Why Emerald City Comic Con nixed its Homegrown section for 2023

For years, Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con has featured a space for local creators, artists, vendors and more — the Homegrown section. But for its 2023 event, organizers opted not to include the section, which came as a surprise to vendors who relied on it.

“Even though the section was tucked at the back of the hall with limited signage, the people who came by Homegrown were excited to be there," said Brittany Otto, and artist and vendor at ECCC. "People liked coming to a big convention and still having a chance to check out local artists."

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Otto had attended ECCC as a fan for many years before she brought her distinctive, independent art to the event as a vendor, Badger Burrow Studios. Otto is a paper artist who crafts shadow box sculptures.

"My work is influenced by my struggles with mental health and my love of fantasy, mythology, and biology to create transformative, dream-like portals that draw the viewer into expressive worlds that shine brightest when surrounded by darkness," Otto said.

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Homegrown was a popular buy-local feature after ReedPop, a large convention company, bought the event in 2015. The big purchase prompted local concern that the new owners would favor large, corporate vendors who could push out the local community vibe. Otto recalls that many vendors pushed for the Homegrown section. ReedPop then established a corner at one of the country's largest pop culture events exclusively for locals. It offered more affordable prices for table space, which was a big plus for artists.

Otto says that ECCC's communication that the Homegrown section would be nixed this year came late, around January. The region's vendor community began talking, trading experiences and their disappointment in the decision. Otto notes that ECCC organizers attempted to help mitigate the decision by offering Homegrown prices for the main show floor, which she said made it possible for her to attend this year.

Bigger show, more locals

The main show floor is where fans will find local vendors, crafters, creators, artists, and more at Emerald City Comic Con this year. According to a spokesperson for the convention, organizers shifted to this approach because the share of local vendors at ECCC is now so large, just one space for them isn't possible. Homegrown has outgrown its corner of the con.

According to a spokesperson for ECCC:

"For 20 years, Emerald City Comic Con has been a celebration of the incredible Pacific Northwest comics and pop culture community and we are confident that will be evident throughout this year’s show. At our upcoming 2023 event, nearly 50% of our exhibitors and Artist Alley creators are local to the Pacific Northwest and we are so excited to welcome and support so many small businesses and creators from our local community. However, this means we are at the point where we have outgrown the number of exhibitors we can accommodate in a Homegrown section and so we made the decision to sunset the dedicated section. Fans will now find these local businesses throughout our Show Floor and Artist Alley."

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ECCC's decision was partially met with negative sentiments across social media groups and online message boards where the region's convention vendors often chat. Many want to retain some way to shine an affordable spotlight on locals. For author/artist Matt Dinniman, he opted not to attend ECCC this year, saying "I’m not a fan of the decision ... it’s why I’m not there this year."

"... when Homegrown existed, it was a good compromise for those of us who never got spaces in the artist alley," he said. "By the time we learned it wasn’t going to be a thing anymore, it was too late to do anything."

On one hand, Otto says she understands the disappointment among the community. On the other hand, she understands why the section was cancelled this year, with pandemic recovery and the event moving into new space at the Seattle Convention Center.

"There is such a rich and creative community in Seattle and I’d like to see more effort put forward to build and support that community. Large corporations like ReedPop and conventions like ECCC have the resources and tools to make that happen," Otto said. "If ECCC doesn’t want to bring back Homegrown or a different version of it in the future, then I wish they would clearly communicate that to the community instead of quietly doing away with it."

Badger Burrow Studios recently opened a physical storefront in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood where Otto plans to showcase her own art, as well as other artists from throughout the region.

Emerald City Comic Con takes over the Seattle Convention Center March 2-5.

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