What is your opinion on anime and comic conventions? Which do thing best?
I've attended countless anime conventions of all size, but only 3 comic/pop culture cons and they were kinda small.
From my experience, anime cons are just a lot more fun. The people that attend are a lot more fun to be around. Most comic books fan are just old, fat, and grumpy.
>>8920213
Comic cons generally have way more normies.
>Anime cons
Pros: More community based, tend to have a higher barrier to entry and such a much more like minded group of visitors
Cons: higher barrier of entry means more weebs, merch is generally pricier or knockoffs, less merch in general
>Comic cons
Pros: Generally more people, more celebrity guests, maybe even your local news will report on it without hanging their head in shame. Also lots of merch.
Cons: Giant money grab. You pay to get in, pay to stand in line to pay a celeb to shake your hand and then pay him again for him to acknowledge your existence. Not nearly as community oriented as anime cons.
Slightly related,
My minor complaint is that anime cons are starting to be commercialized like comiccons are. You're seeing it with this massive push to gentrify unsavory people from the community with these super restrictive "code of conducts" or COCblockers for short. Purpose isn't to make the con actually safer for congoers, it's to sanitize it for advertisers, because money means bigger con means more people means more money.
This whole trend started with comiccons but has recently spread with the rise of the SJCult.
>>8923815
As some who's volunteered/staffed at anime cons and have had a few run ins with asshole staffers, I'm fine with going commercial if it means less politics and bullshit. Doesn't Anime Boston outsource reg to a company?
From the exhibitor's/vendor's side of things, I prefer comic conventions. The cost might be more, but they tend to handle themselves more professionally, are more organized, and generally provide for you a little better than anime conventions.
I also prefer comic cons just because that's where my interests lie. I would argue that comic cons can be just as community-oriented as anime cons-- all the community stuff happens to get overshadowed by the commercialization. It's definitely there, though. Panels by and large are better and generally more engaging or well-run. There's a broad range of topics both entertaining and educational.
I don't mind normies, but you do lose the intimate fandom feel when there are so many of them around. Anime con parties are also wackier and a little more fun to go to, or that could just be my general friend group of weebs
>>8920654
Comic cons also tend to have WAYYYY better guests and dumb panels. Going to Comic Con, Wondercon and SVCC and I noticed how they don't even bother with having random fans submit panels. Instead they just fill that extra time with presentations from guests and autograph signings. That stuff is WAY more interesting than what the randos come up with
>>8923966
Because anime guests tend to be from another country and are much harder to book and manage and fly out?
>>8920213
Father Time fucks everybody OP.
And he'll fuck you too...
I feel like its not really a comparison? If you like comics, you'll probably like comic cons better. If you like anime, you're going to like anime conventions more.
Personally, I like comic cons more, but I like comics more. I really don't think I'd enjoy the younger crowd at anime cons and I've found plenty of community at my comic cons.
