Last week, when rumors started to spread about Emerald City Comiconâs sale to international pop-culture events organization ReedPop, the most common sentiment I heard from local comics professionals was surprise, followed by skepticism. Everyone seemed to think ECCC founder Jim Demonakos would never sell the convention, mostly because he seemed to love his job too much. Demonakos was way too proud of his convention, people protested, to sell it to some faceless entity. So todayâs confirmation raises more than a few questions.
ECCC has sold to ReedPop, but Demonakos has also been hired by ReedPop under the title âDirector, Comic Talentâ to coordinate ECCC and other shows around the country and the world. But what does that mean for the future of ECCC? I spoke with Demonakos about the changes.
Demonakos confirms heâs been in conversation with Reed since spring of last year. Itâs nowhere near the first offer heâs received, but it is the first one heâs taken seriously. âFor ReedPop, the approach was much differentâ than the other offers, Demonakos explains. âIt was taking ECCC and actually adding value, making it even more awesome, while also having the team behind ECCC work on the ReedPop shows, and bringing some of what makes ECCC special to their other events.â Heâll be in charge of commissioning art and merchandising for the shows, choosing talent to highlight, and fine-tuning the customer experience at conventions in New York, Australia, and elsewhere.
After working on ECCC for a full third of his life, Demonakos emphasizes that heâs not abandoning the convention he founded. âI'm actually getting to still work on ECCC, but also then expanding my scope to all the other pop culture and comic shows that ReedPop is involved with as well, both domestically and internationally. That's not something I'd ever be able to do on my own.â He says ECCCâs staff of seven full-time employees will also be âtaking what they do with ECCC and expanding it across all [ReedPopâs] events.â
Part of the fun of ECCC is the feel of the show, which is just the right size and not too super-intense. The comics professionals at the show always enjoy themselves, and so their interactions with the fans tend to be looser and more fun. It's garnered a reputation of being the one convention on the long convention schedule that the industry actually looks forward to. What does Demonakos have to say to these people who are worried that the ECCC they know and love is going to go away?â¨â¨
âIt's hard to just take my word for it,â he admits. âBut all I can say is that ECCC will continue to be run by the same people who have always put on the show, and will continue to foster the vibe, the feel, the spirit of ECCC moving forward.â The next Emerald City Comicon is scheduled for March 27 through 29 at the Washington State Convention Center. Demonakos will be there.