Will the Hollywood Strike Kill Comic-Con?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, ComicCon
While tooling around the internets yesterday, I came across this post on Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch blog which pondered what, if any, affect the ongoing writer's strike (as well as the potential DGA and SAG strikes) could have on this year's Comic-Con. We already know the WGA strike has shut down The Golden Globes, and folks will start talking Oscars next, but in April we have the New York Comic-Con and in July we have the biggie -- San Diego Comic-Con. Last year, New York didn't give us too much by way of Hollywood product. However, after all the complaining, one would think the studios would pay closer attention to New York and pimp out some of their summer fare, along with bigger flicks coming down the pipeline. If the writer's are still on strike in April, and if they decide to picket the Con in New York, that could potentially mean no talent showing up for panel discussions and the like.
Now I'm just talking about film here; TV is already f**ked. Even if all this strike nonsense is over and done with by early summer, I imagine the after-shocks will still affect the geeked-out TV presence at the San Diego Con. Remember, after the writer's cut a contract, we're still looking at deals that need to be made for SAG and the DGA. Both of their contracts expire at the end of May. Should SAG go on strike at that time, how on earth will Hollywood promote movies like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Watchmen, Star Trek XI and G.I. Joe if none of the talent will show up to partake in panel discussions? San Diego Comic-Con was perhaps the biggest fanboy-ish event of 2007, and I imagine there are plans to make it even bigger this year (in terms of Hollywood presence). The show will go on either way (after all, the convention is supposed to be more about comics than anything else), but I wonder how much of Hollywood will be there in 2008? Thoughts?
'Clash of the Titans' Trailer Now Online!
'Twilight' Fans: Do You Really Want to See 'Breaking Dawn'?
Finally! All Those Ambiguous Movie Endings Resolved!
Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 11/10
Fun with Math: The Huge Box Office Numbers for 'Precious'
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-30-2008 @ 10:12PM
Oscar G said...
I for once would be happier if the Hollywood co-option/overtake/influence would diminish this and coming years from SDCC. There is a great heady mix of genres in the SD Con. But to be honest 2007 had a overwhelming stink of tinseltown hype and machinery, that seems to engulf the event and even threaten to over take the feel of variety that makes the SDCC so unique.
One thing is to have panels with talent, talking about their upcoming stuff, and show some neat clips. Quite another to take over the Exhibit hall floor with humongous and overblown prop displays, or valuable space-eating-poster-holders and cheapo swag distributed by local up model-wanna-be's.
Lets have film in moderation, but without overshadowing everything else and taking off the spotlight of new creative talent coming from those indy roots, that eventually they come and mangle inot movie producations, because their own creative well has dried up.
Reply
1-09-2008 @ 1:34PM
Alex said...
Hmmm if they have no TV and no film I guess they'll just have to discuss... comics?!
Reply
1-09-2008 @ 1:55PM
Alice said...
The Golden Globes are a scripted program. Comic Con is a non profit fan gathering and nothing that goes on in the presentation halls is scripted. There's also so much else going on at Comic Con that striking writers wouldn't be any more noticeable than Naruto cosplayers heading out for some pizza. I think this story is kinda barking up the wrong tree.
Reply
1-09-2008 @ 1:55PM
mike said...
I hope the Hollywood presence is still at NYCC and def want it to be more so than last year... I love this event.
Reply
1-09-2008 @ 2:24PM
Sam said...
Some comic writers now also are writers on television shows - Brain K. Vaughn writes for Lost, and Jeph Loeb has a producer's credit on Heroes, to name two off the top of my head. I will be curious how they, and others, will treat the Comic-Con.
Reply
1-09-2008 @ 3:06PM
ML said...
It's possible that SAG might be on strike at this time.
Reply
1-09-2008 @ 3:07PM
DAVID F said...
I think it would be great if the strike DID effect the Comic-Con this year! That way the con will go back to being more about comics....imagine that!
Reply
1-09-2008 @ 5:28PM
Philip said...
But... But... if they strike the Comic Con... where will they steal errr get their next idea for a movie from?
Really, this is becoming tedious. Perhaps the reach of the WGA is being a bit overestimated. I'm old enough to remember when households had one freakin television, and you had to watch whatever Dad wanted to watch. Which in our case was Soap, Taxi, and the Dallas Cowboys. So I guess I'm one of those people who view the strike as more of an irritant, by a group of people who have yet to realize they've chosen a line of work in an industry that's based on disposable income. That is to say, life goes on without you. Unlike truck drivers or sanitation workers or schoolteachers. I guess I'm just out of touch.
Reply