If You Rub It It Gets Bigger...(A Posting About UK Conventions Nothing Dirty!)

                                       Ahh, I don't even have to rack my brain for these titles.  Which is a good thing since most of the time I'm trying to work out WTF is going on with Blogger!  There was a massive drop in hits and I heard that quite a few people could not access CBO.   It seems other bloggers have had similar problems.

And today, blogger is being a real pain to use.

I did want to address a certain aspect of UK comics that is really ticking me off and that is....conventions.

Okay, I no longer support (after 14 years) that Bristol event.  I will be supporting the Bearpit zine and comic people who organised the Kafe Kino and Bus Stop comic events -last year being a great venue and it got really packed.  Hmm. Maybe they don't need an old comic fart helping them!

My plan, last year, was for 2014 to be the year in which I could get tables at comic events and begin hands-on selling of Black Tower Comics and Books.  But then I came across what I can only call the most ludicrously stupid -moronic- situation that I, at first, thought was a joke.

An event organiser sent me an email: "Sorry! You have not been lucky enough to win a table at this year's event -please try again next year"

What??

So I emailed back and was told there were only a certain number of tables allocated. I had been told in advance of table bookings so I thought it was a done deal.  But no.  And it gets more ludicrous.

Another event organiser sent me a similar email but after telling me I had not "won" a table it was explained that tables had been offered to people who had NOT applied but had attended events before.

!!!!!!!

Then I got another email telling me that I'd not won a table at another event.

These are tables I would pay for and applied when (and before) I was supposed to.  What in some satanic made ass backward world is going on?  I was told I really needed to book a year ahead.  I did.  But it seems pals and friends of pals can skirt around the booking process.

Actually not a booking process but some anal retentive ebay fans idea of a booking process.  I've heard from one comic dealer whose whole business is based around UK comic conventions -or was.  He tells me that since 2009 it has been "Getting worse and the difficulty in booking a table is killing my business -its never been this bad!"

Without comics you really are not -not- a comic expo/event.  If you just want a few trendy cos-players or 'comic collectors' who have jumped on to the new trendy comic subject then okay. But a lot of people who used to go to comic events no longer do because the dealers selling the back -issue comics they are looking for just aren't there.

Fit in as many tables as you can -in foyers, where-ever, because 2012 and 2013 at that Bristol event saw far, far fewer dealers than ever before.  I'm told this year it was similar.

Look, your hard core comickers WANT to buy comics not just pick up the odd Manga sticker/poster (and call THAT a "great haul"?!) they want to buy back-issues, graphic novels -the works. And do you know something? Unbelievable as it may seem to the **** wits organising these things, dealers WANT to sell those things.  You cut the throat of your 'industrys' then however brain-damaged you are you have to realise it WILL affect your event.

I do not want to be told my application for a table is a bid. They don't tell you "Hey, apply now and we'll see if you win a table!"  I want to pay for a table as a publisher just like dealers want to.

Okay you ******** numb-nutted feck-wits think this through: a dealer or publisher has their desk diary for 2015 and all the dates for next years events. And he/she is applying for a table and they work out stock, expenses, etc. but then..

Event 1: "Aaaw, you never won a table!"

Event 2: "Aaaw, you never won a table!"

Event 3:  "Aaaw, you never won a table!"

Event 4:   "Aaaw, you never won a table!"

That's four events wiped from their business calendar and loss of sales equals -let's see if you ***** can understand this- loss of sales equals---  come on, it leads to....?  Alright, moron. It leads to loss of money.  Loss of money leads to loss of business.

I've been trying to explain this to people this last week but they all seem..."damaged" intelligence-wise. "Well, you can apply again for next year to see if you get a table?"

My blood pressure.  Oy.

Oh, and get this. This cracked me up.  One told me I had not "won" a table but then asked whether I might like to help contribute to their kick-starter for next years event.  Before I knew it I'd blurted out: "Sure. I have a brieze block out in the garden that might just fit up your dumb ass!"

I don't think I'll be getting a table there.

What is worse is that I hear from publishers who ask "Don't comic fans who like to talk about comics go to these events anymore?"  You'll find some but not a lot.  Poor quality cos-players and Manga wannabes you'll find everywhere and idiot organisers are catering for them because the idiot organisers are the same.

Here's a fact: Manga and cos-players spend far less money at events than real comic fans.  THAT is why you need kickstarters for your events.

Amateur ****** are actually ruining events.  I hear from a lot of die-hard comic fans who avoid events now and buy comics online because "there aren't the dealers any more" and dealers are resorting to places like ebay because they cannot sell at events.

Another myth: "Get an online store.  E-business is the future!"  Like **** is it.  Hands on selling from tables earns you more than an e-store.  Who makes all the money then? People promoting or owning the web sites that mugs have to sell on.

So, before this turns violent (I am grating my teeth again) let me say that I will be at the Bearpit comics event this year and that's it.  Not of my own choice. Next year...don't get me started.

Enough dealers interested perhaps Bristol needs a new comic event?