I always thought Comic Con attendees would get violent over limited edition exclusives before any other scheduled events but I was wrong. USA Today reported that two guys in their mid twenties got into a fight in Hall H as Unversal was presenting Jon Favreau’s(director of Iron Man movies) Cowboy & Aliens. As the two guy were fighting, one got stabbed in the eye with a pen. The victim was taken to a hospital while the stabber got restrained and arrested by the cops. I don’t know the details of the incident but I’m predicting they probably got into a fight over seating. But in the end, two adults shouldn’t have had to fight because of a movie preview. That’s just pathetic and gives 99.9% of the well behaved nerds a bad name.
But this is what happens when people camp out to Hollywood panels and there’s not enough room for everybody. Hall H is probably the biggest hall they have and the lines are still ridiculously long. While majority of the fans waiting to get in to Hall H are well behaved, I can see the stress on the their faces whether they could get in or not. This causes tension and guess what? Someone finally snapped today. Instead of having fun, some attendees get carried away and take the event too seriously. This kind of tension also happens at the Exhibit floor where companies are selling limited exclusive collectibles. The lines can be really long just to get a damn ticket and it doesn’t even guarantee a purchase. It just assures you that you’ll have a chance of getting an overpriced exclusive, imagine that.
Hall H line last year courtesy of Comingsoon.net
Like I’ve said on previous articles, while I enjoy Comic Con, it is getting too crowded for its own good. Everyone and their grandma is attending the event and it creates stress for everybody. What Comic Con can do is either limit the number of Hollywood panels or move to a bigger location. I doubt they’ll reject Hollywood from going to the event because it brings the organization publicity and moolah. So the latter option makes more sense. There’s a rumor that Comic Con might move from San Diego to Los Angeles after there contract is up in 2012. The biggest factor for the move would be over capacity.
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Paladin
Jul 25, 2010 -
I think the other problem is: if someone stabs another over NOTHING, then they are probably insane. Think of all the nuts who sit in front of the computer all day and go to every message board and leave nasty comments over the opinions of others like they are talking about killing them. Now, these same people are out in public, who knows what they’ll do? Usually these are the people too afraid to face the world, but at the same time they probably think the computer is the world and they really are the character they made up.
If I was the guy who got stabbed by a pen in the eye, I would want the stabbers eye in return, not jail for them, not a law suit.
Eye for an eye…
ccfmds
Jul 25, 2010 -
The sad thing is the person who was stabbed could go blind in that eye if the damage was bad enough.
John Kaufman
Jul 25, 2010 -
I’ve worked in the industry and let alone at a convention; I’ve seen crowds in danger of trampling each other and fights breaking out when a mass of people try to get near a star. I’ve felt that I was n danger of getting run over more than once.
This is but one reason that I’m now a freelance writer living in Boston. I don’t need the insanity that goes hand in hand with the industry.
Reboot
Jul 25, 2010 -
this is what happens when you get a 3 to 4 day event that is overcapacity, you eventually get a crazy person, or tired people that just flip.
Comic-con should be a week long event, lol.
Its unfortunate that this one guy is going to be the example for most nerds. Expect big wigs and politicals trying to set up bans and measures.
LongRhoads
Jul 25, 2010 -
SHOTGUN TO THE DICK !!
BALLPOINT TO THE EYE !!!!!
Katie
Jul 26, 2010 -
I disagree with making it a week long event. I live in San Diego county and the insanity that is Comic Con should not be stretched out over more days. The amount of traffic and trash that ends up littering the streets is unbelievable. I was at first not too happy about the talks about changing venues (states) for the convention but the more I think about it the more I agree.