A Wizard Entertainment sales manager managed to royally tee off PvP creator Scott Kurtz just two words into a letter inquiring about the Toronto and Anaheim 2010 Wizard World* Cons.
What exactly were those first two words? “Dear Kurt,” (Mind you, not “Dear Kurtz” or “Dear Scott” but “Kurt”). It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that screwing up a person’s name in a formal address to them is liable to not only make you look stupid, but immediately try the patience of whoever you’ve just sent the letter to. It also gives the appearance that you’ve sent the same letter multiple times to multiple people.
Kurtz posted the embarrassing letter from Wizard on the PvPonline Blog along with a colorful response that blasted the organization and its recent scheduling practices…
Your conventions are total horseshit, so it’s wise to stop branding them with the name Wizard. But no amount of polishing is going to make me want to attended any of the 5 turds your company is going to crap out in 2010, especially when you schedule them against other shows in some bullshit dick measuring contests that serves no other purpose but to fracture an already dying industry that I have nostalgic ties to. [...]Maybe if you cared enough to actually get my name right, or maybe if you cared about creators like the late, great Mike Wieringo beyond what they can do for you THIS FIVE MINUTES, the entire industry wouldn’t all be anticipating your inevitable bankruptcy.
Wizard Entertainment’s head honcho Gareb Shamus has a well documented history of playing hardball when it comes to convention dates, which in the face of economic competition — comes off as heartless.
* Officially these conventions are dropping the “Wizard World” branding from their name.
ouch, see what happens when you get the wrong people behind the wheel? More research and better luck next time
Kudos! Wizard World Chicago didn’t even have Marvel DC Dark Horse or any other major player in the comic industry…..what a piece of crap my once favorite comic convention has turned into. Thanks Wizard!
“…screwing up a person’s name in a formal address to them is libel to not only make you look stupid…”
Given the lead in about Wizard addressing the wrong person and insulting the intended recipient, I think this is an interesting slip. Reading that sentence, I’d expect “liable” (instead of “libel”) to be the correct transitional word for explaining the cause and effect of what happened. That “libel” was substituted for “liable” makes it more interesting because of the potential defamation of both parties involved!
@Paul You are correct sir, it should have been “liable” not libel.
I miss Hero magazine….Or Fan magazine for that Matter…
I don’t know how Shamus’ decision can be seen as anything except a “screw you” to the comic book fan, his core audience. I can only hope that the fans will flock to the cons like NYCC, and leave an empty hall at Wizard, where “A-list” stars like Todd Bridges and Catherine Bach can sit scratching their heads wondering where the fans are.
I’m kinda wondering how the guy sleeps at night.
Comic books geeks like me have few enough local venues to spend a weekend at. Where is the wisdom that forces us to choose between two of those few offerings?
Shamus is everything that is wrong with the industry, and has been since he started Wizard with its over-inflated price guides, rock-starring of creators and empty, speculating philosophy. It’s long since time that fans turn away from this machine. I hope 2010 destroys Wizard.