Every year, artists, retailers, publishers and fans gather in Chicago’s South Loop at McCormick Place, North America’s largest convention hall, for C2E2. In normal years, the midwest’s premiere comics and entertainment expo heralds the beginning of convention season, bringing fans out of their winter hibernation and welcoming a new year of comics. In 2020, the convention welcomed something different, as it effectively became the last big comics show before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While things have not returned to pre-pandemic highs, this year’s C2E2 provided promise that some level of normal is in sight.
Attendance was clearly down from 2020, though show promoter ReedPop did not reply to our request for comment. Most exhibitors didn’t increase their booth sizes to fill the space, but with a noticeable drop in exhibitors, the floor ended with large, empty swaths, a far cry from the usual wall-to-wall onslaught of booths. Daniel Crary, director of communications and special events for Vault Comics, mentioned that they were using this show as a barometer for the rest of con season, opting to go with a smaller corner booth a few isles into the show floor. Joe Pruett, chief creative officer and publisher for AfterShock Comics, took a different approach to the space. They expanded their convention presence, going for a large premiere spot near the entrance of the show floor, telling ComicsXF they “were taking advantage of the bigger companies not wanting to come out and meet the fans anymore.”
It’s true that fewer publishers attended this year than in 2020, though the number was up from the December 2021 show. Of publishers with a strong direct market presence, only Zenescope and Source Point Press attended, in addition to the previously mentioned Vault and AfterShock. Other publishers opted out of a booth, with Bad Idea and Marvel choosing to walk the floor instead. Marvel did hold some traditional events, such as portfolio reviews and panels. At one panel, Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski commiserated with fans’ disappointment that Marvel was unable to host a booth. Marvel did not respond to a request for a comment.
Perhaps this experience-first approach will become more popular in the new normal of conventions. It takes fewer resources to manage a retail presence versus an experience-focused booth. Justin Cavender, senior marketing manager for Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America Inc., pointed to their One Piece installation, where they demoed upcoming trading card games, figures and video games, as well as a complete collection of the manga to read in the booth. This strategy is in line with many trade shows outside the comics industry, where building brand awareness and loyalty are the primary goals, with direct sales being secondary, if they exist at all.
Across the board, one item that drove attention at the convention was exclusives. From big players like Bandai Namco, who successfully piloted an online ordering system for exclusives, to start-ups like 3 Worlds 3 Moons, exclusive products dominated the atmosphere. Artist David Nakayama commented that exclusives were far and away the best sellers at his booth. Crary at Vault said there’s a specific market for exclusives, and that market allows them to have high-end products, spreading their net to capture a variety of price points. For AfterShock, exclusives are used to cover convention costs, financing its large booth with a variety of trade paperbacks.
With fewer premiere exhibitors, crowds seemed to flock to Artist Alley. Writer/artist Kyle Starks said it “used to be harder to walk to the hot dog place” but that he was just as busy as in years past. Writer/artist Daniel Warren Johnson agreed, “things have been crazy at my table.” Regardless of attendance varying wildly, artist Chris Schweizer reported nearly no decline in sales, a phenomenon he also saw at last year’s New York Comic Con. First time C2E2 tabler Marcelo Biott had his best show ever, with seasoned pros mentioning that if he’s doing good at this show, where attendance is down, he would do good anywhere.
A repeated message from across the convention floor was that, while attendance was down, sales per person were significantly up. Bandai Namco’s Cavender saw repeat attendees at his booths, contributing to a high basket size per consumer. Nakayama agreed, saying attendees were buying generously. Vault saw less foot traffic than it expected but higher spend per person, claiming attendees were consuming with “more vigor and ferocity.”
It was writer/artist Wes Craig’s first show back since the pandemic shutdown, and his experience echoed a concern many have had with the return of conventions. People, especially comics talent, are unsure about health and safety standards at shows. Starks said “[comics creators] are stay-at-home people; a lot of us aren’t going to go out.” Crary said Vault talent saw safety as a high concern, especially in the wake of San Diego Comic Con, where COVID-19 spread caused high-profile comics guests like Jonathan Hickman to be unable to attend.
What many creators were looking for is simple consistency in COVID protocols. Two days before the opening of C2E2, Emerald City Comic Con, also organized by ReedPop, reinstated a masking policy for its show, which opens Thursday. Schweizer advocated for organizers to announce health and safety policies before tickets and artist tables went on sale, something that didn’t happen for C2E2 or ECCC. Cavender advocated for a safety-first approach, encouraging organizers not to compromise health for attendees. In general though, many creators were complimentary of how ReedPop organized the show in the face of tough challenges.
At his booth, Nakyama said, “95% of people aren’t wearing a mask, so there’s definitely a lot of people who don’t care very much.” This resigned attitude about masking was shared by many attendees, especially those from the Midwest, where the social expectations around masking have always been more lax. The repeated refrain was an acknowledgement that people are “over” COVID, speaking to the mixed messaging by public health officials and politicians. Johnson summed it up saying, “As far as COVID or anything like that, I just don’t care anymore. I’m ready to rock and roll. It is what it is; let us move forward.”
It was feared that C2E2 2020 was the end of comic conventions as we know them. But like many things in those uncertain days, it’s possible the despair was unfounded. Artists still spent a weekend hunched over commissions, cranky old comics legends still gave their unfiltered opinions on panels, and an army of cosplayers still gathered to dress as the new hotness in nerd media (This year it was Stranger Things’ Eddie Munson). Conventions aren’t dead, just different. All we can do is take whatever precautions we can to ensure fans are around to enjoy them year after year.
Zachary Jenkins runs ComicsXF and is a co-host on the podcast “Battle of the Atom.” Shocking everyone, he has a full and vibrant life outside of all this.
