It's Andy Fish!

New York Comic Con is sort of the bookend to San Diego Comic Con– it’s bigger than San Diego attendance wise but it’s not even close when it comes to it’s enjoyment level.

San Diego is an oasis in the madness that is the Comic Show, NYCC is a chance to get off the filthy streets of Manhattan for the obviously way past safety levels put forth by any fire marshall in a city that isn’t loaded with corruption– nowhere else can you have an entrance with twenty five doors and twenty five ques funneling into a single up escalator and not have a guy in a big white fire hat shutting the whole thing down– but I digress.

Most Comic Cons work like this- they contact you, they ask if you’d be willing to make an appearance at their show and then they fly you out, pay for your hotel and give you a table where you can sell original art, comics you’ve worked on, etc. In return you may do a panel or two discussing your career and experience as a comic creator. Some of the really great shows even provide you with meals and a “green room” to let you get off the show floor for a few minutes. South Carolina Comic Con is one such show which is how I found myself in a quiet area enjoying some pulled chicken seated next to Gustavo from BETTER CALL SAUL.

Not so New York and San Diego, unless you are a featured guest which I’ll get to in a minute. At those shows you have to bid to get a table in artists alley and then if you’re accepted you have to pay for your own travel and lodging as well as the table space. It’s a model I’m surprised more shows don’t follow– but I think most promoters get it that without the creators of the comics these fans like there is no show.

In San Diego at least, if you’re a featured guest, as Veronica and I were in 2018– all our expenses were covered and they asked us if we wanted a table. We had committed to a litany of meetings and panels so we opted NOT to get a table so we could better focus on making it to all the other committments. SDCC assigned us handlers so that they could take us through secret doors to cut through the massive crowds so a walk that would normally take 45 mins only took 5.

We did a ton of Press at SDCC including podcast interviews, print (Entertainment Weekly) and TV (the SyFy channel and another show which I unfortunately can’t remember.

At New York Comic Con, the only time the show was comped for us was when one of our publishers picked up the expense and we did a lot of press for a book we were working on.

The primary reason any creator does either of these shows is to make deals and connections. Its one of the rare chances to meet editors you’ve corresponded with or worked for and that builds solid relationship and ensures a continuing work flow.

When making the choice both cities are equally expensive- although if you book far enough out San Diego is a little bit better and getting around is so much easier– you also don’t have to navigate all the nonsense that New York allows to go on in its streets.

For me, even though New York is a 45 minute flight– it’s a no-brainer– San Diego all the way.