Do we have a bit of a con war heating up here? With his Big Apple Con already announced, and (if it continues in 2011) primed for a conflict with Reed’s New York Comic-Con, Wizard owner Gareb Shamus has just announced the Anaheim Comic-Con to he held the exact same weekend as C2E2, the Reed-run comics/media show being launched in Chicago next April. The Anaheim show would seem to replace the Wizard-owned Wizard World LA — long postponed — on the schedule.
With C2E2 going up against the renamed Chicago Comic-Con (a.k.a. Wizard World Chicago) and now Anaheim set for the exact same dates…can you say: It’s on.
Gareb Shamus, CEO of New York based Wizard Entertainment, announced today the launch of the first-ever Anaheim Comic-Con, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center from April 16-18, 2010.
Richard McWilliam, Upper Deck Chairman/CEO said, “Gareb and I have been friends for many years now, and I’m happy to see him once again back in Southern California. On behalf of myself and Upper Deck, we congratulate Gareb for bringing the fans here another great Comic-Con.”
Upper Deck recently announced a licensing agreement with Marvel Entertainment to create products based on Marvel characters, including Trading Cards, TCGs and Miniatures Games.
Anaheim will be the fifth Comic-Con city for shows produced by Gareb, joining Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and the recently-purchased Toronto event. Attendees can anticipate the strong caliber lineup of stars and exhibitors that fans across the nation have come to expect.
“We had an outpouring of requests by fans and partners to return to Southern California, and felt that Anaheim was the best place to come back to,” said Shamus. “There is a real desire here for a comic based pop-culture experience, and I feel privileged to get back in touch with our west coast fans in this way. This will truly be an event for families and people of all ages.”
Ahmet Zappa, Publisher of Disney’s Kingdom Comics said, “All of us at Kingdom Comics are thrilled to be working with our friends from Wizard, as they get ready to add the Anaheim Comic-Con to their line-up of spectacular fan events. They have a reputation in the industry for putting on great shows in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York, and the Anaheim Comic-Con will bring exciting entertainment to our own backyard.”
Kingdom Comics is developing entertaining new graphic novels, and re-imagining motion pictures from the Disney live-action vaults, and plans to use the Anaheim convention to showcase new projects to the fan community.
Another act of desperation.
Gareb Shamus’ goals;
Ruin comic book magazines, done.
Ruin comic book conventions, in progress…
Unfair to say, but seemingly his intentions.
I’ll need to see more info before I start getting to excited, like I am for Long Beach in October, but I’m still excited. So Cal needs more conventions.
My excitement level is directly proportional to how much the management has learned from the really anemic last couple years of Wizard’s LA show.
I’ll probably go for one day, just because it’s within driving distance for me, but I’m more interested in the Long Beach con right now.
Anyone else find it interesting that it’s not Wizard buying/launching all these cons, but Gareb Shamus himself? And they’re down to just one of the five cons actually using the name “Wizard World?”
I don’t understand this guy. You don’t piss all over established and respected shows like Heroes Con, NYCC and Comic Con. What the hell? Has anyone been to Philly the last couple of years on the SAME weekend as Heroes Con? No, because there’s Heroes Con. There is already too many conventions.
Keep up the good work Shamus. Shame on you.
Im an LA/OC guy. LA/OC is not comic town like Chicago. Theres plenty of shops by virtue of how large the population is but i dont know how big this con can be.
Shamus can have all the conventions he wants. He can have 20 a year for all I care. He can run then against better established conventions or he can run them clear of other conventions. I just don’t care how many he has.
Although it hasn’t been proven in a court of law, he might be a putz.
Gareb Shamus = the Vince Russo of the comics industry.
Good!
For all of those who have ordered online from wizard and had their money stolen (either by receiving nothing or incomplete orders) then this will make it much easier to corner the wizard scum and take up our complaints in person.