New York Comic-con Teams with Wizard

by Calvin Reid, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 12/7/2005

A promotional partnership with Wizard Conventions, a graphic novel conference organized by ICv2, and a new celebrity guest-- filmmaker and comics writer Kevin Smith--were among a series of announcements made by New York Comic-con, the new Reed Exhibition organized comics convention planned to debut this February at the Javits Center.

Wizard Convention organizes a series of comics conventions in L.A., Philadelphia, Chicago,Texas and Boston. Its sister company, Wizard Entertainment, publishes magazines on comics, collectibles, toys, games and much else. Greg Topalian, group v-p at Reed Exhibitions, said Wizard would be involved in promoting New York Comic-con.

The graphic novel conference is organized by Milton Griepp, CEO of ICv2.com, a comics and pop culture trade news Web site. The conference, a series of panels, will bring together industry professionals to discuss the business and cultural facets of graphic novels, from super-hero comics to manga and art comics. The participants will include Liza Coppola, executive v-p at Viz Media; Mike Kiley, publisher and editor-in-chief of Tokyopop, James Killen, graphic novel buyer at Barnes & Noble and David Webster, graphic novel buyer at Midtown Comics.

Kevin Smith, a producer and director known for films like Clerks and Chasing Amy, will join a number of previously announced celebrities making an appearance at NYCC.