The 2nd Annual Hudson Valley Comic Con took place this past weekend and while there have been some improvements from its inaugural year. There were far more dealers this year and more interaction with the fans. I liked that they had a dedicated autograph and photo-op area. Even food choices were abundant in and just outside the convention area. Some of the Hudson Valley’s best was represented.
With some of the obvious successes comes some areas of improvement that needs to be addressed. Organized events of any size face challenges that’s a given. Last year the event had a delay due to technical issues. Parking last year was a major problem, simply there was not enough spots for visitors who wanted to attend. This year for $5, a spot if you can find one could be yours. I say if because no one seemed to be counting the amount cars coming through. If you’re going to charge, you better know if you can accommodate them.
The biggest gripe is the continued lack of communication between the volunteers, the special guests and the attendees. I went with a friend of mine who purchased an autograph for Patricia Quinn (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) with a code that could be scanned and when she went to get her autograph, she was told that her purchase was probably for a photo-op because they never scan anything for autographs. The bottom line is the event organizers do not tell its attendees that they had to exchange their pre-bought autograph and/or photo ops for a ticket at the main booth. Locating the main booth became another bone of contention when volunteers didn’t know where the main booth was. Seriously? Overall, these are small things but they do add up and they can escalate into greater things that can make or break someone’s convention experience.
In addition to Patricia Quinn, this year’s celebrity list includes: Ming Chen (Comic Book Men), Taimak (The Last Dragon), Nicole Chilelli (Season 3 winner of Face Off), Daniel Way (writer, Deadpool), Johnny Yong Bosch & Barbara Goodson (Power Rangers), Bill Diamond (The Muppets), Mark Dodson (Return of the Jedi) and Felix Silla (Buck Rogers). As well as a wonderful audience participation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Apoca-lips.
In the end, an enjoyable time was had by most if not all. Organizers still need to take note and perhaps like some many of the bigger cons, conduct a survey to see what worked and what didn’t. This way they can build upon what did work and look to improve on what didn’t. Having a convention in my backyard is very important to me and I want to see them succeed. A couple of tweaks here and there and this is a comic con that can last for many years to come. See you all in 2018.
Final Grade: C+
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
