Planet Comicon Kansas City has announced that the convention that was to take place in August 2020 has been canceled. The convention was originally to take place March 20-22 but due to COVID-19 that was rescheduled for August 14-16. The safety of attendees comes first and unfortunately, the situation is not conducive for a convention.
They have released a full statement which you can read below as well as information concerning their refund/transfer policies.
A message from Christopher Jackson, founder and CEO of #PCKC, and the team at #PlanetComicon Kansas City.
We called them the “Floridaman” of conventions when they announced the show must go on, but Tampa Bay Comic Con has announced that their 2020 show has been canceled. The rising cases of COVID-19 in the state was a concern to organizers. The convention was to take place July 10-12 at the Tampa Convention Centers.
In their announcement, the convention said that city leaders, as well as themselves, felt unease with the show going forward.
Any pre-purchased tickets or purchased booth space for vendors would have their purchases tranferred to next year’s show, slated for July 30 – August 1.
Despite rising cases of COVID-19 and a first wave that’s still oncoming, AMC theaters has announced that they will be opening about 450 locations around the country. That’s about 90% of the moviegoing at AMC. All theaters will be re-opened by the end of July.
The chain has announced “AMC Safe & Clean,” a new initiative that will “meet or exceed health and safety directives set forth by federal, state and local authorities.”
This initiative includes “Seat capacity restrictions, social distancing efforts, commitments to health, new intensified cleaning protocols, contactless ticketing and expanded mobile ordering of food & beverages.”
In early July, the chain will list the opening dates of specific theaters, movie listings, and showtimes.
We’ll be reporting more I’m sure and first we want to see if AMC’s terms of service will change to indemnify them from attendees catching COVID-19 by attending their facilities.
When San Diego Comic-Concanceled the 2020 convention, they hinted at a digital version of the show. The first details have emerged as Comic-Con@Home will take place July 22-26, 2020 and the biggest news about it is… IT’S FREE!
No waiting in long lines or camping out, you’ll be able to attend this year’s San Diego Comic-Con from the comfort of your own home.
This includes panels, exclusives, limited merchandise, and even a virtual online Exhibit Hall complete with promotions, specials, and limited-editio products for the celebration. But, wait, there’s more! The convention will also include a masquerade, gaming, and other activities all of which can be participated in at home.
SDCC spokesperson David Glanzer said:
For the first time in our 50-year history, we are happy to welcome virtually anyone from around the globe. Though stay-at-home conditions makes this a very difficult time, we see this as an opportunity to spread some joy and strengthen our sense of community.
Denver Pop Culture Con has announced its official cancellation due to the State of Colorado extending its use of the Colorado Convention Center through the end of the year.
For those attending, 2020 tickets will be refunded. Exhibitors can opt for a refund or using the amount as credit for 2021.
Intead of the physical convention, more online expriences will be coming.
Alex and Joe try to talk about whether you’re going to be buying more or less comics once shops are open (if they’re not doing curbside pick up already), again, and actually do for a bit. For a bit.
As always, Alex and Joe can be found on twitter respectively @karcossa and @jcb_smark if you feel the need to tell them they’re wrong individually, or @those2geeks if you want to yell at them together on twitter, or by email at ItsThose2Geeks@gmail.com.
Back in March, at the dawn of a quarantine that swept the globe, comic book publisher Mad Cave Studios launched the Comic Book Retailer COVID-19 Relief Fund with the goal to help out U.S. comic book shops that had been temporarily shuttered, if not still closed for business, amidst the pandemic.
The fundraiser was created to provide a one-time donation to help mitigate health risks, keep comic shop employees on payroll, and ultimately keep the businesses we all love going. In total, Mad Cave Studios has raised $12,964, which has been evenly distributed to shops most affected by this crisis.
Conventions have been cautious this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic either delaying shows until later in the year or canceling them outright. Then there’s Tampa BayComic Con screaming “Leeroy Jenkins” right into the disease vector that is Florida.
The convention has received a “green light” to go on in July after a confirmation from the Tampa Convention Center and Tampa Fire Marshall. The convention takes place July 10-12.
Meausres for the convention include:
Mandatory temperature screenings for all occupants prior to entering the convention center
Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures in high-traffic areas of the convention center
Hand santizing stations through the pre-function space and high traffic areas
Interior occupancy of the exhibit hall, ballrooms and meeting rooms will be strictly limited, with one-way entrances and one-way exits of all interior spaces
Florida currently has 46,944 confirmed cases and 2,052 deaths. That’s 2,463 cases per 1 million individuals, about half of the United State’s current statistic. Hillsborough County, where Tampa Bay is located has 1,670 confirmed cases currently with 60 deaths. That’s about 1,317 cases per 1 million people. There’s also the unknown outbreaks and concern over children and Kawasaki disease which seems to be related to COVID-19 which has been reported in the county the convention takes place.
Florida had been making progress in their battle against the disease but things have stalled and they’ve stopped making progress. There’s also the issue of trusting “positive” data coming out of the state based on the willingness to change data as per the article above. There are reports that the trend of new cases is upward.
We’ll obviously not be attending as we care about our health a bit more than conventions and hopefully, we’re wrong and there’s nothing to report once the convention wraps up.
Alex and Joe try to talk about whether you’re going to be buying more or less comics once shops are open, but get entirely distracted by something else.
As always, Alex and Joe can be found on twitter respectively @karcossa and @jcb_smark if you feel the need to tell them they’re wrong individually, or @those2geeks if you want to yell at them together on twitter, or by email at ItsThose2Geeks@gmail.com.
Legendary Italian artist Milo Manara has a niece that works as a nurse, an essential worker. She’s in the trenches, right smack in the middle of one of Europe’s most worrying Coronavirus hotzones: Italy. Manara, inspired by the work his niece and every other essential worker takes on daily despite the risk of infection, has taken to pen, paper, and ink to recognize the degree of heroism each one represents in a series of illustrations dedicated to them.
by Milo Manara
Fans of Manara expect erotic and sensual explorations of female beauty, the politics of sex, and even the more deceitful aspects of sex as a means of control (see his work on The Borgias, co-created with Alejandro Jodorowsky). For his COVID-19 Heroes illustrations, Manara reins in the eroticism to focus entirely on showing his gratitude to the women who brave the virus to fulfill essential duties.
Manara started posting these illustrations on his Facebook and Instagram pages on March 15, starting with a piece called “It’s You Against Me, Now!” in which a nurse stares down a giant COVID-19 molecule. He captioned the post with a simple yet resounding “Grazie.”
“It’s You Against Me, Now,” Milo Manara
The illustrations feel like an attempt at preserving the memory of these workers as a means to keep a visual record of the things women have put on the line to help keep the world turning. They still have the overall look and feel of the women Manara is famous for illustrating, but the purpose is to provide a visual profile that kind of speaks for itself at a mere glance. And it succeeds in every aspect.
Another valuable and important point Manara makes through this project relates to the very definition of ‘essential.’ We see nurses and teachers, but we also see vendors, women doing deliveries, supermarket cashiers, and crossing guards, all presented as equally important. It’s as if Manara’s urging us to recognize that all work is essential, regardless of its nature.
by Milo Manara
Milo Manara is currently 74 years of age, so he’s in one of the more vulnerable groups of people affected by the pandemic. According to a Heavy Metal article, he’s surviving by staying inside with the help of his daughter, who brings him groceries and supplies. In essence, this is Manara paying his debt back.
For the full gallery of Manara’s COVID-19 heroes, click here.
