In case it wasn’t clear that Wizard’s shows aren’t really “comic book conventions” any more, here’s the latest evidence: impeached former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has just been added to the lineup of this weekend’s Wizard World Chicago Comic Con.
Yes, the same Blagojevich who just three days ago was convicted in federal court on one count of lying to investigators — a mistrial was declared on the other 23 counts, and a retrial is expected. Wizard took the opportunity to playfully reference the decision, opening their press release with “Rod’s appeal” and later starting “The verdict is in!”
Here’s how Wizard CEO Gareb Shamus described Blagojevich’s appearance in the official statement: “Wizard World Chicago Comic Con is all about pop culture, and Rod Blagojevich is as relevant to today’s news as it gets.” The implication being that “today’s news” is synonymous with “pop culture” — ah yes, who doesn’t love tuning in to cable news and watching the latest adventures of beloved pop culture icons like Tony Hayward and Shirley Sherrod? To be fair, Blagojevich does qualify as a pop culture figure, given how he was a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice this past year, and, more puzzlingly, his wife was on the 2009 US version of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here!.
He’ll be there tomorrow, posing for photos from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. (only a half hour?), and then singing autographs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. As Blagojevich says in the release, he’s “looking forward to meeting loyal supporters and other fans on Saturday.” Given that the he’s reportedly broke, and the photographs are $80 each and the autographs $50, he’s presumably very much looking forward to meeting these supporters and fans.
Other celebrities making appearances at the convention and mentioned in the press release include William Shatner, Adam West, Linda Hamilton and James Marsters — which is a couple of Kardashians (or Cardassians) away from being the best cast of The Surreal Life ever. There are comic book pros there, too, such as Mike McKone, Ethan Van Sciver and Jill Thompson. Wizard World Chicago started Thursday and ends on Sunday.
August 20th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Thanks, Wizard. Your con is now dead to me.
August 20th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
I was on the fence about going and then I saw this. How unbelievably lame. And a slap in the face to Chicago, which this slimebucket ripped off for years.
Die a slow death, Wizard World. Long live C2E2!
August 20th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
I’m not sure how guests are paid, but if any part of my admission fee somehow ends up in Blago’s pocket, then I’m not going. Hope he doesn’t charge for autographs.
August 20th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Blago and Gareb Shamus… Birds of a feather. They should both be in jail.
F-Shamus, and F-Wizard.
August 20th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
What a slap in the face to the residents in the great state of Illinois. The people who signed this crook up to be a guest should be ashamed of themselves. I was planning to go Sunday, but I am not going now.
August 20th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
I cannot believe this; the one juror who held out is now being investigated by the Fed’s for bribery from Blag’s camp. I cant believe they would do this, honestly. I bet Dan Didio is behind it!
August 20th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Unbelieveable — do we know if he’s ever read a comic book? This is a massive non-sequitur. Gareb, hope the bed is comfy enough for you…..
August 20th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Great. What’s next? Gareb Shamus bringing LeBron James to the Wizard Con in Cleveland?
August 20th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Man wizard world used be the shit back in the day and nowadays its just lame.
Ever since they started piting his show against cons in the same weekend.
August 20th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
I’m going sunday, to look around and see what a train wreck the con is. I’m betting there’s tons of cancellations, more than last year.
August 20th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
Gareb Shamus must be desperate to get Rod “Perfect Hair” Blagojevitch to Wizard World. I hate to see the roster for Wizard World Atlanta.
August 21st, 2010 at 12:52 am
Who’s next on the line-up: O.J. Simpson??
August 21st, 2010 at 1:55 am
I am not going this year, but went the last two years. If the organizers of Wizard are behind this sham, I will never attend again. Blago needs to be re-tried and convicted. If he isnt, its a slap in the face to the state of Illinois, and to the entire justice system. Someone should ask him how it feels to be one of the only villains there.
August 21st, 2010 at 2:09 am
@Sanford:
WWA will undoubtedly have Mike Vick as it’s guest of honor.
August 21st, 2010 at 3:03 am
Is his hair going to have it’s own signing table too? But seriously, to anyone going just walk past and ignore him. To Blago any publicity is good publicity, so walk past him pretend he’s not there. Or punch him in the face.
August 21st, 2010 at 8:25 am
Boy, if Gareb Shamus didn’t make himself more of a joke before…
August 21st, 2010 at 10:32 am
What an idiotic decision.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:40 am
OMFG are u serious? How much ya wanna bet they have to shut the whole thing down due to a bomb threat or something? Im sure there are plenty of psychos out there who would love to off this crook lol
August 21st, 2010 at 10:42 am
Why taint a perfectly wholesome event by allowing this loser, mobster creep there??
August 21st, 2010 at 11:18 am
Wizard World Chicago 2003 was my first show. It was so awesome that I planned my vacations around it for the next several years and spent half the summer salivating for that weekend in August. Then I started to see less focus on comics and toys and more B, C, and D-list celebs taking their place. Artist Alley shrank, all the major publishers and toy companies pulled out and now we are left with this hollow husk of a show. Truly sad.
A lot of us on the Wizard board tried to warn Wizard and air our grievances, but every year we were shouted down and ignored as the show sank lower and lower.
Part of me is sad I didn’t make the annual trip to Chicago this year, but I’d rather not taint the good memories I have with a sham like this. I consider the 2009 show my Wizard World Wake. Unfortunately the expense and inconvenience of downtown Chicago keep me from making the trip to C2E2, so I guess my days of attending big comic conventions are behind me. But at least I still have Mid-Ohio Con.
August 21st, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Thom …
Yeah, cause there are no D-list celebrities at Ohio Con, right?
A typical line-up there includes Noel Neil, Lou Ferrigno and the guy who played Jason in Friday the 13th. I live in Ohio and I stopped going 5 years ago because there are no big publishers and only lame guests. I enjoyed the comic atmosphere, meeting up with friends and seeing some good indy stuff, but that just isn’t enough for me anymore.
August 21st, 2010 at 6:23 pm
I was at the con today… to those of you worried that the people of Illinois have forgotten about how awful a person/governor Rod was, know that each time an announcement came up reminding us about Rod’s signing/photo op, the crowd rose to the occasion and boo-ed in unison. It was a beautiful thing.
August 21st, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Please tell me this will help bring about the end of the Wizard World conventions once and for all.
August 21st, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Don’t worry folks, I was gonna buy his con chair from him anyway and sign whatever I want for free.
August 21st, 2010 at 11:09 pm
I struggled and grunted, and gripped both sides of the toilet throne.. it was cold and unfeeling, against my sweating tights. Suddenly, the release…! A muted splash was heard, and something steaming hot hit the ice cold toilet water, so that steam rose up, and hit my skin, therefore opening the pores.. little blackheads and dried puss popped out, and landed in the toilet water. It was an interesting experience, lover…
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:16 am
Worst Chicago Con that I’ve been to in 20 years, and almost certainly my last unless the format changes for the better in the future. We only lasted 1 day there, despite having paid for 4-day passes. My wife and I preferred to waste $50 on Con fees than waste any more precious time out of our lives. Blago was just the diarrhea icing on the crap cake.
August 22nd, 2010 at 11:08 am
Ryan,
There are D list celebs at Mid Ohio, just as there are at pretty much every comic con. However, the focus still remains on comics. I don’t have a problem with celebs being there, but when you market yourself as a comic con, BE A COMIC CON.
August 22nd, 2010 at 3:49 pm
I just got back from it. I’d say the best part could have been winning iPod speakers from one booth. But then again the best part could have been meeting John Schneider and getting cheap toys and comics. But really, the best part is that I snuck in without paying for a ticket. Screw you Wizard, the con was terrible. You’re not getting a cent of my money ever.
August 22nd, 2010 at 5:22 pm
So…how much is it to kick him in the balls?
August 22nd, 2010 at 6:22 pm
I’ve been attending the con in Chicago since the year all the Image boys were in attendance and launching their books…and not admitting that they would run dramatically behind schedule.
Over the years, I really looked forward to DC’s monstrosity of a booth when I walked into the con, and that went away in 2009, replaced by celebrities charging for autographs and SOME even going so far as to hole themselves up behind curtains so that you couldn’t walk by and snap a wayward shot with your digital camera.
This year, and perhaps it was just me, even the dealers’ area seemed a little more abbreviated, because the celebrity booths were taking up the whole floor.
I’m reading articles from CNN about how San Diego is no longer a con for comic fans and people are upset that they have to wait in line for hours to view a panel, only to miss the cut-off due to the high number of attendees at the show, getting locked out, and this all leads me to believe that the days of the “traditional” comic con are gone.
There were posters at WW Chicago for Detroit Fanfare, though, and word around the campfire is the admission is FREE. Word around the campfire is also that Motor City is going to compete with it the same weekend .. in the same CITY .. and CHARGE admission!
I’ll make the trek for Detroit Fanfare .. don’t know if I’ll ever brave San Diego .. but we’ve got memories of what the shows used to be like, and what they used to possess.
Makes you feel kind of old when you can say, “When I was a kid, comic cons MEANT something! But TODAY…!”
Sigh.
August 22nd, 2010 at 6:31 pm
And the booing Rod bit is totally true.
When I was at the show Friday (the only day I went), and they made the announcement to stop by a booth and pick up tickets for the signing, I thought it was a joke. Chicago-style, you know? “Welcome to Chicago! Our leader is a puke! Enjoy the show!”
Better still, the announcement was met with many “boo’s” from attendees.
But then someone came up to me and asked if the signing was legit, and I said, “Of course, not. It’s a joke because of the trial.”
Then I visited the site Friday night and saw the announcement. It was true.
I can understand filling the show with celebrities and I can even sacrifice it a little bit and say that I understand that other media will eventually infiltrate WW Chicago, like it has with San Diego, but when the show is shifting so much into pop culture that is not related to comic books, AND THEN use Blag as a poster boy to sell more tickets (and the news media in Chicago LIT UP with the news that he’d be at the show — it was the biggest news of the weekend), the show is so much less about comics than it should be.
I wonder if Wizard as a magazine will turn into something different entirely. They’ve already lost the support of the big publishers in comics. Maybe the mag will simply become pop culture grist and whatnot. Wizard certainly hasn’t reported anything in the past year that you didn’t read about before on Newsarama.
Who’s going to step up and take Wizard’s place as THE magazine for comic book fans?
August 24th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
I worked in the contemorary art fair business a few years ago, they too saturated the market with 8th rate fares that eventually killed each other off through competition/alienating clients due to cost saving/sucking the fun out.
WWC was my first con a few years back and when I showed up Thursday and saw;
1. No printed tickets, cheap wristbands
2. No detail amenties for exhibitors carpet, cleaning staff for the room, con staff to assist with any issues that arose.
3. The utter shit they uses to fill some of the booth.
4. NO major publishers, sponsors, etc.
5. No attention to layout or aesthetics
6. Utter confusion with check in and crowd control due to the all volunteer labor force given crap instructions (i felt bad them!)
I shuddered with PTSD. I’ve watched this type of event hit the rocks. The show was awful. Bought lots of trades, almost completed my mirage tmnt run (#59, 62 anyone?) but all in all no decent panels, horrible quality, kinda depressing.
Wizard won’t live long, this is a downward spiral.
Its a pity.
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