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In recent months, the use of the word Comic-Con, and its many forms, has become litigious. We would prefer to focus on creating the best events and experiences for our attendees. Therefore, effective immediately, our event held annually in Phoenix in the spring will be rebranded as Phoenix Comic Fest. It will take the remainder of this week to transfer our website, social media sites, and other assets to the new name. In the meantime, we look forward to bringing you more guest announcements, more comic creators, more programming, and more excitement for 2018. In the coming weeks, look for announcements about our improved entry points and security, new partners, and more!
We've yet to see the extent to which CCI will actually extend their copyright control over the words "Comic Con", but this is likely to be the first of many such changes we see in the coming year.
What’s so special about the convention edition?Exclusive cover art featuring Chewbacca and L3-37Exclusive Star Wars pin featuring Peekpa, the Ewok hacker who joins Han/Lando on their adventure (see below!)Each copy signed by author Daniel José Older.Also comes with Star Wars tote bag!Cost: $45How Can I Buy the Exclusive Edition?You can get a copy by picking up a free wristband from the Del Rey Booth – Booth 1697 . Wristbands are available as follows:Thursday – Sunday, starting when the doors of the main convention show floor open to the general public, we will be giving out wristbands. Wristbands have been set aside for each day.Wait, did you say EWOK HACKER PIN?Yes. Yes we did.Awesome. So, what does the wristband do?A wristband allows you to purchase 1 copy of the exclusive edition. Wristbands are specific to each day. Once you receive a wristband, you can head to the Changing Hands Booth – AA1701 (next to the Del Rey booth) any time from show open until 6:00pm* to complete your transaction and pick up your book.*For Sunday, because of the early show closing, you can finalize your purchase anytime from show open until the close of the show at 5:00pm.Why do I need a wristband to buy the book?Two reasons. First, the convention editions are limited, so wristbands work like a ticket, and let us know how many we have to sell each day. Second, since a wristband guarantees you a copy of the exclusive edition, it gives you the freedom to head to the panels, signings, and other events you want to see before coming back to get your book at a time that works best for you. No need to wait in line for hours just to buy a book.What happens if I don’t pick up my book on the day I received a wristband?Wristbands are only valid for the day they were acquired. If you are unable to purchase your book on the specified date on your wristband, you will need to try and acquire a wristband on a different day. Any unclaimed books will be released on Sunday.How will leftover books (if any) be distributed Sunday?If there are leftovers. We will have extra Sunday wristbands to give out in the morning. We will only give out wristbands equal to the number of books still available for purchase.Other Questions:Who is eligible for a wristband?Only visitors to the show, which does include professionals and guests. Exhibitors and staff are eligible to receive a wristband to buy a copy of the exclusive edition ONLY on Sunday.Can I stand in line and get an extra wristband for a friend?No. Wristbands will only be given to individuals present. 1 wristband per person.The book is already signed, can I get it personalized?Yes, the convention edition sold is pre-signed by Daniel José Older, but we will have signings at the Del Rey booth (#1697) with him and he’d be happy to personalize your edition. The signing schedule will be available soon or at the booth.I don’t want / I missed out on the convention edition. Can I get a regular copy of Last Shot at the booth?Yes, limited copies of the regular edition for sale at the Changing Hands booth (#AA1701). These will be sold first come first serve, and not limited for each day. When they run out, they are gone.I can’t make it to Phoenix Comic Fest. Is there another way I can buy the convention edition?Yes! We will have copies of the convention edition, with the pin and the bag also available at Denver Comic Con in June. Stay tuned for more details.
uccdistributing Best cosplay of @phoenixcomicfest I’ve seen all weekend!
For people who went, how did this year compare to previous years?My friends who are vendors said that Phoenix is traditionally their best show but has gone downhill recently and this year was particularly bad. I’m wondering if it was just regarding sales (and wouldn’t affect attendees) or if it has been trending the same way for attendees. Though it seems like a lot of the other cons in the same tier have taken a hit this year.This one has been on my list to check out for a few years, though I haven’t since it seems to have settled on Memorial Day weekend. I haven’t been able to pull myself away from FanimeCon which is also always this weekend.
This won't be the perspective you're looking for exactly, since I didn't attend this years show, however as an AZ resident I attended PCC for a couple years before this one and follow the BRA PCF fan group and can speak to what I've seen and heard. The last couple years were building up to the point of disaster in my opinion. There was no organization, not enough volunteers, not enough staff, and just no organization in general for what seemed to be a massive overcrowding issue. Last year, everything hit the fan when the gun incident happened: each day had several hour lines outside in the Phoenix sun, there was vendor and cosplay drama, the lack of staff and organization had finally been exploited and there were a lot of complaints. Come this year, they hiked the price in an attempt to fix their staff/volunteer issue, which is great. I heard that people felt the con was better organized this year, and that alone was worth that price to them. But everyone knew about last year's drama, and thus this year, it seemed to be a general consensus that the con felt smaller, less busy (likely due to word of mouth for the years prior). What happened Saturday night with the fire alarm was an absolute disaster for sure, though I'm not sure what you can do when an entire convention center needs to be cleared.. I'm not surprised they canceled the night, though it speaks wonders that they were able to offer all Saturday-only passes Sunday passes too. So, general from what I've heard this year? They "fixed a lot of last years issues" and it felt noticeably less busy. Hope that adds a little perspective.. Its hard to judge solely from locals/members of the Blue Ribbon Army since there tends to be a positive bias toward PCF being the "best con ever" despite downfalls ;p Complaints are pretty normal during any con, but at least from my experience with PCC, a lot of them were pretty valid. I prefer to save the money toward better cons.
Thanks, that's very helpful. I'm glad that it sounds like they've been working on fixing issues. If the attendance noticeably decreased, then that probably has a lot to do with why my vendor friends said they (and others they talked to) weren't too happy with it this year.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or LoginOfficial numbers are out (Did they really just change their name again? Wonder why)Attendance dropped from 80.7k in 2017 to 57.8k in 2018. BIG drop. Is this because of what we discussed above? Dramatic at-door price increase? Or are cons seeing a shift?
They also didn't really have a big name or names to draw people this year.