Comic-Cons and fan conventions have been heavily altered by the COVID-19 situation. While some have been canceled, notably San Diego Comic-Con, some conventions are planning to continue. The virus has impacted different parts of the United States differently, with hotspots in the New York Metro and growing cases in the Midwest. With that in mind, the respective estate laws will impact the viability of each individual con. As time passes, the situation will likely work itself out in a clear direction. This will likely indicate whether or not these events will be held. If fans are comfortable attending events this year is another question entirely.

New York Comic-Con sent out questionnaires to their attendees gauging ways to move forward with the outbreak, and I am sure they won’t be alone. In this article, I propose the question of whether or not fan conventions should be held this year. I also give suggestions for how to hold these events responsibly. 

The reason for the postponement of fan conventions this year is clear. No one should be potentially risking their lives over non-essential events. Scientists are working hard developing a vaccine for COVID-19. However, development is still in its infancy stage, with optimistic projections of one being successfully developed in a year. The virus spreads successfully when people are packed into close spaces. If you have been to a convention hall with thousands of people, you know how tight space can get at times. Tabletop gaming and arcades within convention halls would be high-traffic areas increasing the odds of an asymptomatic carrier inadvertently infecting others.

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Enforcement of social distancing of six feet is easier said than done. Directing the flow of crowd traffic with arrows barely works, as witnessed by my latest trip to the grocery store. The volunteers who work tirelessly to make sure the event functions seamlessly would likely have the responsibility of social distance monitoring thrust upon them. So you can forget about photo ops with your favorite cosplayers. Reasons for the postponement of comic-cons boil down to the uncertainty and risk attendees will subject themselves to by attending these events in the current climate. 

As for reasons why companies should hold these events…I mean, it’s Comic-Con. Being able to enjoy shows, comics, and other entertainment with like-minded folk is a great experience. Being able to meet people who made your childhood kicks all those nostalgia nerves. Fan conventions are a common way for parents to pass down their interests to their kids, which always heartwarming to see. Cosplaying is another reason why people like to attend events.

Showing off their weeks of hard work perfecting elements of their design down to the last detail is a thrill. Seeing Kirk, Bones, and Spock play poker like the Dogs Playing Poker artwork at a convention held within a casino is one of my favorite convention moments. Media coverage such as your favorite site, LRM, gets a lot of their news from conventions, where breaking material often originates. Without the conventions, news travels by press releases. While useful, these do not deliver the same impact.  

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Outside of the fan experience, the brass tacks revolve around money. The conventions are how a lot of indie comic publishers make their living and grow their brand. The merchandisers, ranging from comics to trinkets also have a lot riding on fan events. For many, a large part of their income comes from these cons. The convention circuit with celebrities doing fan outreach also has a financial stake in whether conventions remain as scheduled. And we can’t forget the effect not having an event will have on the location where it takes place. Without conventions being held as scheduled, the economic impact will be all big.

Some companies have weighed these pros and cons and decided to move forward. So, what’s the next step? They must find a way to do it safely. The main issue is human-to-human proximity, so limiting the number of attendees could be one way to keep these events going. With limited attendance, the ability to social distance becomes greater, reducing the chance of infection. This will mostly help with the main convention floor and side room where panels are held.

If conventions were to remove shared arcade machines, video game consoles, and tabletop games, they would remove the main contagion hot spots of the conventions. A workaround to this is volunteers constantly cleaning surfaces, which I find highly unlikely.

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Here is another alternative. With graduations and other celebrations being held virtually, why not fan conventions? I am not sure how this would proceed, but it entirely takes out the risk factor of a large group of people gathering. A possible way would be to use Zoom to talk to celebrities that would have attended the event. Using Zoom to hold panels would likely be a fiasco, so the execution of a Discord server could possibly be an option. Heck, maybe it can be a YouTube stream with a moderator.

As with pretty much everything, the health crisis from COVID-19 has impacted fan conventions and is no exception. San Diego Comic-Con has canceled their events this year, and so have many. However, some events plan to continue. How to move forward with conventions is not an easy choice. The ultimate question is whether or not an entertainment experience is worth a health risk. This article was simply a starting point of how to examine holding these events in an uncertain climate. It’s not really looking to give a definitive answer which honestly, I’m not sure exists.

Let us know your thoughts. What are your thoughts on conventions being held this year?

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