Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, NYCC, weapons bin, x-files

NYCC '15: What Went Wrong – X-Files And The Weapons Bin

Published Sun, 18 Oct 2015 17:00:01 -0500

New York Comic Con had over 130,000 people through its doors during the show last week. The general mood was up, there was lots of money to be spent, and both Grumpy Cat and Frank Miller seemed to lift the spirits. But not everyone had a great time.

Amanda Gurall writes,

The procedure for the last two years in the main stage is to line up early for a bracelet which entitles you to return to the panel or screening you want to attend. This is supposed to allow more fans to have a chance to get in since before that people would enter in the morning and stay all day. Although it means waiting hours on a concrete floor it seems to be the best way to please the most fans.

Every year there is some major screw up from the staff organization and the fans are the ones who miss out. This morning the X-Files premiere line was going strong, bracelets were distributed and more people filled the queue. I was in the Marvel line next to X-Files and after I got my bracelet I got into the X-Files line which was noted as open on the boards, the staff told us it was still open and diligently used their clickers counting heads. After standing in line for awhile I noticed the line was very long for it being past 10am. With no word from the staff we all waited and waited restlessly. Fourty minutes later we were finally shuffled through the line and told to leave with absolutely no explanation and only a surly security guard swearing at the people asking for information.

Hundreds of fans waited in line for a panel that had "sold out" before they even entered and NYCC didn't even send staff down to apologize or explain. This blatent disrespect for the fans is unforgivable. This happens again and again at this con in one form or another and this incident was easily avoidable with simple communication that the line was closed. There were a few NYCC reps at the door who were confronted by fans asking for what happened. They were apologetic if you bothered to ask them but offered no explanation or official comment. I did not witness this myself but another person in line said he saw NYCC staff give out the last 300 bracelets to people who had been sent to a second area as standby if our line happened to empty out. If true it makes the situation even worse by giving people who waited five minutes access while the large crowd stood in line, some for more than an hour.

It is absolutely not too much to ask for a convention to use the walkie talkies they carry to tell the staff to end the line. It is not too much to ask for them to allow the line to exit instead of spending 45 minutes to an hour of precious con time being trapped in a queue to nowhere. It is not too much to ask for them to be apologetic and offer an explanation instead of a nasty security guard threatening to take our badges if we did not exit immediately after the ordeal.

It's really not too much to ask for NYCC to get their act together for the devoted paying fans.

Contacting NYCC, they told us

With a show as massive as NYCC with as many people, panels and special events as we have, as much as we regret it, sometimes we fall short on meeting our fans expectations. At ReedPOP we always try to put our fans first and with the wrist bands this morning, that didn't happen. Sincere apologies to all affected and know that we know we did not live up to our standard for fan expierence that day. We are proud of all that has gone right so far this year and are committed to improving anything that did not.

While Adam Wolfe had his own issues.

Whether it's Cloud Strife's Buster Sword, Gandalf's staff, or Wolverine's claws some costumes just need a prop. I personally know cosplayers who have told me, that if the character has a famous prop, that element of the costume is just as important as the fabric it's made out of. People spend days, even months, slaving away with wood, spray foam, spray paint, and hot glue to make their favorite fantasy weapons come to life and give their costumes that extra piazza and personal flair they need to stand out.

So how does NYCC thank them?

They take the props away of course!

Now to be fair, this year it seems the convention is actually giving people tickets to come pick up their weapons at the end of the show (as opposed to last year when they were swiftly discarded.) But let me ask you this, would you let some security guard manhandle your prop you spent hours making sure it was perfect? I know I wouldn't. As I did my investigation, I saw bucket after bucket filled with all sorts of weapons and props. They were haphazardly shoved in there with just as much care as someone throwing out an empty soda bottle. As I passed by the weapon graveyard, I saw that there wasn't even an attendant watching the stuff! Anyone could just mosey on over and get themselves some really nice handmade accessories. It was like an all you can steal Etsy buffet!

What really got under my skin was the inconsistency. There were about twelve confiscated Captain America shields, plastic staffs, plastic hockey sticks (poor Casey Jones), nerf guns, and other begin objects. But while I'm inside the con I see a Max Rockatansky crucified to a giant metal spikey death trap just strolling through the con. How did that pass? Did he know someone at the check-out line? I saw Buster swords in the bin, and Buster Swords on the show floor. Some Captain America shields were ok, some got the can. Are cosplayers supposed to feel like it's the "luck of the draw" when they come in with their props?

I'm sure the stock generic answer will be "they are protecting our safety." Honestly, from what?! I've been going to NYCC for 10 years. Never ONCE have I heard of a cosplay related problem that had to do with a prop. Often times, a cosplayers deadliest weapon is a lack of deodorant. (I'd prefer smell checks than these tedious weapon checks.) If NYCC wants to be so committed to safety that they are willing to ruin people's cosplays, then they are simply isolating a massive amount of their own fans. People work hard on these props, and if they don't they are spending their hard earned money on them just so they can show them off for one weekend. Now that fun is being taken from them. Let's not forget the asinine hypocrisy of it all too. So Gandalf can't come in with his plastic staff because you deem it too heavy, but he can walk into the con PURCHASE A CONCEALABLE REAL DEAL METAL STABBY KNIFE and no one bats an eye.

Not to mention the security offers are rude as soon as they see a prop. They clearly don't want to be bothered with it, so why does NYCC insist? They should work harder on making sure their wifi is reliable rather than worrying if Matt Murdock's cane is too hard.

To all the people who got their weapons/props/babies taken from them. This one goes out to you. I'm here for you, and together, we can make this world a prop friendly place again.

NYCC also responded, saying,

In short, we do our very best to set clear guidelines on our weapons policy to fans can prepare appropriately. That said, if there is a judgment call to make, we will always choose the side of caution. Unfortunately in the times we live in, we need to use caution at every turn about the safety of our fans. We have created the check in/check out system to allow fans to reclaim prop weapons that were claimed by security. We recognize the hours fans put into these customs and prop weapons and want to do everything we can to respect that, however, we cannot apologize for always putting the safety of all of our fans first.

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