When I go to Texas for WizardWorld, there are always three constants: That I’ll eat too much in really great restaurants hoping the extra pounds won’t make it through airport security, that I’ll have a great time with Jesse and his family and friends, and that there will be talk of this being the last year for the show.
There’s a report of such talk by Aron Head over at Newsarama. His main blog is here, and certainly worth a look. And he's got a bunch of great pictures of the show, too. Anyway, he writes:
As I rummaged through the longboxes in the last minutes of the con, a conversation occurred just to my right between a dealer and a member of the Wizard sales team. The Wizard staffer stated that they’re not sure if the con will return to Arlington - or Texas - next year.
“We’re meeting immediately after the show to discuss it,” The sales guy said.
The dealer shared with the WW staffer what every other guy had told me. He had a great sales weekend. “You guys do this again next year,” He said. “I will be here.”
From my own observation, there were fewer dealers this year but more attendees. Bigger pie, fewer dealers with which to share.
WWTX is the biggest comic show to visit Texas this year or any year prior. The other cons we get here are local, regional affairs. They’re nice, but they don’t bring the juice that Wizard does.
True, Wizard World Texas was a bit light on guests this year. For instance, Marvel’s absence was keenly felt. And there was a lot of grousing about WizKids not making the show. Still, everybody I spoke with had a great time.
I’ve got my issues with Wizard shows, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere. But, to some degree, they’re like McDonalds. You know what you’re getting, and it’s pretty consistent mediocrity. But a big show’s a big show, and given this year at Dallas, I certainly can’t complain.
Wizard has shown an impatience with shows, from their one-year attempt at Boston to their unsuccessful attempts to unseat Heroes’ Con. I’ve been surprised that they stuck with Texas.
Texas is a great location, underserved by major conventions, and with this show I think they hit a solid level from which to build. The first couple shows may have been two big. Artists’ Alley was separate from the dealers’ room, which I think hurt the artists because it stunted traffic flow. This year, just about everyone I talked to had a decent show in terms of sales and interest. Even the dealers were content, and that’s a definite bellweather.
I’d hate to see them give up on the show now that it’s hitting its stride. As for my suggestions, for what they’re worth, I’m agnostic on the Friday start. Summer shows that start before Saturday make sense, because kids are out of school and vacations seem to be freer. The week before Thanksgiving, kids are in school, and a lot of people are saving time for the day after Turkey Day. I’d like to see them work around the Cowboys schedule as much as they can, especially with the Cowboys moving to a new facility next door. I like the November playdate, because it gets me out of the colder Ohio weather into the warm Texas nights, but if they had to move that, it wouldn’t bother me too much.
Oh, and I’d like the seating arranged to have Laura Vandervoort to sit next to me. Or Erica Durance. I’m not picky.