The after-effects of Wizard World’s dropping their pre-packaged big-box con on Portland seemed, by Monday night, to be low-key and generally positive. For a company as practiced at throwing nerd parties as Wizard is, it would have been surprising had they not given the city an entertaining weekend.
But then, Monday night, shots were fired in the general direction of the Portland comics community, and as with all good horror stories, the sounds were coming from inside the house.
Steve Duin, a well-respected columnist for the Oregonian, printed a piece that gave some shine to Wizard World’s first foray into Portland, while simultaneously throwing shade at a community he charges is complacent, suggesting that Portland needs aggressive outsiders bellying up to the bar to shake us out of our rinky-dink mindsets, asking “When did we decide the city’s ambition didn’t demand a similar growth curve?”
His suggestions were backed up with quotes from Kurt Busiek, one of the finest writers in superhero comics over the past two decades (his Superman: Secret Identity is my personal favorite Superman story ever); and some dude from Maryland who only tabled at the convention because Wizard had scheduled it one week before Seattle’s Emerald City con.
Included: Choice quotes from said Maryland dealer about the quality of local retailers.
Not included: Duin’s disclosure that he had a panel at the convention, a panel dedicated solely to the subject of the comic he created with Eisner Award-winner Shannon Wheeler.
That last one was pointed out by Christopher Frankonis, better known to Portlanders as blogger “The One True B!x,” who fired a couple shots back at Duin from his own blog, Furious Nads, this morning.
The comments on Duin’s article are suggesting that he’s out of touch, which I don’t believe to be the case. It’s obvious he knows about the community here in Portland, having worked with Wheeler on a book; having hosted his release party at Bridge City Comics, one of two retailers in Portland that have been nominated for Eisner Awards; having had a panel at 2011’s Stumptown Comics Fest; having interviewed local retailers and artists for his previous article on the convention; and having talked to Joe Parrington, Emerald City’s PR director, about their partnership with the Rose City Comic-Con.
I don’t think the article is an example of ignorance, or even shoddy reporting, although I think it was a little shortsighted having the expert opinion on Portland’s comics community come from a traveling retailer who’s business seems to rely strongly on following Wizard World to every stop on its schedule.
Duin is still one of the best columnists at that paper, definitely not anywhere near the worst (John Canzano still works there, remember) and I’m pretty sure he’s not out-of-touch with regards to Portland’s place in the comics community. So the only other option is the annoying one: He thinks Portland hasn’t done enough to secure a sense of earned legitimacy, a legitimacy that is represented by the big-box, market-poaching, impersonal pop-culture party-machine that is Wizard World.
Which makes the answer Portland’s freshly-slighted community gives to Duin’s question all the more important. And that answer isn’t going to come in the comments section at Oregon Live. It’s going to come at this year’s Stumptown Comics Fest, and then again at the Rose City Comic-Con.
Maybe those answers will be loud enough for Duin to hear.
Thank you Bobby! It’s frustrating to read such dismissive pieces on Portland’s comic conventions. Stumptown is an amazing show (and I know I’m incredibly biased) that does what no other show does; caters to the independent artist. Rose City accomplished something few cons do in their first year and has made wise choices to make sure they have a successful trajectory. Perhaps Duin could spend less time lauding the “big box” con and more time talking about why the shows we do have are wonderful and why they should get more attention.
Wow, Duin wrote something that isn’t about his wife and kids.
Maybe the local community wants the more modest type of convention. Maybe Stumptown is to Wizard World as Pickathon is to Sasquatch. I.e. better.
Have we really been missing Henry Winkler appearances?
See how this article is nicely composed and sites various sources as well as multiple sides of the story? I LIKE that shit.
Out of curiosity, why is everyone trashing Wizard World for putting on, what by most accounts was a good, fun convention. I get that we want to support local conventions but this doesn’t appear to be hurting anyone. Emerald City sold out with Portland being a week before, Stumptown and Rose City will most likely do well. Now we just have a lot more conventions to attend.
Also, this term “Big Box” is pretty amusing. I spoke with one of the organizers at the convention and they only have like 12 employees that put together all their shows.
I’d still like to know whether it was Wizard itself or “just” one of the exhibitors who advertised on Craigslist seeking workers, who would be paid significantly less than Oregon minimum wage.
Why don’t you just ask them? Their information in on the website.