As explained in past articles and coverage, my experience with San Diego Comic Con (or Comic Con International) goes back to the late 80s, as I started attending around 1986 or 1987 or so (several years before I was even old enough to drive). So it’s always a bit remarkable to take a moment within the exhibit hall and just let the enormity of it all, as it lives and breathes today, soak in It is just a massive, massive event, and an awesome one at that.
This year I took a slightly different approach to the convention, prioritizing having as much fun as I could as an attendee… and I found that while I am usually completely burnt out on it all by Sunday, I think this year I could have easily gone another five days. It was really a spectacular event all around for me this time around, and as always I really enjoyed catching up with friends and making some new ones. And the fantastic San Diego weather this time of year doesn’t hurt.
This was an awesome year for props, as seen in part in my articles with photos of cool things on display in and out of the convention center. I think the trend of such material impressing and capturing the imagination continues to grow, which is a good thing for this art market.
The Frankenweenie exhibit put together by Disney was extremely impressive, and given that they dedicated so much floor space to this film is great, as stop motion is such a cool art form and it is nice to have it recognized in such a high profile manner.
Marvel Comics put up a really cool visual display showing the evolution of the Iron Man armor, which is fun to compare with the now comparatively modest display from 2009.
While dealers of original props come and go, the two exhibitor mainstays – Profiles in History and Prop Store – both were in their familiar spaces with impressive assortments of original props, costumes, and other material. Of course, as time goes on, they continue to be very different on many levels – how they market and sell assets, their approach with customers, determination of market value (and live auction vs fixed pricing), their respective emphases on research and authentication, etc. Obviously, the “reality” series Hollywood Treasure has further redefined Profiles over the past few years.
Regular readers will know I’m not a fan of the Hollywood Treasure television show. I did try to watch the new season with fresh eyes, but only made it about 5 minutes into the first new episode (4:58 to be exact) and had to turn it off. Joe Maddalena said, upon seeing the Superman costume now consigned to this month’s auction, “in 26 years, I’ve seen two real ones“. Which raises some obvious questions… Does the reality series need a script supervisor? Do any of the many authentic pieces outside of Profiles in History’s own auctions exist in the “reality” world of Hollywood Treasure? How many of the Superman costumes sold by Profiles in History in the past were, by their determination, “real”?
- Hollywood Auction 3, May 18, 1997 – Superman, Superman II Cape
- Hollywood Auction 6, June 26, 1999 – Superman, Superman II Complete Costume
- Hollywood Auction 18, March 31, 2004 – Superman IV Complete Costume
- Hollywood Auction 23, December 16, 2005 – Superman III Partial Costume
- Hollywood Auction 27, April 5, 2007 – Superman Complete Costume
- Hollywood Auction 30, December 13-14, 2007 – Superman Cape
- Hollywood Auction 32, August 1, 2008 – Superman Complete Costume
- Hollywood Auction 37, October 8-9, 2009 – Superman III Complete “Evil” Costume
- Icons of Hollywood, December 15-16, 2011 – Superman III Complete Costume
I may have missed one or more, but you get the idea. The first episode of Hollywood Treasure for the latest season is here – LINK – and this is why I literally can’t sit through the show, because I don’t have the time and resources to follow up on all of these things that are said and presented that I find problematic.
But, getting back to Comic Con, many I associate with who know and understand the hobby, its history, participants, and the way things work… have similar concerns. Obviously, those involved in this art market are not the intended audience for this television entertainment product. But, in my opinion, making “reality” television that is at odds with actual reality, in a field that should be about transparency, is, let’s say, counter productive.
What was most fascinating to me though, and completely surprising, were some of the people I spoke with about the show who are outside of the hobby. I would engage with people in conversations while standing in lines for various things at Comic Con, and when they learned I was involved in this hobby, they would start asking questions about certain events depicted in the TV show, and even for people that don’t collect props, I learned that certain elements of it come across in a manner in which, well, a suspension of disbelief could not be achieved on their part – that certain things depicted just didn’t add up to them. So perhaps I wasn’t giving the public at large enough credit.
As a side note, in the past year, I’ve been approached by at least half a dozen television production companies from three different countries interested in making “me too” style “reality” TV shows about prop collecting/dealing, wanting “characters” to follow week to week. I’ve tried explaining that such an approach doesn’t naturally fit with the way this field works, for a variety of reasons, but they all seem intent on fitting a square peg into a circle hole because that is the proven model and all they seem to be able to wrap their heads around. In other words, for many reality television programs, “reality” is a fiction-based subgenre, not a term to be taken by it’s literal, actual meaning outside of the entertainment industry. At its simplest, many “reality” programs are poorly scripted television shows featuring “characterized” people who can’t act. Yet Cops and Lizard Lick Towing are both lumped into the same category.
Back to the topic of Profiles in History, as noted in my Comic Con article of a few days ago (see San Diego Comic Con 2012: Profiles in History Auction Preview), the “S” chest emblem on the Marlon Brando Jor-El costume from Superman is a replica. Looking back at my Profiles in History catalog collection, it appears that this is the same piece that was offered for sale in Hollywood Auction 33, and no mention was made of the replica nature of the “S” shield in that auction description either.
333. Marlon Brando complete signature “Jor-El” costume from Superman: The Movie. (Warner Bros., 1978)
This amazing costume was worn by Marlon Brando in his memorable role as Jor-El, the father of Superman. The costume consists of tunic with iconic “S” insignia with faux jewel detailing, sleeveless full-length robe with faux jewel detailing on the shoulders, pants and boots. The entire costume is layered with a luminous silver/gray reflective material which appears to glow when subjected to strong light. This ingenious costume effect was first innovated in this production and used on all of the inhabitants of the planet Krypton providing a fantastic other-worldly appearance. Tunic, robe and boots have Bermans and Nathans labels typewritten “Marlon Brando Superman”. Comes with a Warner Bros. certificate of authenticity. Truly an iconic garment, worthy of inclusion in the finest collections.
$30,000 – $50,000
Below is the description from the auction being held in 12 days:
81. MARLON BRANDO COMPLETE SIGNATURE “JOR-EL” COSTUME FROM SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE. (Warner Bros., 1978)
Marlon Brando wore this amazing costume in his memorable role as Jor-El, the father of Superman. The costume consists of tunic with iconic “S” insignia with faux jewel detailing, sleeveless full-length robe with faux jewel detailing on the shoulders, pants and boots. The entire costume is layered with a luminous silver/gray reflective material, which appears to glow when subjected to strong light. This ingenious costume effect was first innovated in this production and used on all of the inhabitants of the planet Krypton providing a fantastic otherworldly appearance. Tunic, robe and boots have Bermans and Nathans labels typewritten “Marlon Brando Superman”. Comes with a Warner Bros. certificate of authenticity. Truly an iconic garment, worthy of inclusion in the finest collections.
$60,000 – $80,000
The online auction listing has not been updated, as of the time of this writing, noting that the “S” shield symbol is a replica. It would be interesting to know when this costume was obtained from Warner Bros., who created the replica “S” shield emblem, when it was added to the costume, and why this was not disclosed via the original costume description or the current auction description.
I do appreciate Fong taking the time at the show to talk with me, though I wonder if maybe care and consideration with regards to research, authentication, and the like aren’t taking a backseat to other priorities, based on some of what Fong has written about on his Haxbee.com blog (see The Hollywood Auction catalog is done). Below is an excerpt:
We finally wrapped the Hollywood Auction catalog last night. It has been an arduous process these last few weeks. It was at times painfully frustrating and more than a few times tempers flared. We only began working on this catalog in ernest three weeks ago. This has probably been the quickest we’ve ever put a catalog together. This required that the staff all put their lives on pause. We cancelled personal appointments and forgo any social life. To me, the countless hours and late nights are worthwhile when the finished product is something to be proud of. Personally, I am proud of the editorial and graphics departments. They cranked out copyedits and laid out pages at an impossible pace. At the end, we have a 400-page catalog with almost 1,200 lots.
It is in some ways refreshing to hear some real “reality” coming from the Profiles camp, rather than the glossy, magical version depicted in the Hollywood Treasure entertainment television program, but at the same time, one wonders about the manner in which pieces are actually authenticated, and it is kind of interesting to think that there are editorial and graphics departments, but I’ve never heard of an authentication department. But a catalog put together “at an impossible pace” doesn’t personally instill me with confidence with regards to care and detail paid to the most important part of the equation – authentication and factually accurate and complete catalog descriptions and photography. Reading Fong’s insider’s take on the process certainly provides a distinct impression of the process.
Additionally, circa the Captain America auction, Profiles talked at a panel discussion about their take on the concept of “peer review” (see Profiles in History Pledges More Transparency… and …Update & Response to “What We Are Currently Working On”), and I haven’t had any reply or seen any update to the online auction description for the George Reeves Superman Cape for which questions were raised, and I am aware of other parties contacting Profiles in History with questions/concerns about other pieces with no response.
In any event, I did not intend to take such a comprehensive detour in my overall recap of Comic Con, but I do attend under a press pass, with the purpose of covering the original prop and costume art market and related news and observations, so this is all actually on topic in that regard. And since Profiles dominates the market in such a fashion, I believe the attention paid here with questions and opinions is appropriate.
I personally only had one brief visit at the Profiles stand, and spent much, much more time at the Prop Store booth, and it is always interesting to see the crowds take in their space to figure out what it is that they are doing. While Profiles is present to promote their auctions and their television program (though the latter is not overt), Prop Store is more squarely focused on spreading awareness of the hobby in general, and by extension, their brand and website. Though they do have some things available for sale, it is overall kind of a non transactional atmosphere, which I think some attendees may have some challenge wrapping their head around (since most booths at the show are either retail-oriented or promoting an entertainment product). Comparing and contrasting with past years though, I got the sense that they have had some success with returning con attendees, as I think people are now recognizing and remembering Prop Store and their booth, and return to see what artifacts they brought along this year. I’m sure that the Hollywood Treasures show has helped a bit with this as well.
In talking with other movie prop collecting hobbyists in attendance, I also got fairly well caught up on many stories of interest and the latest scandals and scandalous behavior, which is always extremely interesting. There really are no secrets in this hobby, as much as some might hope. It’s more a matter of who knows and/or how many people know. And I am always pleased to have tales corroborated by independent sources that do not know one another.
The con itself was just simply awesome. While the show has obviously had growing pains over the years, given its massive growth, popularity, and non-profit nature, it’s really remarkable that it has adapted as well as it has, and kudos to all those involved at every level. Things seemed to be better organized this year compared with all the shows in the past decade, I would venture to guess, and I was very impressed most of all with the overall crowd control at large.
One sad aspect of the show is the shrinking presence of actual comic book dealers, which was the foundation of the show going back to the beginning (hence the name, Comic Con!). I’m not sure if its more just a sign of the times and industry or some other reason(s), but it would be nice to see that contingent come back stronger next year. I at one point ran into Larry Hama and wanted to get a comic for him to sign, and it wasn’t an easy task!
I never ventured into the infamous Hall H this year (where the biggest panel events take place), but heard nothing but positive things from those who did take part. As a friend said recently, you could really have enough demand to fill a stadium, so it’s too bad not all interested attendees can freely attend without a significant “standing in line” commitment.
One of the most astonishing things that I witnessed was on the morning of the Firefly anniversary panel, which was held in Ballroom 20. I had gotten to the convention center early that morning with hopes of getting a wristband for The Big Bang Theory signing, and struck out, so I hung out on the second level of the backside of the convention center outside making phone calls until the exhibit hall opened. The line of people waiting for the Firefly panel was insane. It wrapped all around that exterior level, up and down, up and down… tracked down the back steps… went all the way along the harbor to the Bayfront Hilton down the way… wrapped all the way back, and then out into the marina area! It must have been many, many, many times the capacity of Ballroom 20. Hopefully this property will come back on big or small screen someday, because the fan base is alive and well. More, Serenity was such a great flick – one of my favorites of the past decade for sure. Below are some photos just showing some of the line for Firefly/Serenity…
The last photo above was after the line cleared, but ran from behind this point, to the Bayfront Hilton in the distance, and back again, and then out into the marina. Incredible! Speaking of the Bayfront, I heard a rumor that an additional tower may be constructed in order to expand the convention to accommodate more attendees, and stave off talk of moving the show to L.A. or Las Vegas. I’m a proponent of any steps that could be taken to keep the show in San Diego (where it belongs, in my opinion) and expand the show so that anyone who wants to attend can do so.
Getting back to the massive interest in Firefly and dedicated fans, Joss Whedon actually showed up at the Convention at 3 am the night before the panel to meet fans and sign autographs, as seen in the video below that was shot by a fan:
A perfect example of some of the actual magical moments that happen at Comic Con.
As always, there were just amazing costumes created and worn by many attendees at the show, which is something I’ve grown more and more appreciation for over the years.
One of the highlights for me with this Comic Con was meeting a number of pop culture celebrities of whom I am a fan…
I met him years and years ago (at Comic Con, when it wasn’t like it was today, and you could bump into him and have a normal conversation), but this year I got to get my photo taken with the legendary Stan Lee, as well photos and/or autographs with Lou Ferrigno (television’s original Hulk), Larry Hama (writer of the G.I. Joe comic book and creator of the characters), Mark Hamill (who played Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (who played Princess Leia), and a good number of the original cast of one of my two favorite television shows of all time, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Brent Spiner as Data, LaVar Burton as Geordi LaForge, and Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi):
I think the best test of how great Comic Con was this year is that by Sunday, instead of being burnt out by the crowds and craziness, I think I could have gone another five days.
Jason DeBord