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WonderCon - hopes fade to black for a return to San Francisco in the Spring
Comic-Con International (CCI) commented on Facebook regarding this article:
September 1, 2012
By: Bill Watters
In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Comic-Con International, announced that they would not be returning next Spring to San Francisco's Moscone Center. This is hardly a surprise as CCI officials had been telling representatives for talent as early as this year's WonderCon that it would be, "Definitely returning to Anaheim in '13."
In addition, there had never been any particular secret in the Bay Area that CCI had been wanting to expand into Southern California for a Spring event - in part with the implied intent to keep Wizard Entertainment from getting ensconced with one of their own events.
With the 2012 construction going on at the Moscone Center, it gave CCI the reason it needed to move from the Bay Area to Anaheim.
Since WonderCon this year was while not as successful as it had been at San Francisco, it was enough to make it worth making turns to keep it around.
Publishers Weekly is reporting that Moscone Center management had informed CCI that there were no Spring dates available in 2013. Moscone did express that there might be dates in the Fall, but could not give a definite answer until this October.
With the chance of winding up with neither dates if CCI passed on the window to secure the Anaheim convention center, they decided to commit to returning to Anaheim in the Spring, and to also pursue Fall/Winter dates (probably around October) for a Moscone based event. “We thought long and hard about it. If we do get the fall dates in Moscone then WonderCon will be in SF and we’ll have to name the Anaheim show something else," said David Glanzer, Comic-Con International's vice president of marketing and public relations.
What effect all this may have on the existing Fall San Francisco based event, APE, has yet to be determined. At the same time, an extended absence of WonderCon as a Spring event in the Bay Area isn't really the end of the world, especially if it simply moves to the Fall. Other events have been developing in to help fill the void, such as with the wild growth and success seen by this year's Big Wow! convention in San Jose as well as the the slow expansion of Fanime into other genres.
With Moscone management continuing to be blamed for an apparent apathy in retaining WonderCon as an event, even if an event returns in 2012, it would seem that it may only be a stop-gap measure.
We have sent emails for further comment to Moscone Center management and will be updating you as the saga continues.
By: Bill Watters
In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Comic-Con International, announced that they would not be returning next Spring to San Francisco's Moscone Center. This is hardly a surprise as CCI officials had been telling representatives for talent as early as this year's WonderCon that it would be, "Definitely returning to Anaheim in '13."
In addition, there had never been any particular secret in the Bay Area that CCI had been wanting to expand into Southern California for a Spring event - in part with the implied intent to keep Wizard Entertainment from getting ensconced with one of their own events.
With the 2012 construction going on at the Moscone Center, it gave CCI the reason it needed to move from the Bay Area to Anaheim.
Since WonderCon this year was while not as successful as it had been at San Francisco, it was enough to make it worth making turns to keep it around.
Publishers Weekly is reporting that Moscone Center management had informed CCI that there were no Spring dates available in 2013. Moscone did express that there might be dates in the Fall, but could not give a definite answer until this October.
With the chance of winding up with neither dates if CCI passed on the window to secure the Anaheim convention center, they decided to commit to returning to Anaheim in the Spring, and to also pursue Fall/Winter dates (probably around October) for a Moscone based event. “We thought long and hard about it. If we do get the fall dates in Moscone then WonderCon will be in SF and we’ll have to name the Anaheim show something else," said David Glanzer, Comic-Con International's vice president of marketing and public relations.
What effect all this may have on the existing Fall San Francisco based event, APE, has yet to be determined. At the same time, an extended absence of WonderCon as a Spring event in the Bay Area isn't really the end of the world, especially if it simply moves to the Fall. Other events have been developing in to help fill the void, such as with the wild growth and success seen by this year's Big Wow! convention in San Jose as well as the the slow expansion of Fanime into other genres.
With Moscone management continuing to be blamed for an apparent apathy in retaining WonderCon as an event, even if an event returns in 2012, it would seem that it may only be a stop-gap measure.
We have sent emails for further comment to Moscone Center management and will be updating you as the saga continues.
Comic-Con International (CCI) commented on Facebook regarding this article:
Your comment "This is hardly a surprise as CCI officials had been telling representatives for talent as early as this year's WonderCon that it would be, "Definitely returning to Anaheim in '13." "is categorically incorrect. Comic-Con NEVER told officials of talent or any others that we would return to Anaheim. The plan has always been to return to San Francisco.
Also this comment "In addition, there had never been any particular secret in the Bay Area that CCI had been wanting to expand into Southern California for a Spring event - in part with the implied intent to keep Wizard Entertainment from getting ensconced with one of their own events." is also incorrect as Wizard had already established a show in Anaheim. You'll remember that before announcing WC's 2012 move, a join release had to be issued by Wizard, Reed and Comic-Con.
David Glanzer
Spokesperson
Comic-Con International
Also this comment "In addition, there had never been any particular secret in the Bay Area that CCI had been wanting to expand into Southern California for a Spring event - in part with the implied intent to keep Wizard Entertainment from getting ensconced with one of their own events." is also incorrect as Wizard had already established a show in Anaheim. You'll remember that before announcing WC's 2012 move, a join release had to be issued by Wizard, Reed and Comic-Con.
David Glanzer
Spokesperson
Comic-Con International
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