Kiel Phegley | Comic Book Resources

Emerald-ComicConWhenever a well-known pop culture entity is purchased by a bigger player, some change is expected. This year’s edition of Seattle’s respected Emerald City Comic Con – its first since being acquired by major con company ReedPOP in January – hasn’t shown too many signs of change (though there are some), but a big one is coming in 2016.

ReedPOP today announced that starting next spring, ECCC will take place over four days instead of its traditional three. That move lets the pop culture show company make the convention more like its other major comic book events: New York Comic Con and Chicago’s C2E2. The 2016 edition of Emerald City will kick off on April 7 of next year.

Industry veteran and ECCC founder Jim Demonakos, who remains involved with the show after the sale to ReedPOP, offered this in a statement, “This was a tremendous year for us in terms of fan reaction. We sold out far quicker than we ever have in the past and want to expand to meet the demand of all those fans that are looking to experience ECCC. It’s a really unique and special show, and we’re excited to work alongside ReedPOP to help continue its growth.”

Read the full PR below, and stay tuned to CBR all weekend for full coverage from Emerald City 2015.

Official Press Release

As thousands descend upon, Emerald City Comicon (ECCC), the biggest comic book and pop culture convention in the Pacific Northwest — ReedPOP, the world’s largest producer of pop culture events, announces that for the first time ECCC will expand to four jam-packed days in 2016. The expansion is sparked by growing consumer demand and sell-out crowds that have made the event a must-see calendar event of the year. ECCC 2016 will take place in downtown Seattle, Washington April 7-10.

ECCC 2015 features 200 hours of diverse, inclusive programming, including panels from the hottest writers and artists and some of the comic and entertainment worlds’ brightest voices. This year’s line-up includes the likes of Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Kelly Sue DeConnick (Bitch Planet, Captain Marvel), legendary comic creator Stan Lee, Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter, Captain America: The First Avenger), and John Barrowman (Arrow, Torchwood, Doctor Who). It also boasts the largest Artist Alley in the U.S. and an expanded Kids Area with Brick Nation, Clay Animation Network, and the 501st Legion.

ECCC, known for being a fan-oriented and comics-focused show, was founded by local comics retailer Jim Demonakos and opened to 2,500 fans its first year. Since then, attendance has grown steadily reaching a record 70,000 in 2014 and 80,000 in 2015! With new comic and celebrity guests each year, ECCC stands out in the industry as providing a unique experience with heart for fans of all ages. Additionally, ECCC has created a charity art book each year since 2009 –Monsters & Dames – that has raised over $75,000 for Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Demonakos had this to say about the expansion, “This was a tremendous year for us in terms of fan reaction. We sold out far quicker than we ever have in the past and want to expand to meet the demand of all those fans that are looking to experience ECCC. It’s a really unique and special show, and we’re excited to work alongside ReedPOP to help continue its growth.”

“After seeing the amazing response from fans and the opportunity to program even more in 2016 it became abundantly clear that we needed to add another day,” said Lance Fensterman, ReedPOP’s Global Senior Vice President. “We can’t wait to see what next year will bring.”

For more information on this year’s Emerald City Comicon please visit www.emeraldcitycomicon.com.