Posted in: Comics | Tagged: alcohol, comic con, Comics, joe benitez

Bringing Alcohol To Comic Con – Think Again?

Many of you read about the antics of one Joe Benitez at the Bleeding Cool Fan Awards a week ago. The day after, he was rather sheepish and on Sunday, he met the young girl who was in front of him at the show, apologised, and drew her a Snow White picture. She seemed very happy. But the other side of that celebratory equation was Benitez' friend, and drinking partner that weekend, Eric Basaldua, better known as Ebas

Now, I have been asked by his friends and co-workers to post this article, the details of which have been back and forth between a few of them this week.

After being warned over behaviour at Emerald City Con in Seatlle a few weeks ago, Basaldua was then banned permanently from the Phoenix Comicon for keeping alcohol at his booth on the Sunday of the show. There was no indication that he was drinking at the show that day, and it consisted of gifts brought by fans, but that seems part of the problem. It's become traditional for his fans to bring him a bottle, and sometimes those gifts get drunk there and then on the show floor, convention policy ignored. With, it seems less than ideal results.

Negotiations are underway between publishers and shows to rescind any such ban, but for this and other shows, fans are requested not to bring Basaldua such gifts at future shows. It may be an issue for other creators and show restrictions, but usually a blind eye is given to a fan bringing a professional a bottle of whisky. However it appears that after certain behaviour on Friday and Saturday at the Phoenix show, show managers wanted to make a point and information has been  coordinated between different events.

So please. Let's go with a fruit basket next time. I understand that this policy was adhered to at Wizard World Philadelphia this weekend. Maybe that would be a better option for a number of creators…

Photographs taken at, and courtesy of, Alternate Reality Comics from 2011, not at Phoenix Comic Con.

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