Orange Tablecloth Front

Wizard World Texas Artist Alley 2006

This is just a quick reminder that in order to have your name and booth location printed in the Official Program Guide we need to have received your Artist Alley Registration Form with payment by this coming Monday, October 2nd, 2007. You can still purchase a table after that date. However, your name will be listed on our website only.

Also, after careful consideration we have decided to move Artist Alley into the main hall this year! Tables are going fast so please do not hesitate to send in your paperwork! Below is a direct link to a PDF version of the Registration Form.

http://www.wizarduniverse.com/conventions/texas/resources/tx_aa_06.pdf

With talented creators such as Joe Bentiez, Talent Caldwell, Tommy Castillo, J. Scott Campbell, David Finch, Greg Horn, Angel Medina, James O’Barr, Tone Rodriguez, Bill Sienkiewicz, Billy Tan & Billy Tucci already set to join us with tables in Artist Alley we look forward to seeing you at the show!

-Wizard World Tour Staff

Can Wizard World save their ass by moving Artist Alley to the main hall?!
Will more artists fall for this obvious ploy?!
Stay tuned Wizzars!
Same Wiz-time, same Wiz-channel!

The following is an e-mail that Wizard World recently sent out:



It’s that time of year again!

Wizard World Texas is right around the corner and we would like to let you know that Artist Alley space is still available but is going fast. With talented creators such as Joe Bentiez, Talent Caldwell, J. Scott Campbell, David Finch, Greg Horn, Angel Medina, Bill Sienkiewicz, Billy Tan & Billy Tucci already set to join us with tables in Artist Alley (even more names to come), now is the perfect time to lock in your table and be part of the excitement!

If you have already signed up for the show we’ll be placing you in the coming weeks. If you haven’t; what are you waiting for?

For more info on Artist Alley click here:
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/conventions/texas/aa.cfm

For a PDF version of the Artist Alley Registration Form click here:
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/conventions/texas/resources/tx_aa_06.pdf

See you in Texas!
-Wizard World Tour Staff



I can't decide if we should be flattered that Wizard World is "inviting" us as one of the "talented creators." Or if they are just hard up to fill the rental space at $300 a table that we got put on the "mailing list."

"What am I waiting for?"

For Wizard World to support indie artists and lower the table rates...and not just at their lowest attended shows...

We're not in the business of telling people what to think or what to do. We are in the business of making people aware of things that are happening around them. Especially those things that effect them.

We've added a couple of thinks to the left that make us wonder what is really going on out there. Wizard World has put themselves in a position to be regarded as the leaders of comicbook and pop culture conventions. Many conventions follow their lead. Particularly when is come to fees. When Wizard world raised their prices this year many artists and fans started to think that this was the last year they would attend. They started putting their support into other shows. Then they started to see the contracts for 2007...many of the "smaller" shows have now raised their prices! Weren't they listening...why did we tell you we wanted to do your show this year. And we really don't want to hear that you raised prices because of gasoline prices!

Convention Promoters would do well to step out of the shadow cast by Wizard World...and there are some that are. S.P.A.C.E., Mid-Ohio-Con and a number of small indie cons are experiencing an incredible amount of growth. And when they find the need to raise prices, they give you something for your money. Again, that "something" is different for everyone so I won't go into the details. If you're new to comics and haven't been to a convention....go! And go again! But, by the third time you go, if you don't see something new worth coming back for...don't go again. Write the promoter and tell then what you want to see.

What do you want to see? I swear, if Charles Schulz was still alive and showed up at some of these conventions, I wonder if they would give him a table up front. Since he doesn't work on Batman or X-Men, they would probably set him up in the back next to the Soup Nazi!

So, why did those two guys get fired from Wizard World? I have two theories...one, they were the guys responsible for making Wizard World the greedy machine it is today and Wizard is finally waking up to the fact that the artist and fans actually care about comics. Or two, these guys are the ones that actually tried to make Wizard World better this year by listening to the artists and getting rid of "the room of death." (Wizards failure at expanding Artist Alley last year.) Because, I felt that the fans were really into the indie comics this year and that made the suits at Wizard nervous...somebody had to pay!

Either way, read up on it for yourself with the links to your left...we'll wait here!

Well, we had a bit of fun at Wizard World's expense. You know, perception is reality and we're not 100% what we saw was really anything different than what we've seen before. In fact, we've seen it all before and for those of you in attendance you know what we mean.

I understand that new fans come to comics every year, but I remember when the show provided something new and exciting every year. That was in the Chicago Comicon days I suppose. And, from what I understand every Wizard World is different city to city. We don't want to pick apart this year's show. There was something for everybody.

We do want to thank all the fans that supported the independent artists in the alley this year. We thank you for visiting with us and if you coul afford it, spending you hard earned money. We appreciate you giving us the opportunity to entertain you! Many of the artists are now working together to give you the best bang for your buck every time you step foot into the alley. We would like to make it easier for some of you to find us. We're not sure how we are going to do that, but we have proposed that they move us closer to the corporate comics. We find it odd that we are separated by the retailers. Don't get me wrong, the retailers have a tough time of it too. Remember, the only ones getting rich out there on OUR money are the convention promoters! And I am always one to buy a t-shirt or action figure out there. But I make it a point to turn the money around.

See, here's how it works. You discover me or something that I have drawn or created. You buy it with your hard earned money and you make it possible for me to discover another artist in the alley and pay them with my hard earned money that use to be your hard earned money and make it their hard earned money and see, everybody is happy, except you paid $25 for your ticket to Wizard World, I paid $150 for my table, the other artist paid $300 for their table...WHA?

Something is wrong...now there are only a few ways to solve this problem...we either:

stop going to conventions altogether...which means we need another way to connect

artist start sharing tables...it means less space, but if all of a sudden Wizard World made half the return...hmmm

fans sponsor artists...that sounds like selling out, cause then I'd have to pimp something like your Aunt Milly's Peach Cobbler

or

artists sponsor fans...this is somewhat better for us since you would be the one selling out...you would totally have to wear our t-shirts and watch my table when I have to pee

See, there are all sorts of ways to keep the comics in the control of the people that it was designed to entertain...the fans! Tell 'em what you want and if they don't give it to you...tell 'em again!

14 Small Press booths: $11,900
358 Artists' Alley tables: $107,400
73 Exhibitor spaces: $116,800
306 Retailer spaces: $244,800
56,000 fan ticket sales: $1,400,000
Comics and fans getting screwed: Priceless

See you at the show! Table 3104!!!

Nearly 100 people signed this letter between the months of April and May 2006. It wasn't forced on them or publicized in any way. It simply layed across an orange tablecloth fronted table.

Now imagine if these same people stopped attending conventions. Remember, some of them are artists and some are fans. Many are both. What if 100 artists didn't show up in Artist Alley? What if 100 fans didn't stop by to see the artists? What if 100 fans didn't attend Wizard World this year? What if 100 artists stopped attending Wizard World forever? Do the math!



You have a voice! Use it!

The OTF is coming...



...and we're taking the bunny with us...




WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO AUGUST 3-6, 2006



...consider this the warning shot!