The future of comic cons shouldn’t be digital
It may not be a revelation to anybody that international pandemics and mass gatherings are a terrible mix – it’s been a truth of lifestyles because the global went into lockdown in early 2020, with comedian cons and different fan activities becaming a casualty of the Covid-19 global.
Bringing lots of humans collectively from all around the global, squeezing them into cramped indoor spaces, and welcoming them to mingle is historically a part of the con revel in. But it is now no longer a first-rate concept whilst there’s an infectious novel virus at the free and, even in non-pandemic times, humans coming domestic with undefined “con flu” is going with the territory.
Movie studios and streamers had been brief to conform to the brand new global order, arising with opportunity plans to make certain upcoming releases remained a part of fan conversations. Over the ultimate 18 months, we’ve visible an explosion of digital activities along with DC FanDome, Star Trek Day, Netflix’s Tudum and the latest Disney Plus Day, in addition to an online-most effective model of San Diego Comic-Con, Comic-Con@Home.
Much like their stay-movement counterparts, those digital activities have unveiled new trailers and footage, introduced upcoming projects, and assembled stars and creators to speak approximately their projects.
When maximum folks had been trapped in our homes, they had been a top notch manner of preserving a experience of connection. But, now that the sector is drawing near a semblance of pre-coronavirus normality – with stay activities lower back at the calendar – it might be a disgrace if online-most effective activities have become the norm. Yes, the benefit of collaborating on our phones, pills and laptops is a bonus – however we’d be dropping lots extra than we gain.
The actual thing
Viruses aside, stay-movement activities aren’t with out their drawbacks. Tens of lots of humans creating a beeline for a unmarried vacation spot interprets right into a extensive carbon footprint, at the same time as even the most important venues have regulations on their capacity. This method cons are inherently exclusive, the form of activities maximum humans get to revel in through a fortunate few telling you the way cool they had been. Learning that the attendees of the San Diego Convention Center’s substantial Hall H were dealt with to exclusive, by no means-to-be-visible once more clips from the subsequent MCU film is a specially merciless shape of torture for a fan.
But the ‘actual thing’ is a lot extra profitable than sitting in the front of your computer, looking a montage of well-known faces on YouTube, or monotonously tapping refresh till the subsequent Twitter replace appears.
In the identical manner that stay tune and comedy are infinitely extra exhilarating than looking a gig on TV, the shared enthusiasm of a crowd can be – for need of a higher word – infectious. Being at San Diego whilst Kevin Feige unveiled the authentic Avengers line-up on level for the primary time become a actual “I become there!” moment. It’s a shared revel in, wherein the target target market is engaged with what’s taking place withinside the room, in preference to splitting their interest throughout a couple of screens, or responding to an assertion on social media.
Then there’s the entirety else that occurs at conventions farfar from the displays on the primary stages: con flooring filled with well-knownshows and difficult to understand products you by no means knew existed, or the risk to socialise with like-minded enthusiasts or associates. Events like San Diego and New York Comic-Con are wherein extensive quantities of commercial enterprise are done. Sure, lockdown has proved that an awful lot of these things is viable over Zoom, however the curated, ‘the entirety below one roof’ ethos of an excellent conference is nearly not possible to copy online.