WIZARD WORLD: Prose About the Con
The con bubble has been burst and Brie and I have now been home long enough to unpack and sleep (of course, I know I’ve only been able to accomplish one of those). The dust kicked up by the whirlwind of the weekend is now settling like the snow which impeded our journey home and it’s time to wade through the slush. We have a ton of pictures to sort out, video to cut together and get uploaded, and articles to write. First things first, though, it’s time for the suggestion box.
The suggestion box is a fairly ubiquitous idea, at least here in the States: it’s a place for comments, ideas, and observations (both good and bad) about a specific event, venue, experience, et cetera. It’s a great way, in my opinion, to start the process of sorting through the coverage of a convention. There’s certainly a lot on my mind which needs to be put to paper before I can fill the reporter role, and it’s only fair to share it for the purposes of passing along to the convention holders as well as the fans of both Wizard World and SciFi4Me. It also opens the floor for discussion of others who attended the con and a way to look into the experience of others.
I’m of the opinion to start with the good to soften the blow of the bad news, so, here goes nothing!
Lines
The lines at Wizard World were actually quite bearable. I took note on Saturday of the length of the line to get into the convention. It was wrapped around the whole building and doubled back on itself in several places. That being said, that line cleared quicker than 99.9% of lines of a similar length would have been handled. It was amazing to me to see people who had been a full city block away not even an hour earlier were walking around on the convention floor. So how did they manage such efficiency in the face of staggering crowds? Wristbands. Convention go-ers were given different colored wristbands depending on their level of access and the days they had tickets for the event. Being press, I was wearing a blue band the whole weekend, which aided in my hopping between panel rooms and events and aided my personal level of efficiency at the event. To say I was thoroughly impressed is nearly an understatement.
Panels
Saturday and Sunday held most of the panels for the convention, and my favorites (regardless of subject matter) were those hosted by Jesse Snider. The man is energetic, friendly, has great comedic timing, and really is a super fan. He kept things moving so well you never had the chance to look at your watch and wonder anything but “where did the time go?” His passion showed through his actions and words, and he was an essential part of my experience. I’m personally looking forward to catching I Don’t Know S— About Comics panels in the future!
Kids
There were some of the most adorable kid cosplayers I think I’ve ever seen at this convention. The kid-friendly atmosphere really brought them out in force, and the parents seemed to be having just as much fun! I can only hope to see as many adorable faces at Planet here in less than two weeks!
Cell Phone App
Few conventions actually take the time to create something as involved as a cell phone app. I was thoroughly impressed with the Wizard World app, especially in that it offered guest pictures as well as photos. For someone who is constantly reading books but having to seek out artists and writers in person for interviews, I found this entirely indispensable.
Location
The convention center itself is a pretty nice place, the most notable bonus of which is that food options are numerous and even delicious. We had the pizza, but there was cheesesteak, pulled pork (by accounts from a fellow Kansas Citian was actually pretty good barbeque), corn dogs, gourmet popcorn, fresh fruit, salads, smoothies, and more I can’t even think of at the moment. In spite of personal choices, I certainly had the opportunity to eat healthy and it’s refreshing to know.
Now, unfortunately, we’ve reached that point in the suggestions where things get ugly. Well, not ugly, but not quite as nice.
Wizard World TV
I LOVE the idea of a pre-panel show and I understand only so much content can be packed into a “tv” show for a three day weekend before it loops. That being said, there’s only so many times one can watch the same movie trailer and hear the same three songs before we completely crack. Today, upon hearing “Call Me Maybe,” I physically shuddered. “Call Me Maybe,” “Harlem Shake,” and “Gangam Style” have already been drilled into our heads incessantly by popular culture, so hearing them literally about one hundred times in a weekend makes one go crazy. That, and any desire to suffer through Stephanie Meyer drivel to see the potentially decent (I always give screenwriters a chance to make terrible things good) The Host has been driven far, far away. Driven far, far away in a dark trunk stinking of chloroform and beaten to a bloody pulp with various forms of alien technology. Most people arrive at a panel as early as they’re allowed to and, for some, that means hours of this particular form of drivel. Fifteen minute loops aren’t nearly enough. I’ll tell you one thing: I know we were all excited that the projectors had NOT been set up early on Sunday morning when a good lot of us sat waiting an hour plus for Morena Baccarin.
Panels
This leads me nicely into my next point… there were a few issues with the panels. While Jesse Snider impressed me, there were a few that managed to disappoint me. For instance, it didn’t seem that people knew their subject matter (I won’t name any names, but let’s just say it seems a moderator of a panel for a celebrity guest should have at least seen an episode or two of the major genre work which made them famous).
Of course, I had a much larger problem with the panels: the alternative track. Between the two of us, we attempted to hit as many panels as possible and one of the largest hindrance to our attempt was the weird set up of times. While most panels started on even hours (for example, 11:00am-11:45am), there was a room where panels started on the half hour (think 11:30am-12:15pm). Due to the timing of these panels, one would have to sacrifice catching both the 11 o’clock panel and the noon panel, which meant one would often have to miss four other panels (usually involving celebrity guests) in order to attend the one. Even more unfortunately, there were a lot of the smaller groups on this track who needed more help building their audience and I felt that Wizard World kind of let them down in this aspect.
After Party
My biggest problem with the convention might not have actually had to do with the convention itself. Lion Forge Comics hosted the after party in the atrium above the programming rooms, complete with a “Wizardtini” (basically, a Sonic Screwdriver renamed), the announcement of the adult costume contest winners, and a dance floor. I’ll set the scene for you….
A night, full of cosplayers, descends on America’s Center. The geeky hordes are waiting patiently in line for alcohol, staring blankly at two giant screens filled with moving pictures. The dance floor is, thus far, empty, and the tables are filled as is typical before the libations flow. A man in a suit with a brilliant ruby tie and a resounding voice takes the stage to introduce the winners of a contest from earlier in the evening, before the sun had left the skies. The crowd is feeling looser from the excitement, dancing begins to start. First the idea is taken up by those perhaps too young to drink, but are free without the substance. Then, soon, more begin to join, hoping to enjoy themselves. There are a few flashes of geekery on the screens, a few cuttings of Zelda and Voltron, the local hero. Then, almost as soon as it began, the hordes disappear. Left on the floor are a select few, the boyfriends of the typical Slave Leia cosplayer, one or two girls much too young to still be out and about, and a Jack Sparrow. The party ends, well before schedule. No Felicia Day, nor Daft Punk, nor Weird Al, nor even video game theme song has touched our ears this night. Disappointment reeks like con funk as the so-called DJ packs up his laptop and leaves lackeys to handle the screens. Phones emerge from pockets and, instantly, better music is to be found, though there are none left to enjoy this moment of auditory bliss.
Literary ambitions aside, the DJ hired for the party was a joke. The only transgressions from incessant Rhianna and other top 40 hits were about 30 seconds of Eurhythmics and a brief snippet of Jackson Five. The man at the DJ “booth” (a laptop hooked up to speakers) didn’t look at his gear the entire night but rather stared at his laptop, as if watching a show on Netflix. Rumor around (some accounts of witnessing this DJ in other venues, et cetera) is that the DJ refused to change up his lineup, but that this mix of the worst of the charts was his exact rotation (transitions included) and the little geeky bits of video were the bone thrown to us. It’s another instance of someone not “getting” geek culture, and yet getting paid by it. Perhaps the blame for this choice of hire falls on Lion Forge Comics, perhaps it falls on Wizard World. Either way, someone messed up. Someone ruined this “party” and made the night feel like just a way to get more money, not a way to entertain.
So, what experiences did you have at Wizard World St. Louis? Was there something you found great or disappointing I missed? How did St. Louis differ from other Wizard World convention cities? Let us know in the comments below!
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