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Stephen And Gareb Shamus Create "Top Of The Muffin" Model For ACE Universe Comic Cons

Published Mon, 13 Nov 2017 09:30:00 -0600

Stephen and Gareb Shamus, founders of Wizard Magazine and Wizard World, have left that company after a heinous legal and political battle at the company, and are starting up again with ACE Universe, a new comic convention organisation.

Stephen And Gareb Shamus Create "Top Of The Muffin" Model For ACE Universe Comic Cons — ACE Universe logo (PRNewsfoto/ACE Universe)

Which is apparently nothing to do with another comic convention company ACE, or Atomic Crush Entertainment set up by two other ex-Wizarders Mike Scigliano and Gabe Fieramosco.

This time, however, the Sahmuses want to build something different. Their first dates are December 8-10, 2017 at NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, and January 13-15 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Rather than a traditional comic show, or even the media show that Wizard popularised, this is intended to be a stadium show. To basically put the focus on the panel, the presentation, the exclusive footage, in a stadium environment, with the amount of vendors, publishers, creators, stars on hand reduced to dozens rather than hundreds.

It's basically a "Top Of The Muffin" model. Making the whole show Hall H or Ballroom 20.

And rather than matching talent to the shows, they indent to set show's dates around when the talent are available, working with agencies, and setting the show around their schedules rather than the other way around. This is an attempt to increase the prominence and profiles of their guests. Then choosing arenas and ampitheatres with jumbotrons to spread the experience around. And providing free streaming of the presentations and panels to the world, for free, as a way to promote the shows.

There's an attempt to create a new experience, a new ambience and tone. And within this show, to have a Kids Comic Con of its own, that's both free and family-friendly.

Confirmed guests for the Long Island event include Stan Lee, Henry Cavill (Superman, Justice League), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman, Justice League), Jason Momoa (Aquaman, Justice League), Ray Fisher (Cyborg, Justice League), Ezra Miller (The Flash, Justice League), and Ciarán Hinds (Steppenwolf, Justice League), with more guests to be announced.

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