It’s mid-May in Michigan, and you know what that means…
The crew and I once again took our talents to Novi, and took in all the sights and sounds of the Motor City Comic Con. MC3 has rapidly climbed my list of favorite cons to attend, and I gotta say, it’s sitting firmly at the top. I had a solid run with San Diego Comic Con for a while and that one will always have a special place in my heart, but there’s just something magical about a hometown show that cannot be overstated.
Each year, the fam and I drive down to to Vibe Credit Union Showplace (formerly the Suburban Collection Showplace) to experience everything MC3 has to offer. Each year, the show seems to get bigger and more robust, and this year certainly was no exception. The guest list was absolutely MASSIVE for the spring show, and literally every type of fandom you can think of was represented on the guest list.
Attending the show on a press pass is always a privilege, and one that I never take for granted. In recent years though, it feels like it’s more difficult than ever to get interviews with the attending media guests than ever before. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of action outside of celebrity row to ensure everyone has an amazing experience regardless. That said, let’s dip into the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from this year’s show:
The Good
It’s pretty difficult to narrow this list down to just a few things because MC3 does several things incredibly well. To start, the team does an INSANELY good job of putting together a talent roster and media guest that can be equal parts modern and timely, while also being classically nostalgic. There were cast members from retro TV classics like Dallas and Happy Days, WWE legends like Kane, Jerry Lawler, and Jim Ross, voice talent like Abby Trott and Zach Aguilar, and intergalactic kings William Shatner and John Boyega. LITERALLY all fandoms were represented, and it led to massive crowds all weekend.
Speaking of massive crowds, the MC3 Squad members did an excellent job of controlling the swaths of attendees all weekend. Comic Cons can typically be a nightmare when it comes to crowds, but as I navigated the showroom floor, I didn’t really have an issue getting anywhere I wanted to be.
The FOOD TRUCKS. These guys are a godsend and I’m sure they helped with crowd control, but more important than that, they provide amazing alternatives to the convention center pizza, burgers, and hotdogs. Seriously. The fact that I could choose between shawarma, BBQ, taco trucks, or vegan food made my inner fat kid delighted, and I didn’t have the fear of catching the plague or bubble guts from a poor food choice.
The Bad
I actually enjoyed the addition of the Pure Pro Wrestling shows, and I hit a couple of them over my weekend at MC3. The problem with the shows though, were they put them too close to other panels. I’m a big fan of the sketch duels that happen over the course of the show, but the PPW shows were happening right next to the sketch duels and ended up being tremendously distracting. It was a bit off-putting trying to learn more about artists and their history, while trying to tune out the sounds of body slams, drop kicks, and a VERY rambunctious crowd.
Bring the PPW crew back, but for the love of god, change the location.
Moderators. There seems to be a huge quality gap in moderators for the celebrity panels. Even with a recent partnership with Screen Rant the moderators are either wildly vanilla, or they’re more focused on highlighting themselves over creating an intimate experience for the fans in attendance.
The Ugly
Third world problems here, but man… I really wish there were at least a few small press/press exclusive opportunities at the show. Lately, most of the attending talent will either flat out decline interview requests for anyone who IS NOT large media which slightly kills the allure of a press pass. I would absolutely LOVE to see a press exclusive panel, or even a select few guests who are made available to members of the media for short interviews.
Yes, I get in for free. Yes, it is a tremendous privilege to be able to cover these shows, but the ACCESS to the guests at MC3 as compared to other cons, has been… lackluster to say the least.
With all that said, I’ll never miss a chance to attend a Motor City Comic Con, and I’m already counting down the days until the next show.
