Phoenix Comicon is one of the largest pop culture conventions in the Southwest. Starting as a one day event in 2002 with 400 attendees, it has grown to over 80K attendees and takes over Downtown Phoenix. Louie Martinez went and represented for Comicsheatingup.net.
This was my 6th year attending the con, and I look forward to it every year. This year was their BIGGEST and BEST! Here is a brief recap of the four day event..
Guest & Programming
PHXCC had some big celebrity draws to satisfy Whovians, Browncoats, superhero, anime, and reboot fans. Some of the big names include: Jason Momoa, Karl Urban, Alexis Denisof, Alyson Hannigan, Charisma Carpenter, Katee Sackhoff, David Morrissey, and Summer Glau.
I am a mere mortal who was solo in this land of Inhumans, so I couldn’t be everywhere like the Flash (that’s right, I mix universes), but I did attend a few panels. I saw the beautiful Charisma Carpenter reminisce about Buffy and Angel. David Morrissey, the Governor on the Walking Dead, told some hilarious TWD and Dr. Who stories. I was too busy slaying zombies to catch Jason Momoa, but he had the most positive celebrity feedback I have seen through social media and friends. If Momoa wins PHXCC, Lou Ferrigno loses. I have rarely seen negative celeb feedback, but I did overhear a conversation and went to check social media – sure enough, several bad comments! Maybe next year we can get Mark Ruffalo?
Among all the pop culture hoopla, PHXCC is still a comic convention at its heart. Industry guest included: Adam Beechen, Arthur Adams, Jae Lee, Darick Robertson, Alex De Campi (who rocked the Dark Horse panel), Max Brooks, and many many more. Some major publishers had booths as well: Dark Horse, Valiant, Zenescope, Aspen. I attended the Dark Horse panel where they announced a new Colder series coming in September.
Being a huge fan of Chaos! Comics from the 90s, I had to see what Brian Pulido (Coffin Comics) has in store for some of his enigmatic characters now that he is self-publishing Lady Death again. The 90s are back!
I am a long time horror fan, proud of it. I was quite pleased to see an entire hallway of the second floor dedicated to horror programing. This included a Fright House, several horror panels, horror trivia contests, and live Creepy Pasta readings.
The “outside con” is continuing to expand. This year we were lucky with weather in the low 100s. You may be thinking “Good God! How is life sustained there?!?!” 100 is actually a warm up for us. The entire street between the two convention center buildings was shut down for con-goers to enjoy nerdy car shows, food trucks, zombie walks, and live bands.
The Hyatt across the street dedicated several rooms to tabletop gaming and video gaming. The Renaissance had dedicated room for stage shows, cosplay meet ups and Steampunk panels. The Sheraton had dedicated rooms for combat exhibitions and an Anime lounge.
PHXCC keeps expanding its footprint every year!
I also quite enjoyed meeting the leaders of the Blue Ribbon Army – a local PHXCC fan club/social group/fundraising group. They hold raffles and sell merch for charity, but there is a unique bonus for fans who purchase a blue BRA lanyard. Instant friends with anyone else wearing a BRA lanyard! It was helpful way to easily meet other congoers and break out of my shell.
Exclusives
I am a rabid exclusives hunter! I don’t know if it’s the collector in me or if I just enjoy having a keepsake from the event. Some highlights:
Archie Vs Predator #1 variant by Darick Robertson – feel free to make a video game out of this mashup.
Several awesome Lady Death Exclusives – local creator Brian Pulido always brings multiple exclusives including an “instant” exclusive. That doesn’t mean you mix it with water. It’s a variant cover drawn onsite by Mike DeBalfo and printed by Sunday.
Aspen brought exclusive variants of Fathom: Kiani, Lola XOXO, Shahrazad, and Psycho Bonkers.
Zenescope delivered some sexified covers of their Snow White and Little Mermaid titles.
My only bit of feedback is that there is no significant reporting of exclusives in a single place. The PHXCC website has a place to list them, but I don’t know if vendors use it enough. Many exclusives are announced via each vendor’s independent website or social media.
Cosplay
Check out the pics!! Phoenix Cosplayers always bring it plus the show promotes it heavily. There was daily cosplay events like fashion shows, costume contests, along with several how-to panels geared toward cosplay. A very warm and welcoming atmosphere for cosplayers backed by PHXCC’s posted “Cosplay is not consent” policy I could go on and on about the creativity I saw, but I will let the pics do the talking!
Costs
The prices increase as the show gets closer but generally if you buy before the show, it will run you $80 for the full four days. There was a $10 for ages 3-12 starting this year. There is also a Fast Pass option at $399 which gives you dedicated line access to autographs and photo ops. This option was controversial as some think it creates an elitist class of attendees. Other than my opinion that they could have picked a better name, I see nothing wrong with a small subset of attendees getting a faster experience if they are willing to pay that premium. With panels and most events included in the price, I still think PHXCC is a reasonable cost for 4 full days jam packed with programming. Parking will average $10 and food is reasonable in downtown Phoenix. Floor vendors were holding firm on prices or giving minimal discounts from what I saw. Most vendors I spoke to said they were having a great con so I wasn’t seeing many discounts on Sunday. I wouldn’t consider this con inexpensive relative to others, but delivers plenty of value for attendees.
Final Thoughts
This was the best local con I have attended, and so impressed with how PHXCC can simultaneously expand every year while making it a better experience every year. With my trust in the Phoenix Comicon brand, I am all in for their second show in December. If you are in the southwest and can make it down to Phoenix, come check out the big show next May or June.
I heard more comparison with San Diego Comic Con than ever before. I don’t think there really is a comparison until PHXCC welcomes major movies studios, major toy manufacturers, and Marvel/DC. However, I prefer PHXCC stays with the way it is with its large but local feel. But guess I can’t stop everyone from wanting to share this great experience. It’s quite a change to being on solo missions to running into family members and co-workers at the con. There are always hiccups when 80K people show up at one place, but again the PHXCC staff hit it out of the park! I give them an A+ for providing a great experience!
Thank you
Phoenix Comicon!
http://www.phoenixcomicon.com/
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