Rob Salkowitz takes us to geek mecca with ‘Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture’
No matter if you have attended San Diego Comic-Con or not, the impact of this mega convention has probably affected your life. Author Rob Salkowitz explains how so much of mainstream entertainment has seen the light of day thanks to the fans in attendance at the San Diego Comic-Con.
Much like the comic book industry, the entertainment industry has evolved as well. Enter the era of “peek geek”. Salkowitz guides us through this evolution and the very co-dependent relationship between the comic book industry and pop culture. Here is where deals are made, tastes are acquired, and the latest fads are generated. It is big business and a lot rides on the reactions of those in attendance at the Con. The geeks that ate lunch in their own group at the far end of the lunchroom are the ones letting Hollywood know what’s cool and what blows and Salkowitz recognizes their power and their affects. The down side is that any co-dependent relationship can be pretty grim when it breaks up and Salkowitz gives us a glimpse of what that future might look like for geeks and the industry.
In addition to the evolution of the industries Salkowitz also shows us the effort and logistics that go into to being one of the lucky fans in attendance. Just attending takes patience, persistence, and full-blown dedication. Once booked for the Con with hotel, Comic-Con pass, and room on your credit card to buy things, you continue to queue up in long lines just to get in the room where your favorite star, illustrator, or author will be chatting it up at a panel of his or her piers. Salkowitz also explores the less traveled roads of the Con. This is where the true comic book fans can hear an intimate panel from the comic book industry’s early influencers. These small panels won’t draw thousands like the Twilight panel does, but if you are an old school comic book geek, there is still a lot there for you.
Salkowitz’s first hand observation makes us feel like we are walking the convention floor with him. In some chapters you sense his thrill as he meets a few of his fan favorites. Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture should be a great book for comic book fans, moviegoers, pop culture followers, and marketing gurus.
