Improvements to NYCC announced for 2008.

Let me just say, that I, like Heidi MacDonald, do root for the New York Comic Con. She calls the convention "her backyard convention". Well, I don't live in New York, but I do live only a 40 minute train ride outside of it. So for me, it's not a "backyard" con but "a few streets over" con.

And I really want a great con, one one the level of the San Diego or Wizard Conventions with only a train to ride, not an airplane.

But, in my experience, NYCC hasn't become that. I aired my grievances here and here, so I won't re-air them here. But I do want to talk about the article about the NYCC at Publisher's Weekly.

In the article, show organizer Greg Topalian announce that he will be making an effort to add more indie publishers such as Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly. I say all well and good. Some might raise concern about a conflict of interest with the MoCCA fest but I think NYC is big enough to support and Indie only event and to also have the indies at NYCC.

The article also states that the convention will increase in floor space by about 50% and there will be three entrances and the press and professional guests will have their own way in. Also, there will be more staff on the floor to answer questions and hand out maps.

On paper, this would help some of the situations I spoke about in the above reviews. But there is still more to be done. The floor staff needs to be better educated. Crowd control needs to be loosened. Three entrances are good, as long as they are used to the most effect. Last year, they had two entrances, two big archways about twenty feet wide. They only had one open for guests and had people line up in a pen to essentially enter the entrance in a straight line. This is what the pass looks like:

Convention pass

Have a few volunteers or security guards at the front of each entrance. Have them look at the passes. It clearly says what type of pass they have. If they don't have a pass or have the wrong pass, don't let them in. If their pass is okay, let them in. Yes, there are a lot of people going to the con. But there are a lot of people going to the Wizard World cons and that is the way they do it.

That way would be better than having everyone stand in line, make their way through mazes, or have to get wristbands each day to get in.

Like I said, I really want the NYCC to be the biggest con in the land. It's good, but it definitely needs improvement.