SDCC 2009

[Max Pacheco]

Also: Moose Dance Moose Song = awesome

Oh, if only I had been there. I know a campfire moose song that involves audience participation and body movements. We could have had a good ol' fashioned moose sing-along.

[Stephanie Horn]

Aw! That would have been so perfect!

[Eduardo Blake]

Just to complete, the IGN write up

http://comics.ign.com/articles/100/1007553p1.html

[djc6535]

Hello all. The following is an open letter for Mr. Bill Willingham regarding the Fables panel at SDCC.

Mr. Willingham,
I am posting this open letter in forums that belong to you and your fans. I realize that this makes me a guest in these places, as I am not a Fables reader, and as a guest I will do my very best to keep these comments civil and constructive.

At San Diego Comic Con, there are many many panels and activities for fans to attend. These take place in large ballrooms and are scheduled back to back throughout the entire day. The folks who put the convention on do not clear the rooms between events, so if 90% of the room stays when one panel concludes, only 10% of the room will be available to the people standing in line. This is a difficult situation for everybody, creators like yourself, and fans like me. We all do the best we can.

This year, the Fables panel was followed by a Venture Bros. panel, and there were a large number of Venture Bros. fans ’squatting’ your Fables panel. I was one of them. However, I am not entirely evil. I let a number of Fables fans who swore to me that they’d leave the room when Fables concluded (Meaning they weren’t taking a seat I would later be interested in) in front of me in line. Still, I am aware of the potential for frustration when confronted with a number of fans of someone other person’s creation sitting where you would rather see one of your own.

That said, we all do the best we can with these unfortunate circumstances. I was rather surprised when you proceeded to insult the Venture Bros. fans numerous times throughout the panel. Comments along the lines of “This is something strange and mysterious: something you would have to read”, describing how the process of opening and reading a book works, and other comments insinuating my illiteracy were not appreciated. Instead of viewing the 1000 Venture Bros. fans as a captive audience that could be turned into fans of your creation as well, you viewed them as a threat and treated them as such. You very quickly turned a room full of people who had never heard your story but were receptive, and happy to know they didn’t have to stand in line anymore (after 2.5 hours of waiting) very sour to whatever you might have to say afterwords.

You have to protect your fans who came to see you, and you have to treat them best first. I understand this. I am in no way suggesting you should have changed the content of your panel to a sales pitch, which would have been insulting to your fans. I’m suggesting that if you hadn’t repeatedly attacked the other folks who had no opinion of your story, the excitement of your own fans and the interesting aspects of the story you had to tell would have become a sales pitch to them by default. We, the non-Fables fans should have been thinking “This looks interesting, I should pick up a copy to see what it’s all about”. Instead we were left thinking “When will this such-and-such quit insulting me so we can get on with what we came here for”. I have no doubt in my mind you cost yourself a few potential fans that day.

Thank you very much.
Dave Chandler

*Edit: I have just realized that my registered 'posting name' is not my given name. In an effort to show good will I have signed this letter with my real name, but I understand if this is post is removed. I am not interested in 'stirring the pot' and simply hope that this letter finds itself in Mr. Willingham's hands. Thanks again, Dave Chandler.

[Camila Tessler]

Just joined the forum and figured I'd make my first post here as I was the Flycatcher at this year's fables panel. Can anyone help me on finding the "official" group pic of us cosplayers?

Hey Philip, I'm Camila, I was the Blue at that gathering! While my group picture isn't as good as yours (it's blurry, cry) I did get this one:

[Chris Opperman]

WOW! That's an amazing picture Bucky drew!!!! :D

Christopher

[C. Kistler]

So I wasn't there, but in regards to Dave's post, it sure sounds like there were some serious system's issues at this SDCC panel. I thought it interesting that no mention was made of this on the blogs I've read. I can't speak for Bill's behavior, yea or nay, but it sounds like there were some problematic logistical issues surrounding the panel that weren't sufficiently addressed prior to the convention. I'll leave the other issues to the man, himself. I myself have sometimes found it hard to make the best of a bad situation and I try to remember that everyone's human.

I, too, am a fan of the Venture Brothers. I think it is a well-written and actually well-thought out show. Each season tends to have an arc, characters change over time, and it takes its source material seriously. In many ways, it has a lot in common with FABLES. It's a re-imagining of the "Johnny Quest" Action-Boy genre, and incredibly funny. FABLES too is a wonderful re-imagining, and I hope you might consider reading them even if the panel may have cooled you on the idea. The stories told in FABLES really are incredible. I would urge you, and all others who might have been similarly disheartened, to withhold judgment until you've given them a try.

Oh, and Philip, LOVE the costume!

[Eddy Stone]

WOW! That's an amazing picture Bucky drew!!!! :D

Christopher

That is an amazing picture!! I don't recognize the character though. Is that Ozma? (I feel like everything now is Ozma).

[Chris Opperman]

I think it might be! look at the animated trees!

[Charles Reed]

Mr. Chandler,

I'm obviously not Bill, nor was I in attendance at this year's Comic Con, but I have listened to the podcast of the Fables panel(available here if you want to listen) a couple of times now, and would like to respond to your post.

For one thing, Bill actually did express a love for and admiration of the show. He also said that he didn't hold anything against any of the people occupying seats waiting for the next show, and to my ears he sounded absolutely sincere in that sentiment. Everything I heard sounded like good-natured ribbing on Bill's part. You might not have found it funny, but none of it seemed to be malicious in tone or to be seriously questioning the literacy of anybody else in the room. And I didn't detect anything that even remotely sounded like Bill treated you and the other Venture Brothers fans as a threat.

I do know that if I had been able to attend the convention and had wanted to get into a panel but wasn't able to -- not because the room filled up with other Fables fans that got there first, but because vast amounts of the room were occupied by people whose only purpose was to secure a seat for the next panel -- I'd probably be pretty angry. Not at the Venture Brothers fans like you, but at the Comic Con organizers who couldn't or wouldn't work out a better system for getting people into the panels that they actually wanted to attend.

You did what you had to do to get into the panel you wanted to get into. Undoubtedly, I would have done the same. But I do understand why some Fables fans might have been resentful at being excluded, or at their friends or fellow Fables fans being excluded, because of "squatters." And I would understand Bill's desire to give some validity to those feelings of resentment by poking some good-natured fun at you Venture Brothers folks.

Just my take on things, of course.

Charles

P.S. By the way, thanks for posting under your real name. You have no idea how much I appreciate that, especially since your post was critical in nature.

P.P.S. Fables really is a fantastic book. If you're in the mood to try out a new series of comics, and are looking for something with great character development, cool concepts, genuine and realistic motiviations for both "good guys" and "bad guys," and lasting consequences for even very popular characters, give it a try.

[mrs.dawnsmith]

I was at the panel, and I can attest that it was really hard to get in. And Bill was...Bill made it clear to all in attendance that he was unhappy with the situation. But I though it was funny. Matt and I stayed for the Venture Panel (we're fans), and it was pretty awesome. I undertstand the anger on both sides of this, because I thought I wouldn't even get into Fables, I got lucky. I also understand the insult to the intelligence of the Venture fans, because Venture is a really smart cartoon, and people who watch it can almost certainly read.
Difficult situation. For my part, Matt and I snuck 2 Fables fans into the front of the line with us...oh, Stephaine too...so 3 I guess. We tried to get as many Fables fans in as we could.

[Philip Roworth]

It really is a great print we got for going in costume. Great incentive for even more people to cosplay next year. I already bought my pass and I'll definitely be back as Fly

As for the character in the picture, it is definitely the same girl from the "prophesy" page they gave out at the panel, so I'm betting on Ozma as well

Camila, that pic is great. If only there was a Pinocchio to finish the trio

As for sitting through panels, I was guilty of doing the same thing to the Boondock Saints 2 panel before ours. I was at least a fan of the original though, so it wasn't completely prickish of me to do so

[Todd Klein]

Hi folks,

For the record, the print I'm doing with Bucky is titled "Each Beast at the Feast." I won't announce it or have more info on my website until it's further along, but was gratified by the positive reaction at the panel. Thanks!

[Cassandra Lawrence]

I was there and...almost didn't get in. There were some seats reserved for the cosplayers though so I guess I'll have to cosplay next year, either as one armed Blue (I'm an amputee) or Kay.

I was the one who asked the question about Kay. And lo, I spy another Kay fan! High five, muteddragon.

Regarding the Venture Bros, I think the anger was more directed at the ComicCon organization than at the VB fans. It'd have been better if the rooms were cleared after every panel so Fables fans could go in while VB fans could stay in line without worrying about not having any space left. However the staff seemed really intent on keeping the hallways clear (I saw a staff member just SCREAMING at this mother who was trying to help her young daughter after she tripped and lost a shoe that they had to get up), so anymore hallway crowding is probably a no-go.

...maybe we'll just all have to cosplay next year? ;)

[muteddragon]

Wohoo, thanks for asking about poor ol' Kay, Cassandra! (Oh drat, I just listened to the podcast and his answer isn't a direct 'yes' as reported by IGN.)

[Tara Hatchett]

First post in the Fabletown Forums! (Be kind?)

Hi Philip! I was the girl who was Prince Charming. It was awesome that you came and joined us, usually it's just Bonnie & Camila & I costuming & being dorky. You're a super cute Fly! :D

Yeah, re: Venture Bros: I totally would have stayed if I didn't have masquerade RIGHT after the Fables forum too :< I know people were pretty upset, both those who weren't able to get in, and also the VB fans who felt picked on. (Although I thought Mr. Willingham was pretty (pardon the pun) PC about it. I can't imagine honestly how I'd feel if I knew that a good chunk of the people who came to see a panel about a book that I put my hearts and hard work into weren't even there for it, even if I, like them, liked the series they were waiting for. Saving the art for those who were leaving was a good idea, and we were joking about letting people come into the Fables panel by making them answer a simple question (i.e., how many kids Snow & Bigby have).

Yeah, we almost didn't get in (I volunteered until ~4pm so had to run over after changing).

Anyway! I've gone three years, and I'm already looking forward to next year! Fables fans are awesome, so now that I've finally been unlazy & joined, I look forward to chatting with you guys in the future :)

Also - forgive my slightly wonky grammar, I'm still crazy tired from SDCC :/

[Trish Tatman]

I'm totally going as gun-toting Goldilocks next year.

There's no way I'm dealing with that squatter business again. They should have just kept Venture Brothers in a ballroom (I heard one fan lament "I feel so bad about this, they put us in a ballroom last year, why did they put us in a smaller room this year? Now we have to sit through these peoples panel...")

[Eddy Stone]

Welcome to the boards, Tara! I am extremely envious of your PC tie, I would wear that all the time!

[Camila Tessler]

Welcome to the boards, Tara! I am extremely envious of your PC tie, I would wear that all the time!

We're all jealous of that tie.

Also, Tara! PC groomin' hisself.

[Cassandra Lawrence]

Wohoo, thanks for asking about poor ol' Kay, Cassandra! (Oh drat, I just listened to the podcast and his answer isn't a direct 'yes' as reported by IGN.)

Kay needs love too. I was joking that Kay'd show up in the background of someone else's flashback and that'd be it, but I trust Bill more than that.

For now. >_>