You get a grassroots effort, and you get more homegrown talent at a small con. Some of these cons have been taken over by big companies and they really don’t understand the landscape of the area they’re in. -Eric Anderson Pen Papa Flava
Eric Anderson of Pen, Papa, Flava
These days the emphasis on the comic and sci-fi cons these days is that bigger is better, but, that’s not always the case. Such shows like the Traders Village Con in Houston, TX , has shown a big turn out in its three-year history, despite not being a big show like Comicpalooza, the San Diego or New York Comic Cons.
A steampunk plague doctor cosplay.Cassius Miller as The Brown Hornet, a cosplay that debuted at a small con. one that stands out.
With the guest celebrities in one area, and in a more casual atmosphere, visors are more likely to meet some of their
Several independent artists and small press publishers had quite a few things to say on why small cons still matter.
“When you look at the small shows, you don’t get the same feel like the big shows like in San Diego.”, said Yvonne an associate of Sapphire Entertainment Management.
“From an artist point of view, when you are starting at our experience you see more people at small cons when you start your a little less established to see if what the small artist is all about, the people see you consistently”, Markee Shadows, Artist.
“I think small cons are more affordable for the general public than bigger cons so you’re getting more of an audience that you wouldn’t”, Tabitha Peters, Entertainment Manager
“I feel like the majority of people you know coming for the big celebrities and not necessarily for the artist so I feel like super important is it’s more personal than you get then at the big shows.”, ATinyTentacle, artist.
Markee Shadows (left) and AtinyTentacle working at their table at Traders Village Con.
This was a sentiment also expressed by several small press artists and writers.
“At the San Diego Comic-Con, we could tell that they were starting to push out, you know the smaller guys, and the bigger ones DC and all the pop culture stuff was what stayed in the forefront so but that being said having smaller shows is definitely a chance for the Indies to kind of have a voice of their own, so for me personally having gone to some of these smaller shows that’s where it’s at because I mean come on you can’t compete with the margin. But even when we were going to San Diego like we were in a prime area when it was more about comics I guess you could say but that’s the time he’s gone by has been more about you know what’s hot and what’s not.”, Corey Huddleston, Penny Farthing Press.
“Small cons still matter because when you go to the bigger cons, they only really support Marvel and DC Comics. It’s only at small cons where independents can actually come in and they get the people can actually see them that’s why.”, Devin Richard, Bad Cog Studios.
Devin Richard of Bad Cog Studios
Although the celebrities and big-name artists are a draw at the bigger cons, it’s often relationships between artists and fans that become strained or not realized.
Gil Ontiveros had a table right next to his daughter at Traders Village Con, a small show they could share.
“For the Artist, sometimes the bigger cons mean more sales but the pace of a big con is a bit at the disadvantage for the artist’s relationship with the consumer. That is why the small cons are very important. It allows a better and personal relationship between us artists and the admirers of the culture. Conversations about geek and pop world references are shared and friendships are better established.”-Gil Ontiveros, artist
William Robinson Experienced interviewer, researcher, and original content creator. Graduated from MTI Houston TX. Was a solid contributor with Moviepilot.com, currently an Associate Editor for ViralHare.com.
I have worked as an interviewer/article writer on the convention scene for over twelve years and covered Wizard World Austin and New Orleans, Comicpalooza, Space City Con, Traders Village Con, Free Comic Book Day, Comic Book Literacy, small press artists and studios, as well as reviews on TV, movies, and other media.
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