CW Cooke and "Jeff from Kansas" (Click to enlarge.)
In my previous column about the Free State Comicon, I spoke briefly in the comments about something that I forgot to cover . So I’ve decided, of course, to make it my next post about the comics world in KC. And this one is something I’m incredibly surprised hasn’t been picked up on by more people or discussed or even brought up.
I hadn’t heard about it prior to the Free State Comicon on September 10th. I hadn’t heard mention of it. But like most of you, I’ve read almost all of the comics that are involved in this insanely brilliant idea.
Here’s our final wrap up on the 2011 Free State Comicon featuring photos, photos, and more photos. It’s been a week now since the event, and here at Kansas City Comics we’ve enjoyed following up with a number of the guests. We’re planning several future features and interviews that started with conversations in Lawrence.
Who did you meet at the show? What treasures did you buy from a dealer or creator? What made this event better than before? What would have made it even greater? Leave a comment at the end of this article to share your thoughts and memories of the 2011 Free State Comicon.
The 2011 Free State Freecon set a new attendance record for the promoter.
According to show promoter Craig Klotz, the latest Free State Comicon had a higher total attendance of any his previous events. Around 800 fans, workers, dealers, and comics creators were at the show. “We blew the doors off of our old attendance record!†Klotz said. “Our best show before this was the 2009 Free State show, which had around 550 people. We are very pleased with the turnout!â€
Klotz attributes several factors with increasing attendance at the event, including media coverage and returning the show to September date instead of May. He also cited, “Things like the re-branding of the show and re-vamp of the kcfancon.com website, and a larger social media presence. And of course the support of the Kansas and Missouri comic creator community was huge! I think we got the right mix of guests, too.â€
Overall, Klotz was happy to avoid major problems during the show. “Things ran very smoothly, which was unexpected,†he said. “I always expect kinks or mini-crises, but everything fell into place both behind the scenes and during the show.â€
Klotz plans to announce the details for his next event in a few weeks. “I can say that the next show will be one of our free KC Fan Con shows, and that it will be our ‘fall-back’ show on Sunday, November 6th,†he said. “As to location and special guest, you’ll have to wait for the announcement.â€
Based on the turn out, the addition of a $3.00 admission fee appears to have had no negative affect on turnout. Previous Free State conventions had free admission.
More information about events from Klotz’ Kansas City Fan Conventions organization is available at www.kcfancon.com. Klotz also posts updates on events on Facebook and Twitter.
