Mother’s Day weekend in the Hudson Valley was not only dedicated to all the mom’s and mom’s to be but it was also time for the 4th Annual Hudson Valley Comic Con. This small yet quaint little con that takes place in the heart of the Hudson Valley in New York State has gone through some growing pains since its inception in 2016. Is it still a fun convention? Let’s examine…
The first thing I noticed was the lack of help from the parking staff. There was no guidance as to where to park. Parking has been up until last year an Achilles heal for the convention. Not sure what the issue was this year but the parking attendants left a lot to be desired in terms of helpfulness. Another thing I noticed prior to entering the show floor was that there were no food vendors outside that I could tell. I was already aware that one of the bigger vendors, Wild Bill Soda was not attending but the lack of food options both outside and in was disappointing.
As for the show floor itself with all its vendors and convention goers, I felt like there were less of both. Spoke to a couple of vendors like Headless Horsemen and they expressed their disappointment over the lack of attendance as compare to years past. Was it because it was Mother’s Day weekend? Perhaps. Also, so far weather wise here in the New York area it has been raining and unseasonably chilly which could also act as a deterrent. Pricing of tickets I feel are very reasonable and family friendly. Being family friendly is one of HVCC strongest points. They do cater to the smallest of heroes… the children.
What stuck a cord with me is what appears to be a lack of communication. I know that a potential vendor had filled out an application and was waitlisted. Being waitlisted wasn’t the issue though. It was seeing a handful of empty tables at the convention and never hearing back from the showrunners. Now, having attended many cons in my lifetime I am sure last minute cancellations can and do occur. However, letting potential vendors know whether or not a spot has opened up is the proper and responsible thing to do. Small things like this keeps the interests and desire to be part of future shows alive and well.
Talent wise, the biggest star this year was Tom Payne aka Jesus from The Walking Dead. And it was nice to see legend, Gilbert Gottfried appear as well. Both were very welcoming and gracious to the fans that walked up to their table or had a photo op with them. In fact all encounters with celebrity guests were very welcoming.
I do hope HVCC addresses some its issues from this event and continue to build on the successes from the previous years. Their mission statement to help promote reading, technology and creativity to the kids in our community is certainly on display and comes from a good place. I look forward to the milestone of Year 5 in 2020.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
