When it was announced Wizard World wasn’t coming back to Sacramento in 2018, many were disappointed.
However, a similar convention, The Fandemic Tour, is stopping in Sacramento this June and should satisfy the concerns of comic book fans in the area. The Sacramento Convention Center is scheduled to host The Fandemic Tour from June 22-24 later this year.
“You know, Wizard World being here in Sacramento was such a boon for the comic book community,” said Ben Schwartz, owner of Empire’s Comic Vault.
Schwartz says Wizard World brought many people through his doors who normally weren't comic fans.
“So to see it go was disappointing because we didn't know how we were going to get some of the people back into the community,” Schwartz said.
Local podcaster Amy Nunag had similar feelings.
“I was a little alarmed, but I kind of expected it,” Nunag said. “I mean, the turnout last year was really, really bad. Abysmal is the nice way, polite way to say it.”
Fandemic Tour is headed to Sacramento for three days in this summer. The guest lineup is a bit smaller than Wizard World, but includes stars from "The Walking Dead" and Marvel's Guardian's of the Galaxy."
“I think they’re stepping back a little bit, giving a fresh start, bringing in some fans, building the audience, giving a chance for it to grow naturally,” Schwartz said.
“For the nerd community, the comic community, the convention community as a whole, it’s access,” Nunag said. “We’re not San Francisco, we’re not LA, we’re not Seattle. We don’t get these big, groundbreaking, kaboom conventions every single year. We’re growing our own. We’re making it our own. But even having access to a roving show is the opportunity for those who can’t fork out $200.”
“It's extremely helpful to Empire’s comics because it gets people aware that we are here, that there are shops like this,” Schwartz said. “It’s not just something you do online. It’s not just something you read online. But there’s entire community in here.”