Wizard World Philly

Friends, aquintences and fellow comic mavens it's countdown time here at Casa Manley to the annual Philly Wizard World con held just about this time every year at the Phila. Convention center located in the heart of center city. I hate to say it, but I say it every year, I have pretty mixed feelings about this show. Partly because I have mixed feelings about many things Philly related, but also because after a fine debut this has been a piss-poor show, execept in the men's room where it could be dubbed a piss floor show 20 minutes after the show is open.

I like the convenience of the show since it's a hometown show, but I think the continued maarginalizing of most of the talent that's not the same stale Top 10 guys Wizard hails in it's mags is an issue. I'm no fan of the mag itself, I haven't read an issue in years, but the thing that gets me is the fact the arrangement/placement of Artist Alley has also not been great. I didn't attend last year as I went to heroes in NC to support Sheldon's show when Wizard tried to go against him by scheduling the same weekend, but this year I couldn't swing it with just coming back from China, plus that show has also gotten very expensive.

The 05 Philly Wizard show was the worst con I had been to in years. I didn't even break even $$ wise and that's saying something. I realize I no longer draw monthly comics and I am not the demo of Wizard Magazine, but the fact is without stirring the local population into attending nobody will have a good show based just on babymen traffic. How many more copies of Aspen of Sin City trades to 40-year-olds need anyway?

I see they are running a pretty crappy looking ad on the Sci-fi channel, so who knows. Better if they also run it on Nic and Cartoon Network. If this is another bad year this will be my last show as an attendee, even if it's the home town show. I imagine it may also be their last show too. I'll start packing up the jeep later with the stuff, boxes of Draw!, display, signs, and I'll be bringing along some art to sell and I always do sketches. I'll be at table 1411 with Echo surrounded by fellow bros in arms Scott Cohn, Scott Neely and Jamar (Poobah) Nicholas. Stop by and get a sketch, buy somne art, get a great caricature by Echo and eat a Cheese Steak!