WGA: How the end of the strike could impact comic conventions
Just imagine a panel where writers can talk about their work again
The WGA strike has come to an end after almost five months — which is good news for studios and writers alike. But there’s another, less obvious, impact that will come from the return to work by writers… Namely, convention appearances.
Now that the strike is over, writers will once again be able to make public appearances to promote their projects. That could come in the form of interviews, which are almost certainly going to be forthcoming when work resumes, but it could also mean attending conventions and making panel appearances to tease future developments.
It’s been an odd summer for conventions, when it comes to movie and television shows: the traditional panels for such things have been, for all intents and purposes, almost entirely curtailed with both writers and actors unavailable to attend. Consider the number of studios that skipped San Diego Comic-Con this year as a result of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, resulting in a very different experience for those who did attend. Those shows and movies that did hold panels were either forced to simply screen footage, up to and including entire finished episodes of series, or feature PR or studio executives talking about things in vague terms… not exactly the finest experience for anyone involved.
With writers looking like they’re soon to be available again, it means that writers can show up on stage to tease future developments, share behind-the-scenes information, and answer the kinds of burning questions that fans have been dying to ask. For want of a better way to put it, it’ll make such panels more of a destination again, even if actors will remain absent until their own strike action comes to an end.
How quickly will this take effect? It depends how quickly studios act, of course, but it’s not impossible for things to be happening as soon as New York Comic Con, which is currently a little over two weeks away if everyone gets things moving fast enough. (Almost certainly by MCM in London later in October, assuming nothing happens to derail the process.) Good news for fans attending those shoes… and anyone who’s following along with our coverage here on Popverse, as well.
The short version of it all? Stay tuned: things are happening.
You’re going to want to pay attention to what Popverse is up to at New York Comic Con, no matter what, just in case.
