Spoiler – it’s worth it.
The Line Up
I have no idea how they do it, but Ace has been able to draw huge names even though they have only hosted 3 cons so far. One con was DC themed with the likes of Gal Gadot and Jason Mamoa on the guest list. They most recent one in Seattle had a plethora of stars from the Marvel Universe in attendance.
As with the nature of cons, schedules and conflicts arise and some stars may have to drop out. Chris Evans was the first to bow out followed by Chris Hemsworth a week before the event. Luckily Tom Hiddleston and Tom Holland (who shall forever now be known as “The Toms”) stayed locked in. Buddy duo Anthony Mackie and the already mentioned Sebastian Stan were added last minute to make up for the gaps.
If you have ever experienced a mega con like San Diego or New York, you know that lines are an unavoidable part of con life. For a smaller con like Ace, the line up to get in to the convention (through metal detectors) was slow and plodding but doable if some forethought was given to the amount of time needed to get in. No need to line up hours or days before entrance but one should always err on the side of more time.
Line ups were also a problem in the autograph and photo op area. Here’s what I think happened…
- Venue staff had never worked Ace Comic Con before and weren’t sure what to expect.
- Communication break downs between staff on the ground and those in charge – it was not a huge event (attendance was expected to be about 10,000 per day and not Ace’s first event.) More signage and people in charge on the floor would have been helpful.
- Big name stars backing out left other stars picking up the slack causing backlog in their schedules – The nearly unrelenting photo/autograph/panel schedule of The Toms was outrageous. Both men seem to like to take to the time to have a brief chat with each fan (even as simple as a hand shake and exchange of names) which meant they were running up to 3 hours behind schedule. Fans appreciate those little gestures and once the schedule fell behind, photo op staff were left yelling, yes yelling, at fans and the stars to hurry up, leaving each with less than a camera flash moment to interact. There has got to be a better way of doing this and is not a unique problem for Ace Comic Con. Limited photo op and autographs were already sold but was the backlog solely because of the extra people transferring photo ops and autographs to The Toms from The Chris’ schedules? There should be a solution to this to keep stars from burning out and leave fans with a smile on their faces.
- Panel seating – One thing Ace did really well was have plenty of seating for the panels. As first glance, no one should have been without seat or the ability to watch the panel on the many big screens through the convention area if you were unlucky enough to be stuck in a line up. And yet, miscommunication on the second night saw many empty seats for the big Avengers panel with Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan and Tom Holland, while people were left standing in line to get in. Why? Staff though some sections were reserved for VIP ticket holder seat when it was actually for General Admission seating. This problem was fixed for the next day for Tom Hiddleston’s panel but still… the optics of haveing many empty seats in what should have been a packed house was bad.
I didn’t even have time to focus on where the camera was. But he smells like dreams and fangirl fantasies so my scent memory of this moment will forever stay intact.
The Extras
The vendor area and artists alley was small but worked for an event that’s all about the star power. Booths were all unique and weren’t selling all the same merch. Yes, it was crowded on Saturday but not ridiculously considering that Saturday was the busiest day at the con.
There was SO. MUCH. SEATING! Not just in the panel area, where anyone could sit even if you weren’t into that particular panel. (VIP seating was reserved for only the big panels). There were also couches and chairs set up throughout the venue giving the tired nerds a chance to sit, grab a coffee and edit their picture to Instagram worthiness.
Fan Behaviour
Ok – now this is no reflection on Ace whatsoever but it needs to be brought up. If you go to a fan convention to meet a favourite celebrity – DON’T BE A DICK.
I can’t believe it has to be said but it does.
Don’t ask for a photo pop that makes the celeb uncomfortable. You might think that wearing a wedding dress and having a sign made up that says “Mr and Mrs Hiddleston” is appropriate. It isn’t. Stop it.
Don’t be demanding. Maybe it’s my laid back Canadian personality but the sense of entitlement of some fans and their aggression and tantrums towards staff working the con was disgusting. Do better, fandoms. You will catch more flies with honey than vinegar. For example, I chatted up a nice older security guard before the Tom Hiddleston panel and found out all the seating information and how to get good seats long before the panel. We never had to wait for our seats as he let us right in. Polite Canadians for the win!
When you get the chance to ask your favourite Marvel crush a question on a panel, do not, I repeat, do not insult the other members of the panel. If you want to know what I am talking about watch it here. The WORST.
If someone does behave badly (see link above), pointing out their bad behavior is valid but don’t flood their social media with it. Don’t threaten to kill or rape them. Ya, they screwed up. But they are young kids who made a massive mistake. Call them on it but don’t be a dick about it. Seriously. Just don’t.
The Toms
Move over The Hollywood Chris’. There is a new name sharing duo in town and they may have just stolen this fangirl’s heart. Sure, Tom Hiddleston has been making me weak in the knees since his surprise appearance at SDCC’s Hall H in full Loki regalia, but after seeing young Tom Holland handle the ribbing from Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan during their panel, I am now firmly convinced of his adorableness. His enthusiasm is contagious. He obviously loves meeting his fans. If only I was 15 years younger, I would know what his dog’s name was.
I never thought I would become a fan who would fly thousands of miles and pay to see my favourite celebrity, but I have become one. When you can go to a con with an overall relaxed fun atmosphere like Ace that doesn’t have the cutthroat feeling of SDCC and the guarantee of meeting your favourite celeb (no matter how brief and even if you have to pay for it), you won’t suffer from FOMO.
When I am old and in a nursing home, I will be able to look back on these pictures and bore my grand kids with stories of how I was cool once.
