Left: Cosplayers Rachel Gray, left, and Nhu Tu battle each other during the Super Summer Comic Con 2
Right: Power Rangers Dino Thunder actors Kevin Duhaney, left, and Jeff Parazzo take photos with cosplayer Rob Middleton,
during the Super Summer Comic Con 2
Parazzo, who played the white Dino Ranger alongside
Duhaney, says he only started attending conventions recently
and through them realized how important the shows he’s
done became for fans.
“You’re nothing without your fans.”
For Parazzo and Duhaney it was also about visiting
conventions near their home of Toronto. Parazzo says he
appreciates having so many events across southwestern
Ontario.
“It’s nice to be able to bounce around and see cities
around you because we never do that, we’re always in the
States and stuff, so it’s nice to just stay home,” says Parazzo.
While some may feel the events have lost their original
flavour, they have provided other benefits, especially to
vendors of different pop culture merchandise. From small
stuffed Pokemons to superhero masks and yes, comic books,
some have found comic-cons a way of earning a profit while
being able to sell products they have interest in and be in the
heart of a subject they love.
“You get to see a lot of neat stuff,” says Sabrina Wiese, an
employee of Dice and Stuff, an entertainment company that,
according to their website, ‘creates, supports, specializes and
produces works of the imagination.’ “When you’re behind a
booth you don’t have to worry about the crowds because the
crowds come to you…it’s not just about selling, it’s seeing and
talking to people and finding out what they like, what they
don’t like.”
Wiese also says a benefit to being a vendor at comic book
conventions is the exposure. People see the products for sale
and come up to ask more about
For vendors, choosing which ‘con’ to participate in. can
depend on the cost and benefits.
In Caila Mailloux’s opinion, it can all come down to a
convention’s attendance that will determine if they will be a
vendor. Since SyndiCON and Windsor ComicCon are in their
first year, Mailloux, who owns Roany’s Collectibles in
Kitchener, says it’s difficult to know whether her business
would be able to make enough profit from advertising at
either event.
“We come out to showcase our products but we have a
cost as well, so