Battlemouth

Big Apple Con just came to a close today with reviews about as hot as any of Wizards con’s reviews have been this year…ie: not hot at all. In fact the biggest news to really come out of the convention all weekend was the dates for next years Big Apple Con.

October 7th-10th…Feel like you already have something going on that weekend? Thats because you do.

With all the lay-off’s at Wizard and the moving and shifting of  dates and guests for their assorted conventions across the country, there has been talk throughout the blogosphere about the collapse of the con creators and leading magazine. Mr. Gareb Shamus, Publisher (Wizard Magazine) and Convention Organizer has been making aggressive moves in what some consider to be the death throws of the company. His latest move? Perhaps irritated by Reed Exhibition’s move into Chicago with next years C2E2, Wizard announced this weekend that they plan on going head to head with Reed Exhibitions “New York Comic Con” next fall, scheduling their “Big Apple Con” the same weekend October 7-10. Reed just announced (last week) that they will be combining the 75,000 some fans at last years NYCC with the 25,000 some NYAF cos-players (New York Anime Fest) into the same weekend and location next year. Meaning that Wizard really needs to have Obama… and Jesus…. and probably Kobe Bryant as a guest to sway anyone to pick up tickets to both.

Having attended both New York Comic Con as well as some of Wizards events…I must say, there truly has been no comparison. In the movie “The Wrestler” there is a scene in which Randy the Ram goes to an autograph signing at a local VFW. The scene shows several old wrestlers sitting around tables and waiting for someone to want their autographs… some are drooling on themselves, some just fall asleep…that is Wizard Con. Ok well I may be exaggerating a little bit, it wouldn’t be the first time. At Big Apple Con this weekend Wizard was handing out some flyers for the con next year showing that Joe Quesada and Jim Lee both plan on attending as well as William Shatner. Still if you take a look at the guest list for this weekends con….it truly does seem more like that scene in “The Wrestler” than I think they would like to admit. Is it possible that it’s time for Wizard to retire and give up the fight to a younger more athletic competitor? One thing is for sure… Gareb Shamus is clearly planning on attempting a “Ram Slam” into a heart attack, death leap next fall. Good luck buddy, doctors will be on stand-by….and I will be at the New York Comic Con…

Stay Tuned for more information as I continue to monitor the Reed/ Wizard war.