An ICv2 Release. Comics Ahead! How can the business of comics and graphic novels keep moving ahead, continuing and expanding on the growth of the last two years? To find the answers, the thought leaders of the industry will gather at the ICv2 Conference on the eve of New York Comic Con, Wednesday afternoon, October 9th at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.
The Conference
The ICv2 Conference brings together the best minds in the business to talk about the industry each year, and this year’s event, Comics Ahead!, will continue that tradition. Programming will include the ICv2 White Paper, which dissects the current market; discussions of the latest trends in digital and what we’re learning about how it fits into the larger market; plus the other most important topics of the day. Our presenters and panelists, and the people you’ll meet, are the best in the business! If you’ve got ideas about what should be discussed, please contact the organizer!
Time and Place
Comics Ahead!—The ICv2 Conference will take place at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, October 9.
Who Should Attend
- Comics and graphic novel publishers
- Digital executives
- Writers and artists
- Retailers and wholesalers
- Librarians and educators
- Producers, agents, and managers
- Licensees, licensors, and marketers
Conference Sessions
Sessions at the ICv2 Conference: Comics Ahead! (one more session will be added over the next few weeks, and speaker announcements are coming soon--check back frequently):
The ICv2 White Paper
This ICv2 White Paper will present a comprehensive look at the comics and graphic novel market in print and digital for 2012 and 2013, with an analysis of long and short term trends driving the market.
Presented by Milton Griepp, CEO, ICv2
From Creator to Consumer
The path from comic creators to consumer is being disrupted by technology, new business models, and changing tastes. Webcomics and digital sales, Kickstarter, and closer relationships between creators and their fans are empowering new and emerging business models. How much will these emerging trends change comics and everything based on them in the years ahead? We ask our expert panel.
- Calista Brill, Senior Editor, First Second Books
- Simon Fraser, artist, runs the ACT-I-VATEcomix Webcomics collective
- Jamal Igle, artist, successful Kickstarter publisher, lecturer
- Dan Manser, Director of Marketing, Diamond Comic Distributors
- John Roberts, Co-founder, comiXology
Moderated by Heidi MacDonald, comic editor and commentator from The Beat
Graphic Novels - Growing in a Digital World
Graphic novels, the key to a larger, more diverse audience for comics, are growing again, in a new world in which both print and digital play a role. We look at how a wider range of content, the impact of digital distribution, and the rapidly changing landscape at retail and in libraries can work together to reach a broader, bigger market.
- Leyla Aker, Vice President Publishing, Viz Media LLC
- Greg Goldstein, President and COO, IDW Publishing
- Rich Johnson, Founder, Brick Road Media, overseeing Penguin's InkLit imprint, Adjunct Professor, Drexel University
- Trudy Knudsen, Manager eContent Acquisitions, Follett
- Dallas Middaugh, Director, Publisher Services, Random House
- Barry Nalebuff, author; consultant; co-writer, Mission in a Bottle; Milton Steinbach Professor at the Yale School of Management.
Moderated by Calvin Reid, Senior News Editor of Publishers Weekly
The Rise of Geek Culture
The emerging geek culture market is the #1 North American pop culture trend; and as these important, influential consumers flex their muscles, marketers are taking notice. What does this mean for the future of entertainment, marketing, and the stories that are weaving themselves through American life and beyond? Join our panel of experts as they look ahead.
- Gerry Gladston, Co-Owner, Midtown Comics
- Shawn Kirkham, Director of Business Development, Skybound (The Walking Dead)
- Steve Rotterdam, co-founder, Bonfire Agency
- Rob Salkowitz, author, writer of Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture
Intro presentation by Ed Catto, co-founder, Bonfire Agency
Moderated by Milton Griepp, CEO, ICv2
For more information on the speakers at the ICv2 Conference, click here.
Register Today!
For only $99 to $199, depending on your category, you can take part in this important gathering of the industry, held in association with New York Comic Con.
- Creator, Retailer, Librarian, or Educators pay only $99.
- Publisher, Producer, Agent, Manager, Marketer, Licensing, Distributor, all others pay only $199.
Click here to register.
Press
The ICv2 Conference is open to all press accredited by New York Comic Con, but we need your RSVP. Please click here to let us know you're coming.
ICv2 is the #1 industry source on the business of geek culture, including comics and graphic novels, manga and anime, movie/TV products, and hobby games, on its Website, www.ICv2.com, and in its magazine, Internal Correspondence. For the people on the front lines of the geek culture business, staying ahead of the trends isn't something that can be left to chance-it's a basic necessity for being successful. That's why ICv2 is the #1 source of news and information for the buyers, gatekeepers, and tastemakers on the front lines. ICv2 is where trend-watching is a science.
Our Sponsors
Each year, our sponsors include some of the most forward-thinking companies in the industry. If you’re interested in a sponsorship for the ICv2 Conference, please contact the organizer.
Publishers Weekly is your number one insider's guide for all pre-publication comics and graphic novels. Register for PW's ComicsWorld e-newsletter for advance listing, reviews and news dedicated to comics and Graphic Novels. If it is happening at New York Comic Con, then we have already written about it on PublishersWeekly.com.
The Beat, now in its eighth year, is dedicated to providing the timeliest and most pertinent news and information about comics, the people who make them, the readers who love them and the world that shapes them. Heidi MacDonald is an Eisner Award-nominated writer and editor and a veteran entertainment industry journalist. As an editor she has worked for Disney, Warner Bros., and Fox, among many others.
New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. Our show floor plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. Our panels and autograph sessions give fans a chance to interact with their favorite creators. Our screening rooms feature sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they hit either big or small screens. And with dedicated professional hours, New York Comic Con is a market place, bringing together the major players in the entertainment industry. New York Comic Con is the second largest pop culture convention in America with over 105,000 attendees in 2011, and the only one that takes place in the comic book, publishing, media, and licensing capital of the world--Gotham City.
Valiant is a leading character-based entertainment company with a library of over 1,500 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Shadowman, Eternal Warrior, and many more. Established in 1989, Valiant has sold over 80 million comic books, and today its characters continue to be forged in publishing, licensing, film, video games, and beyond. Since its summer 2012 relaunch, Valiant has returned to the fore as one of the most highly regarded publishers in comics, winning a 2012 Diamond Gem Award for Comic Book Publisher of the Year. For more information, visit ValiantUniverse.com.
