Post by wamphari on Sept 23, 2014 18:43:27 GMT -5
Ok so Denise Dorman recently wrote a, well lets just say "thing" on bleeding cool which caused a bit of a stir(can be read here). I read the piece and felt that she had very valid anger at the way conventions are done but had perhaps picked the wrong target. Her real point is really about why creators can't make money going to cons anymore. The article doesn't overtly attack cosplay, but it does suggest that cosplay is hurting comic book conventions. So all in all, the article is problematic but far from incendiary.
I tweeted after I read the, for lack of a better word, polemic telling her that I felt her anger but that I thought it was important, when bringing up a problem like this, to also suggest solutions at the same time and she agreed, saying she wrote the article after recieving news her husband had gone another full day at a con making virtually nothing. In a unit in I was in in the army if you bring up a problem you had to at least suggest a possible solution. So first...
What's the problem? I think a bunch of things hurt cons. In the article she mentions price gouging hotels, parking but also includes food. In her article she mentions, to paraphrase, selfie culture and people more focused on their instagram accounts than on creators. I would agree this could be a problem but it's not really cosplayers as much at is celebrity culture. Baltimore comicon (my first admittedly) it was relatively celebrity free and I think this made it better. It seems like lots of people want to stand in line for an hour to get a picture with a minor walking dead star, rather than walk right up and get some original art from a great up-and-coming artist. So my suggestions...
1. I think there should be more, smaller, focused cons. smaller cons (possibly in smaller areas) mean the barriers for entry are less for artists and fans alike. Cosplay more than welcome.
2. We as fans promote our artists. Get friends interested in art culture. At the recent con I got a full size pencil sketch with frame for $50.
3. So this is one of those uncomfortable things. People in our particular brand of nerd can often range from socially awkward to crippled with anxiety (me). We need to convince our fellow nerds to actually talk to artists. I had a lot of trouble just walking up to an artist and saying hello (don't laugh)
Ok so now what do you all think?
I tweeted after I read the, for lack of a better word, polemic telling her that I felt her anger but that I thought it was important, when bringing up a problem like this, to also suggest solutions at the same time and she agreed, saying she wrote the article after recieving news her husband had gone another full day at a con making virtually nothing. In a unit in I was in in the army if you bring up a problem you had to at least suggest a possible solution. So first...
What's the problem? I think a bunch of things hurt cons. In the article she mentions price gouging hotels, parking but also includes food. In her article she mentions, to paraphrase, selfie culture and people more focused on their instagram accounts than on creators. I would agree this could be a problem but it's not really cosplayers as much at is celebrity culture. Baltimore comicon (my first admittedly) it was relatively celebrity free and I think this made it better. It seems like lots of people want to stand in line for an hour to get a picture with a minor walking dead star, rather than walk right up and get some original art from a great up-and-coming artist. So my suggestions...
1. I think there should be more, smaller, focused cons. smaller cons (possibly in smaller areas) mean the barriers for entry are less for artists and fans alike. Cosplay more than welcome.
2. We as fans promote our artists. Get friends interested in art culture. At the recent con I got a full size pencil sketch with frame for $50.
3. So this is one of those uncomfortable things. People in our particular brand of nerd can often range from socially awkward to crippled with anxiety (me). We need to convince our fellow nerds to actually talk to artists. I had a lot of trouble just walking up to an artist and saying hello (don't laugh)
Ok so now what do you all think?
