When one thinks of a “comic convention,” it’s easy to conjure up a mental image of rows of plastic-bagged books and toys, destined to be barely breathed on for the rest of eternity, much less read or played with. But this weekend’s Wizard World Comic Convention isn’t just a haven for adult collectors.
One look around the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Center reveals kids of all ages enjoying the festivities. And of course, there’s merchandise geared towards them, too.
Danny Mancini of MTC Toys runs a sizable booth offering apparel for all ages, including the littlest burgeoning fans.
“When you come in our booth, you see all the male and female kids’ merchandise,” Mancini said. “From hoodies to long-sleeves, sweats to sleepers, and then you’ll see tables that contain everything from onesie, toddler sizes to youth sizes.”
As for what the kids want, Mancini said, “What the kids will buy is based on two things. Marketing obviously, whatever Disney movie or all the other brands, all the other companies producing animated movies. They will gravitate towards those things. But also, don’t forget peer pressure. Kids go through school. If Spider-Man is huge, they’ll want to wear Spider-Man. It’s just like the adults. They’re no different.
“We’re always gonna sell Batman, no matter what. Spider-Man is gonna be right there as well. We’re gonna do a lot of Turtles for the boys. For the girls, it’s gonna be My Little Pony. It’s going to be Hello Kitty. But they also want their Wonder Woman. They want everything. They want basically what the boys have. They just want it done in a girly fashion. They’re no different than the boys.”
Likewise, the Pop! Vinyl collectibles from Funko Toys, one of the most popular items at comic-cons over the last few years, remain a huge draw for kids.
Tony Fernandez at the Nowhere Toys, Comics and Games booth offered an opinion on why the little collectibles with the beady eyes continue to endure: variety.
“What’s great about Pop! Vinyls is that you have Pops that kids from 5, 6, 7 years old love, and it goes all the way up to the grandparents,” Fernandez said. “You’ve got The Golden Girls. You’ve got rock idols like Prince and Kurt Cobain. There’s something for everyone.”
Much like Mancini, Fernandez said superheroes are the most-requested category for kids.
“Heroes are always the most popular,” Fernandez said. “So with the Avengers movies and Infinity War, that stuff always sells. Spider-Man’s a really hot seller. Then all the DC TV shows like Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, those are always good sellers.”
But it’s not just the new stuff that piques kids interest at the convention. Tom Cook, a retired animator who worked on classic 70s and 80s shows like Scooby-Doo, Super Friends, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, says his work continues to find an audience with today’s children, thanks in part to streaming services like Netflix.
“Scooby-Doo, it doesn’t matter if you stream or not. Even kids know Scooby-Doo,” Cook said. “With He-Man, I’ve had kids run up, and it was because it was on Netflix. And you know, they’ve got the ‘Toys That Made Us’ He-Man special, so a lot of people have introduced their kids to the stuff that they love. So now more and more kids recognize this stuff.”
As for activities, the convention also offers a designated “Kid’s Zone” with art projects and games for children to enjoy at no additional cost.
Wizard World Comic Con runs until 4pm Sunday afternoon at the Convention Center.