RI Comic Con — So Hot Some Were Left in the Cold

It’s official: Comic Con and the formerly geeky cultural norms attached have gone mainstream. If the blockbuster status of so many recent superhero and sci-fi movies weren’t evidence enough,  RI Comic Con this weekend was not only sold out, but closed off due to capacity concerns. The convention center has a capacity of around 14,000 to 17,000 people. Comic Con expected 20,000 to 30,000 total, but at a normal convention, attendees don’t all show up at the same time, or stay the whole day. This Con was an exception. And while two-hour-long waits and strict fire marshals make for a frustrating Con experience, being stuck in a line with a celebrity – or someone in a really cool costume – can be interesting, too. The fact that so many people didn’t leave, but waited it out, says a lot for the tenacity of these fans, and a lot for how the mainstream has embraced this once-obscure niche.

We’ve been told unofficially that RI Comic Con has promised to reimburse the thousands of participants who ended up locked out on Saturday (not coincidentally, shortly before the William Shatner presentation). It’s not something they’re obligated to do according to the fine print – but it also seems appropriate, given the dashed expectations locked out fans will have to recover from. We’ll let you know more as we learn of it.

On the other hand, some things were good and great about RI Comic Con this year. Watch this site for news from our on-the-ground roving reporter Nick Iandolo.