Aaron Albert: I’ve heard ECCC described as one of the last good comic book conventions in the USA. That being that the focus is primarily on comics, not Hollywood. What do you think about that?
Jim: Demonakos: Well, first of all, thanks for the good words. We really try to put together a fun and entertaining show every year with the focus being squarely on comics. I still think that you can run an entire show dedicated to comics, but there is a reality in the fact that getting enough people through the door to continue to do the show means broadening your audience. The problem comes when you start catering more to that audience rather than your core audience and all of a sudden you’re not a comic show any more…
Aaron: Do you see a future for ECCC such as Comic-Con International?
Jim: The short answer is no. I want Emerald City to continue to grow, but when I think of ECCC’s future, I think of it as continuing to expand to a great-sized two-day show and maybe even one day a three-day show, though that’s a while off if at all.
Aaron: The convention has grown quite a bit over the last few years and more and more comic talent seem to want to make it a point to being there. What do you think has been the major success of the event?
Jim: I think this goes back to the first question, the reason comics people want to come out to Seattle is because it’s a show whose focus is comics, and what better place to be a comics creator than a comics convention? In addition, the city itself is such a draw – Seattle is a beautiful place and many creators have been wooed by the siren call of the Northwest.
Aaron: What are you excited about for this years convention? Is there anything new? How is the new location (Washington Convention Center) different or better than the Qwest Center? What can fans expect?
Jim: The big new thing for the show is the move to a dedicated convention facility, which signals many great changes to the show – an expanded floor plan (which allows for more exhibitors and guests), dedicated panel rooms (we have four times the amount of programming versus last year) and a brand new badge system that brings the show in line with other national shows in ease-of-use to allow fans access to the show that much faster than ever before.
In addition, we have a great line-up of guests, bringing out dozens and dozens of creators, many of which have never been to the Northwest before, including J. Michael Straczynski, Phil Jim:enez, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Dan DiDio… you get the idea, just too many to even name!
Aaron: What is it like to run a convention? How much has this become a full time job?
Jim: Running a convention is just like any job, really. Lots of organization, running around, stress, fun and frustration all rolled in to one. When everything comes together, it’s beautiful and when things go wrong, it’s the end of the world. All that said, it’s a great job and I wouldn’t switch it for anything.
I do work on Emerald City mostly full time, but I do freelance work in addition and I’m also the owner of the largest chain of comic book stores in Washington State, so other stuff is always finding its way on to my plate…
Aaron: What kind of skills does a person need to run a convention?
Jim: I never really thought about it. To me, it takes a combination of hard work, dedication, a lot of planning and even more luck. I outline all the things I want to happen at the show, marketing/advertising plans and a guest wishlist and slowly just start working on everything. It sounds mundane, and like I said, it’s a job, but at the end of it, that’s what I feel it takes to run a show.
Aaron: What has been one of the most rewarding parts of running the convention?
Jim: To be honest, the best reward has been bringing a really fun event to the Pacific Northwest. This is my home, it’s a great comics community and to be able to contribute something to the industry I love is reward in itself.
Aaron: What has been one of the biggest challenges?
Jim: I think establishing the show and its reputation. By that, I mean that to start a show from scratch, no one knows who you are, what your commitment or dedication to the show is. Is your show going to be a one-time thing or are you in it for the long haul and truly trying to establish something cool? There’s no way to convince anyone of that with words, only by actions. So it has taken time for the show to establish itself but I feel it’s getting to the point that it now has started to take a life of its own!
Aaron: If you could only attend one part of the convention this year, which one would you choose? A panel, artists alley, perusing comics, or something else?
Jim: That’s tough, how do you choose your favorite child? I think that we have a lot of fun programming that I would love to be a part of, but the art collector in me would probably be wanting to hang out in artist alley getting sketches, while the collector in me would be digging through old comics bins. Hard to choose!
Aaron: Thanks Jim:! And if you are in the Northwest come this May 10th and 11th, be sure to check out the Emerald City Comic Con, the contact with the creators is amazing and it is only getting better each year. I had a great time last year and can't wait to attend again.
