Phoenix Comicon 2017
Find Your Inner Geek
Each year Phoenix Comicon storms into downtown Phoenix filling the streets with comic book fans and pop-culture enthusiasts alike, excited for the opportunity to catch up with old friends they haven’t seen since last years convention or the chance to show off their cosplay creations. For many others its also the chance to meet their favorite comic book artist/writers and pop culture icons.
Phoenix Comicon 2017 was looking to be no exception, that is until the actions of one individual would impact a number of attendees in different ways. On Thursdays May 25th 2017 as many fans arrived early to the convention center located in downtown Phoenix to kick off the weekends festivities, A 31-year-old man by the name of Matthew Sterling was being arrested for sneaking into Phoenix Comicon with a collection of guns and other weapons with the intent to kill “Aphrodite Cops” Sterlings term for bad Police officers, and a celebrity guest who was later determined to be Mighty Morphin Power Rangers star Jason David Frank. Thankfully an acquaintance of Sterlings found out about his plan and notified police who were able to locate and arrest Sterling in the convention center with only a minor incident.
By Friday morning police added extra security to the event implementing bag checks, pat down’s and banning all costume prop weapons, including swords, sabers and fake guns causing heavy delays before entering the event that set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Needless to say many cosplayers didn’t find this banned amusing, many calling the added measures an overreaction and overkill, as others complained that the terms of the ban were not clear on whether other props wouldn’t be permitted. These measures likely forced the decision for many not to cosplay at all which was very evident by the lack of cosplay over the weekend. Not all cosplayers were going to let the prop ban get them down however, nope instead of giving up they got creative. This past weekend I saw everything from cosplayers dressed as characters from the popular video game OverWatch with cardboard cutouts of guns with the words pew pew written on them, a Logan with Slim Jim claws, Edward Spork Hands, and even a Storm Trooper with a sign around his neck that said crappy shot empire took my blasters. Although I admire there perseverance, it wasn’t only the cosplay community effected by the new security measures though, the effects were felt all over the convention. Long lines and wait times for attendees to enter the convention lead to changes in autograph and photo op times causing longer lines inside the convention as well as programing cancellations.
Despite the long lines and new security measures fans still flocked to see what the convention had to offer. Guests the likes of Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Dick Van Dyke Show), Karen Gillan (Doctor Who,Guardians of the Galaxy), Elden Henson (Daredevil, The Hunger Games, The Mighty Ducks), Jon Bernthal ( The Walking Dead, DareDevil, The Punisher), Anthony Michael Hall (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science),Alan Tudyk (Rogue One, Dodge Ball, Firefly), Jason David Frank(Power Rangers),Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series), Bonnie Wright (Harry Potter), Ciara Renee (The Flash, Arrow,DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) Sean Schemmel (Dragonball Z) and Danny Trejo ( Machete, Blood In, Blood Out, From Dusk Till Dawn) just to name a few did the best they could to re-energize a convention that at times felt deflated.
Even with all this great media talent, Phoenix ComiCon 2017 found itself plagued by the same bug as in years past, the rehash or lack of comic book talent. I personally go to conventions for the comic book artists and writers. This year wasn’t the case, as the guest line up was almost full of local talent that I just seen weeks prior at free comic book day events or returning gusts from the year before with a few different faces sprinkled in. Phoenix Comicon seems to be moving away from the comic book aspect of things more and more each year with their primary focus being on big name celebrates and pop culture icons. This in my opinion is the achilles heel stopping this convention from being on par with the likes of San Diego Comic Con or New York Comic con, as well as several other smaller conventions who seem to be able to find a happy balance between Comic book and Pop-culture/Media talent to spark attendance numbers.
This year’s event, once again, retained its previous layout designating the Exhibitor Hall entirely to vendors and artists, creating a very open and spacious area that they so well perfected when switching to this layout a few year ago. Once again they were able to accomplished this feat by moving the larger photo-op and actor signing areas as well as more vender options to the third floor, appropriately named the, “Hall of Heroes”.
One area I feel Phoenix Comicon needs to work on is communication and the quality of its knowledgeable staff or lack there of. They need to have helpful people stationed in different areas of the convention to help attendees find something or be able to advise if a program is canceled.They rely to much on social media or the app to provide info that at times just isn’t available on those platforms.
With the convention now over, through reflection you can see the areas that Phoenix Comicon needs to make vast improvements on before Fan Fest this fall and the 2018 Convention. They need to start with better security measures and more knowledgeable staff on hand to help attendees. Convention goers coming out and showing support for the show despite the added security and prop bans gives you a sense of pride to be part of this community and gives a strong show of unity that we wont let the actions of one man stop us. Despite the best efforts of the convention staff and the talent attending the convention the Phoenix comicon was never able to recover and find their footing after the events that took place on Thursday leaving the convening feeling deflated.
2.0 of 5 stars