We tend to wear our fandoms on our sleeves, and resent anyone we feel hasn't "paid their dues" to get to our lofty platform.
Stupid, I know...
I dunno... I can relate to it actually. Not in this or most circumstances, but there are a few places I can honestly sympathize with that POV.
Oh I do it...don't get me wrong. When I hear someone say "I've been in to Doctor Who since it began. Eccleston really set the standard!" it's all I can do not to roll my eyes. :)
Goes back to the old Billy Crystal joke: "Dad, was Paul McCartney in a band before Wings?"
How about people go to conventions and have fun, and as long as no one is getting hurt, we just f%$#*ng have fun? I like cosplayers. If they want attention WHO BLOODY CARES?!? EVERYONE wants to let other people know they exist in some way. Everyone likes to be noticed for positive things. I want to be known for my podcast, my writing, by elusive charm, my resume, etc.... It all depends on where I am.
And I don't mind pretty girls dressing up in skimpy clothing. I find them visually pleasing, and many of them are quite pleasant if you treat them with a modicum of respect. I couldn't give less of a shit if they are "true fans" or not. Hell, EVERYONE has been accused of not being a "true fan" in some way or another.
Kind of like how I feel that you bastards who don't buy everything Kirby related aren't True Fans, ya slacker wannabes!
“When people say the word "convention," they are usually referring to large gatherings of the employees of companies and corporations who attend a mass assembly, usually in a big hotel somewhere, for the purpose of pretending to learn stuff when they are in fact enjoying a free trip somewhere, time off work, and the opportunity to flirt with strangers, drink, and otherwise indulge themselves.
The first major difference between a business convention and a fandom convention is that fandom doesn’t bother with the pretenses. They’re just there to have a good time.
The second difference is the dress code— the ensembles at a fan convention tend to be considerably more novel.”
And I've got news for Harris, I've seen guys at cons dressed in spandex that shouldn't be!
M
It seems at every con I goto there is one guy who is fat and wears the tightest spandex he can find. I saw a guy dressed up as Flash at the last con. He had to be at least 300lbs.
@dubbat138 I think that guy is trying to be the old silver age Flash in the where he gets super fat :)
How about people go to conventions and have fun, and as long as no one is getting hurt, we just f%$#*ng have fun? I like cosplayers. If they want attention WHO BLOODY CARES?!? EVERYONE wants to let other people know they exist in some way. Everyone likes to be noticed for positive things. I want to be known for my podcast, my writing, by elusive charm, my resume, etc.... It all depends on where I am.
And I don't mind pretty girls dressing up in skimpy clothing. I find them visually pleasing, and many of them are quite pleasant if you treat them with a modicum of respect. I couldn't give less of a shit if they are "true fans" or not. Hell, EVERYONE has been accused of not being a "true fan" in some way or another.
Kind of like how I feel that you bastards who don't buy everything Kirby related aren't True Fans, ya slacker wannabes!
Yes.
However. . .
I would be lying if I said that the behavior of a lot of cosplayers is not a pain in the ass at the New York Comic Con. And that has been consistent year after year. Now, there is plenty of poor behavior on the part of non-costumed attendees. But I have to admit there is something about a lot of the cosplay behavior at the show that hits some pet peeves of mine. One (and, again, this is not exclusive to cosplayers) is anyone taking more than their fair of space by interrupting the flow of traffic. I think it may be the longtime New Yorker in me, but that is a pain.
And I also think there is something that rubs me the wrong way about what feels to me to be a desire to not attend the show as much as to BE the show. Maybe this is a pet peeve for me because, as an actor, I know that sort of energy and need. Some of my favorite people in the world are also actors, but they tend to be the unassuming, even quiet type (and a lot of actors are). They are not the people that need to draw attention and be the show wherever they go. Those are the types of actors I tend to not get on with, and dread being around in large groups. Now-- it is me presuming (and not following Al's wise suggestion of talking about the behavior and not the person)-- but there is something about Cosplay, especially the behavior of someone gladly holding up traffic in front of an artist alley table or the middle of a busy aisle to pose for pictures that just feels to me like that sort of needy actor energy I like to avoid. Now, I don't think this is true of everyone who cosplays. But I will say I think of it in the cosplayers whose behavior I notice.
I just think there is a difference between attending the show to see and buy things and attending the show to BE seen. The one seems like you are supporting and spending, the other. . .?
And now, like the end of a pharmaceutical commercial, here are the caveats:
I in no way support the statement that Harris made, and especially the tone and way he made it. There is no margin in how he did what he did, and I think he embarassed himself.
This is nothing to do with who does or doesn't have geek cred. If you buy a ticket, you are as welcome to the show as anyone else. And if going to the show is the way you read your first comic book, then great! Welcome aboard. BUT, that democracy goes both ways-- if you buy your ticket but end up creating much more than one person worth of traffic, and regularly take up more than your space without consideration of the people around you (including and especially the people who have paid to exhibit), then I don't care how many comics you have or haven't read in your life, your behavior is selfish, no matter what your "cred" is.
It may be that my feelings on this will soften when my daughter is old enough for me to take her to NYCC. I think where cosplay is at its best is when it creates a fun experience for kids. But even then I would make a point of meeting or visiting "characters" off to the side, where we wouldn't be in the way.
I know this is all a little grumpy and judgy of me, and definitely should be filed under First World Problems. But, there it is.
I just think there is a difference between attending the show to see and buy things and attending the show to BE seen. The one seems like you are supporting and spending, the other. . .?
Ever been to a Renaissance Faire?
There are a ton of folks (I've been one) who will go to the same Faire every weekend to swan around in their garb and PAY to be part of the show.
I love the cosplayers, they, unlike far too many of today's comics, are still escapist and fun!
I just think there is a difference between attending the show to see and buy things and attending the show to BE seen. The one seems like you are supporting and spending, the other. . .?
Ever been to a Renaissance Faire?
There are a ton of folks (I've been one) who will go to the same Faire every weekend to swan around in their garb and PAY to be part of the show.
I love the cosplayers, they, unlike far too many of today's comics, are still escapist and fun!
I haven't, but fair enough.
(I would guess, though, that being outside, there is much more elbow room.)
I just think there is a difference between attending the show to see and buy things and attending the show to BE seen. The one seems like you are supporting and spending, the other. . .?
Ever been to a Renaissance Faire?
There are a ton of folks (I've been one) who will go to the same Faire every weekend to swan around in their garb and PAY to be part of the show.
I love the cosplayers, they, unlike far too many of today's comics, are still escapist and fun!
I haven't, but fair enough.
(I would guess, though, that being outside, there is much more elbow room.)
I just think there is a difference between attending the show to see and buy things and attending the show to BE seen. The one seems like you are supporting and spending, the other. . .?
Ever been to a Renaissance Faire?
There are a ton of folks (I've been one) who will go to the same Faire every weekend to swan around in their garb and PAY to be part of the show.
I love the cosplayers, they, unlike far too many of today's comics, are still escapist and fun!
I haven't, but fair enough.
(I would guess, though, that being outside, there is much more elbow room.)
Not in the vicinity of the beer stalls! :-B
Ha! Well, that's not a surprise! Ren Fair's are already sounding like more fun.
1: Provide a discount, special wristband and special check-in line for cosplayers.
2: Provide a nice area between the entrance and the convention floor proper for photo ops.
3: Provide a green room with light refreshments, where registered cosplayers can take a break from the public.
4: Explain at their special check-in line, and have them sign an agreement, that posing for photos on the convention floor proper will result in forfeiture of their wristband and accompanying privileges.
1: Provide a discount, special wristband and special check-in line for cosplayers.
2: Provide a nice area between the entrance and the convention floor proper for photo ops.
3: Provide a green room with light refreshments, where registered cosplayers can take a break from the public.
4: Explain at their special check-in line, and have them sign an agreement, that posing for photos on the convention floor proper will result in forfeiture of their wristband and accompanying privileges.
I think that is an excellent proposal. If a discount, priority entrance, and snacks are involved, there may end up being some VERY loose interpretation of cosplay attempted, but that would be someone else's headache. Trading #1-3 for a strictly enforced #4 sounds good to me!
There are actually a couple of interesting things that Tony brings up, and mostly it revolves around one thing: bias against cosplayers.
Putting aside the fact that he said something about some women cosplayers who actually read and like comics, he makes the assumption that most don't, and are dressing up for the attention... and I don't know if it's just me, but it feels like that's a pervasive attitude amongst comic fans.
It's not an attitude that I share, I've known and met tons of cosplayers, and they have varying levels of knowledge of comics, and that's fine. I would never, ever expect them to know everything about everything. Part of me does expect that you should know a good amount of information on the character you're cosplaying as (it kinda shows you're faking it if you dress up as Phoenix, and you don't know who Jean Grey is, just a personal thing)... but I find that's not the case for the most part.
Then again, maybe the person just likes how a character looks, maybe they've seen the character a handful of times and decided "hey, I really identify with this character", and they decide to dress up as them because it helps them feel stronger, better, whatever... does anyone have the right to tell them they can't? Yes... because it's a free country, but I mean that's like letting the Klan march... we may let you express your opinions, but we don't have to like them...
I'm not saying Tony Harris is a Klansman, he's just a dick. And I respect him as a professional somewhat... but he doesn't produce comics anymore and he can't really say that a convention is his workplace. He has to produce work for that to happen. That's my 2 cents.
There are actually a couple of interesting things that Tony brings up, and mostly it revolves around one thing: bias against cosplayers.
Putting aside the fact that he said something about some women cosplayers who actually read and like comics, he makes the assumption that most don't, and are dressing up for the attention... and I don't know if it's just me, but it feels like that's a pervasive attitude amongst comic fans.
It's not an attitude that I share, I've known and met tons of cosplayers, and they have varying levels of knowledge of comics, and that's fine. I would never, ever expect them to know everything about everything. Part of me does expect that you should know a good amount of information on the character you're cosplaying as (it kinda shows you're faking it if you dress up as Phoenix, and you don't know who Jean Grey is, just a personal thing)... but I find that's not the case for the most part.
Then again, maybe the person just likes how a character looks, maybe they've seen the character a handful of times and decided "hey, I really identify with this character", and they decide to dress up as them because it helps them feel stronger, better, whatever... does anyone have the right to tell them they can't? Yes... because it's a free country, but I mean that's like letting the Klan march... we may let you express your opinions, but we don't have to like them...
I'm not saying Tony Harris is a Klansman, he's just a dick. And I respect him as a professional somewhat... but he doesn't produce comics anymore and he can't really say that a convention is his workplace. He has to produce work for that to happen. That's my 2 cents.
I agreed with you 100% until the last paragraph. Just because an artist doesn’t have much work appear on the stands over a certain period of time, it doesn’t mean they’re not producing comic book work. Besides doing the covers for The Shade 12-issue series for the past year, he’s also been working on the soon-to-be-released JSA: Liberty Files mini-series, as well as two creator-owned projects called Roundeye and Chin Music. So, yes, conventions are still very much his workplace.
I don't go to comic conventions, but it seems some con-goers take it way too seriously. But if you see a fetching woman in a Black Widow costume, and you're a fan of said character, do you really care if she's never read the comic?
There are actually a couple of interesting things that Tony brings up, and mostly it revolves around one thing: bias against cosplayers.
Putting aside the fact that he said something about some women cosplayers who actually read and like comics, he makes the assumption that most don't, and are dressing up for the attention... and I don't know if it's just me, but it feels like that's a pervasive attitude amongst comic fans.
It's not an attitude that I share, I've known and met tons of cosplayers, and they have varying levels of knowledge of comics, and that's fine. I would never, ever expect them to know everything about everything. Part of me does expect that you should know a good amount of information on the character you're cosplaying as (it kinda shows you're faking it if you dress up as Phoenix, and you don't know who Jean Grey is, just a personal thing)... but I find that's not the case for the most part.
Then again, maybe the person just likes how a character looks, maybe they've seen the character a handful of times and decided "hey, I really identify with this character", and they decide to dress up as them because it helps them feel stronger, better, whatever... does anyone have the right to tell them they can't? Yes... because it's a free country, but I mean that's like letting the Klan march... we may let you express your opinions, but we don't have to like them...
I'm not saying Tony Harris is a Klansman, he's just a dick. And I respect him as a professional somewhat... but he doesn't produce comics anymore and he can't really say that a convention is his workplace. He has to produce work for that to happen. That's my 2 cents.
I agreed with you 100% until the last paragraph. Just because an artist doesn’t have much work appear on the stands over a certain period of time, it doesn’t mean they’re not producing comic book work. Besides doing the covers for The Shade 12-issue series for the past year, he’s also been working on the soon-to-be-released JSA: Liberty Files mini-series, as well as two creator-owned projects called Roundeye and Chin Music. So, yes, conventions are still very much his workplace.
I think that I still disagree with the idea that the convention is Harris' workplace -- or the workplace of any artist or writer or whoever else. It's a public market, or as public as a convention can get, where people come to trade, buy, sell and be entertained. He may be working the market, as all vendors do, but it is not his workspace as his studio is, and it is certainly not his private workspace. I've worked conventions from behind the tables, and it's not really the most conducive place to actually work on drawing anything - too much noise and confusion, and too many distractions. You can work there, and certainly many artists do sketches and other art, but it's not really the best place for concentration. Any artist generally understands that working at conventions is, at best, working in an arena, and you have to accept that you're sharing that space with other artists, fans, publishers, cosplayers, and everybody else, and you have to make room for them and their enjoyment as well. One other thing: most pros (like Harris) either get in for free or are renting table space; the fans are paying for the whole experience, and that doesn't include getting spat at by the pros.
Edit: It suddenly occurs to me that I may be making an argument with absolutely nobody at all. If that's the case, I apologize for being argumentative, and encourage everybody to pass on by and continue reading without interuption.
I will agree that the entire con does not become the de facto workplace of the pros. Just because you work in comics doesn't give you more ownership of the show than some else attending.
But, more specifically, the table, and the area immediately around a table you have rented can be considered a workplace. That doesn't mean you expect it to be as controlled of an environment as your own studio. But even if you are not drawing at the table and are just there to sell comics, prints, sketchbooks, etc. then it is your workplace. And a workplace you have paid for. And if there is behavior that is unnecessarily blocking or impeding movement around that space you have paid for, I think it is fair to feel wronged by that. (Though, as I mentioned before, you could do a MUCH better job of expressing that frustration than Harris did).
And that is not just an artist thing. I think the same would apply if, say, I went to the farmer's market in Union Square and decided I would use in front of the farm stand you have paid for as the place to, say, do my mime show* and pose for pictures with passers by. I think those farmers would be in their right to complain that I was intruding on their workplace by getting in the way of them selling their wares.
So, again, while I in no way support the way Harris went about expressing himself on this matter, I don't take issue with his definition of a convention as a workplace. At least, in terms of the table he has rented.
*This is a hypothetical. I have no mime show. I wanted that to be clear.
I don't know exactly how much Tony charges for commissions at the show, but it’s probably in the $200 range, and most artists on his level probably do 15 to 25 or so at each show. When you multiply that by the five to ten shows most artists attend each year, that adds up to a significant amount of their yearly income. So how is an artist’s table at a con not their workplace? If you want to mince words, yes, the con as a whole is not their private workspace, but most artists view attending cons as part of their job, and consider it work.
@David_D, I agree with you completely. Except for that part about the mime show. I believe you do in fact have a mime show and are just too ashamed to admit it. ;)
@David_D, I agree with you completely. Except for that part about the mime show. I believe you do in fact have a mime show and are just too ashamed to admit it. ;)
About the only thing I can think of was when I worked a Phoenix con awhile back and a booth about two stalls down from me hired a cosplay babe to draw attention to the booth. Across the aisle from her was a fellow artist bud of mine, who'd rented her own booth. Now, imagine you're an artist, and you've put your wares out on the table, and you have person after person putting their purses, bags, weapons (fake), etc...on your table so they can go have their photo taken with the cosplayer across the aisle. How long before you snap?
Yes, I know, the pat answer is "Well I would certainly welcome the attention my own booth was getting as a result and she should have capitalized on that." Only it rarely happens that way. I felt bad for her. Next year she rented a larger vendor booth removed from the artist alley. :)
But the situation is exactly the same as when you have a booth or table next to a highly popular artist. I've sat in tables next to people like Stan Sakai and Sergio Aragones, and the lines in front of those tables generally choke off traffic for a radius of several booths. Not that I begrudge them the fans; they deserve them. But the choke is the same as it can be with the cosplayers.
But the situation is exactly the same as when you have a booth or table next to a highly popular artist. I've sat in tables next to people like Stan Sakai and Sergio Aragones, and the lines in front of those tables generally choke off traffic for a radius of several booths. Not that I begrudge them the fans; they deserve them. But the choke is the same as it can be with the cosplayers.
Absolutely. Sometimes this is unavoidable, unfortunately, but more often than not it's a result of poor planning by the show runners, a bad floor plan, or a lack of manpower for crowd control.
Case in point: At Baltimore a couple of months back, I was running the TwoMorrows booth—a corner booth. Directly behind me was the Hero Initiative booth, and directly beside me was a booth occupied by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. John Romita Jr did multiple signings at the HI booth, twice with Romita Sr. Obviously, both booths were going to draw long lines. Sure enough, as soon as the doors opened at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, people started lining up. However, there was no staff member there to wrangle the line, so the HI line filed up right along the side of my booth up against my tables. Meanwhile, the Snyder/Capullo line filed up right along the front of my booth, again, up against my tables. It was 45 minutes before a staff member came along and I was able to get them to shift the lines off of my tables.
After that, they left a staff person there to manage the lines. With Snyder/Capullo, there was no problem. One side of their booth was on a wider aisle, so the line could be shifted out into the center of the aisle, with gaps for people to walk through—as they do in San Diego to great effect. They could have done the same thing with the HI booth, but poor planning had them on a narrow aisle, so the line was only two feet from my tables, making it very inconvenient for my customers to get to half my set-up. And the line was quite long, as JR was doing sketches, so I was not the only vendor who ended up being pissed off by the arrangement—especially since it could easily have been avoided by putting them on a wider aisle.
In New York, all the big names “stars” are set up in a room to themselves, so that lines are very manageable. There was one exception, though. One of the vendors paid big money to have Stan Lee sign at their booth, causing not one, but two long lines: one line to buy tickets for a signature, and one for the actual signing. And, of course, the line for the signing went right in front of my table. And there were no staff members there to manage the line until it was time to cap it off. So for two hours on Friday, and two more on Saturday, I had practically no business because no one could get to my tables. Several vendors complained, but to no avail. I will say, though, that New York’s Artist Alley was very well set up. The aisles were very wide, so I never saw an issue of lines for one artist blocking another artist’s table. Unfortunately, that’s not the case at every show.
But the situation is exactly the same as when you have a booth or table next to a highly popular artist. I've sat in tables next to people like Stan Sakai and Sergio Aragones, and the lines in front of those tables generally choke off traffic for a radius of several booths. Not that I begrudge them the fans; they deserve them. But the choke is the same as it can be with the cosplayers.
And, of course, there is always going to be challenges to running a booth in a shared space, and crowd control. The one you bring up is one of them.
... All the more reason for people who are not even renting a table in Artists Alley to not create unnecessary traffic in Artist's Alley by stopping and posing for pictures with people. As you mention, it is a challenging enough workplace at it is for the people who have actually paid to get to do business in that space.
This leads me to another question to consider. Maybe this is silly, but I think it is worth a thought:
If someone were a serious cosplayer, and wanted to promote their personal brand, website, portfolio, etc., why can't they rent a table and exhibit? I mean, would it not be considered inappropriate if a publisher or artist, instead of working from their table, tried to promote their book and sell their wares in the aisles the whole show?
If we expect people who are at the show to get their work seen-- publishers, self-publishers, podcasters, people who run a website, people with a fan film, etc. to do so from behind a table, then why not have cosplayers who are at the show to be seen and to, in some cases, promote their work and brand as a cosplayer, not do the same? Why are most of the attendees conducting their business behind a storefront, but it is okay for others to do it in the road?
PS- I still like the plan that @WetRats put forward. I don't expect I will ever see someone run things that way, which is a shame.
At Heroes Con, the N.C. chapter of the 407 (Star Wars) have a table. I don't know if they pay for it, or if it is given to them gratis, but I suspect the latter. There’s a Klingon group that sets up some years as well, again, with their own table. They still walk around and get their picture taken in the aisles, but at least they have a specific place they can congregate. We were set up right beside the 407’s booth a couple of years ago, and there were never any problems.
But the situation is exactly the same as when you have a booth or table next to a highly popular artist. I've sat in tables next to people like Stan Sakai and Sergio Aragones, and the lines in front of those tables generally choke off traffic for a radius of several booths. Not that I begrudge them the fans; they deserve them. But the choke is the same as it can be with the cosplayers.
Here's your fundamental difference - and I speak from experience having had a table next to a more well-known artist. When you have that "choke" for an artist, they're not against checking your stuff out, hearing your spiel, and (heaven forbid) actually buying some of your stuff while they wait. If they're in line for an artist, it's generally a safe bet they love comics and if you've got something appealing to the eye, they're gonna hear you out without complaint. It's that captive audience so many of us indie people *loooove* to see.
You don't get that with the cosplay photo-people. They generally just want a place to put their stuff so they can take their picture, and who cares if you spent $50-100 getting those prints made? Their Coke won't sweat on it that much, right? You can still sell it at a discount? Right? RIGHT?!? :)
Comments
Goes back to the old Billy Crystal joke: "Dad, was Paul McCartney in a band before Wings?"
How about people go to conventions and have fun, and as long as no one is getting hurt, we just f%$#*ng have fun? I like cosplayers. If they want attention WHO BLOODY CARES?!? EVERYONE wants to let other people know they exist in some way. Everyone likes to be noticed for positive things. I want to be known for my podcast, my writing, by elusive charm, my resume, etc.... It all depends on where I am.
And I don't mind pretty girls dressing up in skimpy clothing. I find them visually pleasing, and many of them are quite pleasant if you treat them with a modicum of respect. I couldn't give less of a shit if they are "true fans" or not. Hell, EVERYONE has been accused of not being a "true fan" in some way or another.
Kind of like how I feel that you bastards who don't buy everything Kirby related aren't True Fans, ya slacker wannabes!
“When people say the word "convention," they are usually referring to large gatherings of the employees of companies and corporations who attend a mass assembly, usually in a big hotel somewhere, for the purpose of pretending to learn stuff when they are in fact enjoying a free trip somewhere, time off work, and the opportunity to flirt with strangers, drink, and otherwise indulge themselves.
The first major difference between a business convention and a fandom convention is that fandom doesn’t bother with the pretenses. They’re just there to have a good time.
The second difference is the dress code— the ensembles at a fan convention tend to be considerably more novel.”
― Jim Butcher
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However. . .
I would be lying if I said that the behavior of a lot of cosplayers is not a pain in the ass at the New York Comic Con. And that has been consistent year after year. Now, there is plenty of poor behavior on the part of non-costumed attendees. But I have to admit there is something about a lot of the cosplay behavior at the show that hits some pet peeves of mine. One (and, again, this is not exclusive to cosplayers) is anyone taking more than their fair of space by interrupting the flow of traffic. I think it may be the longtime New Yorker in me, but that is a pain.
And I also think there is something that rubs me the wrong way about what feels to me to be a desire to not attend the show as much as to BE the show. Maybe this is a pet peeve for me because, as an actor, I know that sort of energy and need. Some of my favorite people in the world are also actors, but they tend to be the unassuming, even quiet type (and a lot of actors are). They are not the people that need to draw attention and be the show wherever they go. Those are the types of actors I tend to not get on with, and dread being around in large groups. Now-- it is me presuming (and not following Al's wise suggestion of talking about the behavior and not the person)-- but there is something about Cosplay, especially the behavior of someone gladly holding up traffic in front of an artist alley table or the middle of a busy aisle to pose for pictures that just feels to me like that sort of needy actor energy I like to avoid. Now, I don't think this is true of everyone who cosplays. But I will say I think of it in the cosplayers whose behavior I notice.
I just think there is a difference between attending the show to see and buy things and attending the show to BE seen. The one seems like you are supporting and spending, the other. . .?
And now, like the end of a pharmaceutical commercial, here are the caveats:
I in no way support the statement that Harris made, and especially the tone and way he made it. There is no margin in how he did what he did, and I think he embarassed himself.
This is nothing to do with who does or doesn't have geek cred. If you buy a ticket, you are as welcome to the show as anyone else. And if going to the show is the way you read your first comic book, then great! Welcome aboard. BUT, that democracy goes both ways-- if you buy your ticket but end up creating much more than one person worth of traffic, and regularly take up more than your space without consideration of the people around you (including and especially the people who have paid to exhibit), then I don't care how many comics you have or haven't read in your life, your behavior is selfish, no matter what your "cred" is.
It may be that my feelings on this will soften when my daughter is old enough for me to take her to NYCC. I think where cosplay is at its best is when it creates a fun experience for kids. But even then I would make a point of meeting or visiting "characters" off to the side, where we wouldn't be in the way.
I know this is all a little grumpy and judgy of me, and definitely should be filed under First World Problems. But, there it is.
There are a ton of folks (I've been one) who will go to the same Faire every weekend to swan around in their garb and PAY to be part of the show.
I love the cosplayers, they, unlike far too many of today's comics, are still escapist and fun!
(I would guess, though, that being outside, there is much more elbow room.)
1: Provide a discount, special wristband and special check-in line for cosplayers.
2: Provide a nice area between the entrance and the convention floor proper for photo ops.
3: Provide a green room with light refreshments, where registered cosplayers can take a break from the public.
4: Explain at their special check-in line, and have them sign an agreement, that posing for photos on the convention floor proper will result in forfeiture of their wristband and accompanying privileges.
Just so you know my position.
Putting aside the fact that he said something about some women cosplayers who actually read and like comics, he makes the assumption that most don't, and are dressing up for the attention... and I don't know if it's just me, but it feels like that's a pervasive attitude amongst comic fans.
It's not an attitude that I share, I've known and met tons of cosplayers, and they have varying levels of knowledge of comics, and that's fine. I would never, ever expect them to know everything about everything. Part of me does expect that you should know a good amount of information on the character you're cosplaying as (it kinda shows you're faking it if you dress up as Phoenix, and you don't know who Jean Grey is, just a personal thing)... but I find that's not the case for the most part.
Then again, maybe the person just likes how a character looks, maybe they've seen the character a handful of times and decided "hey, I really identify with this character", and they decide to dress up as them because it helps them feel stronger, better, whatever... does anyone have the right to tell them they can't? Yes... because it's a free country, but I mean that's like letting the Klan march... we may let you express your opinions, but we don't have to like them...
I'm not saying Tony Harris is a Klansman, he's just a dick. And I respect him as a professional somewhat... but he doesn't produce comics anymore and he can't really say that a convention is his workplace. He has to produce work for that to happen. That's my 2 cents.
Edit: It suddenly occurs to me that I may be making an argument with absolutely nobody at all. If that's the case, I apologize for being argumentative, and encourage everybody to pass on by and continue reading without interuption.
I will agree that the entire con does not become the de facto workplace of the pros. Just because you work in comics doesn't give you more ownership of the show than some else attending.
But, more specifically, the table, and the area immediately around a table you have rented can be considered a workplace. That doesn't mean you expect it to be as controlled of an environment as your own studio. But even if you are not drawing at the table and are just there to sell comics, prints, sketchbooks, etc. then it is your workplace. And a workplace you have paid for. And if there is behavior that is unnecessarily blocking or impeding movement around that space you have paid for, I think it is fair to feel wronged by that. (Though, as I mentioned before, you could do a MUCH better job of expressing that frustration than Harris did).
And that is not just an artist thing. I think the same would apply if, say, I went to the farmer's market in Union Square and decided I would use in front of the farm stand you have paid for as the place to, say, do my mime show* and pose for pictures with passers by. I think those farmers would be in their right to complain that I was intruding on their workplace by getting in the way of them selling their wares.
So, again, while I in no way support the way Harris went about expressing himself on this matter, I don't take issue with his definition of a convention as a workplace. At least, in terms of the table he has rented.
*This is a hypothetical. I have no mime show. I wanted that to be clear.
@David_D, I agree with you completely. Except for that part about the mime show. I believe you do in fact have a mime show and are just too ashamed to admit it. ;)
You're getting too close, shamus!
Yes, I know, the pat answer is "Well I would certainly welcome the attention my own booth was getting as a result and she should have capitalized on that." Only it rarely happens that way. I felt bad for her. Next year she rented a larger vendor booth removed from the artist alley. :)
Case in point: At Baltimore a couple of months back, I was running the TwoMorrows booth—a corner booth. Directly behind me was the Hero Initiative booth, and directly beside me was a booth occupied by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. John Romita Jr did multiple signings at the HI booth, twice with Romita Sr. Obviously, both booths were going to draw long lines. Sure enough, as soon as the doors opened at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, people started lining up. However, there was no staff member there to wrangle the line, so the HI line filed up right along the side of my booth up against my tables. Meanwhile, the Snyder/Capullo line filed up right along the front of my booth, again, up against my tables. It was 45 minutes before a staff member came along and I was able to get them to shift the lines off of my tables.
After that, they left a staff person there to manage the lines. With Snyder/Capullo, there was no problem. One side of their booth was on a wider aisle, so the line could be shifted out into the center of the aisle, with gaps for people to walk through—as they do in San Diego to great effect. They could have done the same thing with the HI booth, but poor planning had them on a narrow aisle, so the line was only two feet from my tables, making it very inconvenient for my customers to get to half my set-up. And the line was quite long, as JR was doing sketches, so I was not the only vendor who ended up being pissed off by the arrangement—especially since it could easily have been avoided by putting them on a wider aisle.
In New York, all the big names “stars” are set up in a room to themselves, so that lines are very manageable. There was one exception, though. One of the vendors paid big money to have Stan Lee sign at their booth, causing not one, but two long lines: one line to buy tickets for a signature, and one for the actual signing. And, of course, the line for the signing went right in front of my table. And there were no staff members there to manage the line until it was time to cap it off. So for two hours on Friday, and two more on Saturday, I had practically no business because no one could get to my tables. Several vendors complained, but to no avail. I will say, though, that New York’s Artist Alley was very well set up. The aisles were very wide, so I never saw an issue of lines for one artist blocking another artist’s table. Unfortunately, that’s not the case at every show.
... All the more reason for people who are not even renting a table in Artists Alley to not create unnecessary traffic in Artist's Alley by stopping and posing for pictures with people. As you mention, it is a challenging enough workplace at it is for the people who have actually paid to get to do business in that space.
If someone were a serious cosplayer, and wanted to promote their personal brand, website, portfolio, etc., why can't they rent a table and exhibit? I mean, would it not be considered inappropriate if a publisher or artist, instead of working from their table, tried to promote their book and sell their wares in the aisles the whole show?
If we expect people who are at the show to get their work seen-- publishers, self-publishers, podcasters, people who run a website, people with a fan film, etc. to do so from behind a table, then why not have cosplayers who are at the show to be seen and to, in some cases, promote their work and brand as a cosplayer, not do the same? Why are most of the attendees conducting their business behind a storefront, but it is okay for others to do it in the road?
PS- I still like the plan that @WetRats put forward. I don't expect I will ever see someone run things that way, which is a shame.
You don't get that with the cosplay photo-people. They generally just want a place to put their stuff so they can take their picture, and who cares if you spent $50-100 getting those prints made? Their Coke won't sweat on it that much, right? You can still sell it at a discount? Right? RIGHT?!? :)