork&page=specialevents
Between the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges.
F train to East Broadway, then walk.
I hope they pay for air conditioning.
I’ll give it a look, see if it’s improved.
The last Big Apple Wizard Con was 2010. The spring shows are Mike Carbo’s Comic Book Marketplace. Mike sold the Big Apple name to Wizard in 2009 and has continued doing a one day show each spring. This years show will be Saturday April 13th at the Pennsylvania Hotel.
@Allan: Thanks for the info, although I believe Wizard World hosted a Big Apple Comic Con in May, 2011. See http://www.wizardworld.com/press-apple.html for a list of press references. They did, however, cancel their plans for a spring 2012 show: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/10/26/wizard-world-comic-cons-pull-back-in-2012/
Yeah, “creators” is an industry term now. You see it on websites for most conventions in the US. In fact, given that you now know this the definition of this term, is it not a little weird to not retract this…?
Or, at least, amend it in some way? While I enjoy some of the articles I read on this site, it’s kinda shoddy journalism to have a previous bias against a company like this, and use that as basis for speculation.
Unless this is an op ed. But I always held you in higher regard that that, Beat. :(
Comments are closed.