From Pulse News:

Since last week, the comic industry has been buzzing with news of a Wizard World show held in the same general area and same weekend as a southern perennial convention favorite, HeroesCon. Although a Wizard representative confirmed for THE PULSE last week that any potential 2006 date was just speculation and rumor, Wizard Entertainment’s Group Chairman Gareb Shamus made it official in an online interview at Comic Geek Speak that there will be no Wizard World Atlanta in 2006.

Shamus also noted that Wizard World was looking to do a show in Atlanta in 2007, but for 2006 HeroesCon has nothing to worry about – at least from potential Wizard competition.

The original news of a Wizard World Atlanta had the convention occurring in 2006 on the same weekend as southern staple HeroesCon. This brought forth a flurry of replies and comments from comic creators and other industry professionals, who were quick to support Shelton Drum, founder and organizer of HeroesCon. Cully Hamner, Tony Harris, Mark Millar, Greg Rucka, Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, and dozens of comic notables pledged their support and announced plans to attend HeroesCon in 2006.

Shortly after the news broke about a possible Wizard World Atlanta last week, a Wizard representative said that any dates posted online about a 2006 Atlanta show were unconfirmed rumors. Now Shamus has made it official that there are no plans for a Wizard World Atlanta – at least not next year.

Drum was pleased to learn of this news. He sent out a statement when he learned of Wizard’s decision.

I am glad that this situation with conflicting conventions has come to an amicable conclusion. Complimentary shows in Charlotte and Atlanta will only enhance each other and give fans more opportunities to seek out comics, meet more creators and enjoy their hobby. I want to thank Gareb Shamus and Wizard for recognizing the importance of working together to promote our industry. I’d also like to thank all of the fans, vendors and comic creators that have shown their support and affection for Heroes Convention. It is a gross understatement that the outpouring of support has been gratifying. The 2006 HeroesCon will undoubtedly be the biggest and best ever. My challenge now is to maintain the things everyone likes best about the show … friendliness, intimacy, and accessibility. With the increased attention and resulting awesome guest list, that will be a tall order, but I pledge to prove all of those nice things everybody said about us are true. HeroesCon 2006 will be your favorite comic book con forever.

We have been inundated with requests for exhibitor space, artist alley space and ticket information. It’s all available now on our website.

Thanks again! I look forward to seeing the comics industry in Charlotte June 30 – July 2, 2006!

Shelton Drum

Check out the article here.

(Click for larger image)

Diamond International Galleries presents… COMICON.com PULSE | Comic Books News, Reviews and Criticism

Who’s running things at Wizard Entertainment these days? Karl Rove?

WizardWorld to Atlanta In Pencil Not Pen

By TOM SPURGEON

THE PULSE learned this week that a 2006 WizardWorld convention planned for the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta for June 29-July 2 was planned, despite official denials that any date was a rumor, but had not yet gone from general penciled-in date to finalized date. Unable to get confirmation from Wizard or its public relations consultant Bragman Nyman Cafarelli, sources close to the company in touch with both THE PULSE, and other sources contacted by the newsmagazine NEWSARAMA, who broke their story earlier today, have indicated that current thinking at the company, barring yet another reversal of plans, is to decide is whether to put the show elsewhere in 2006 or to reload for 2007.

Wizard Entertainment officials had claimed a July 21 report on ICv2.com from Milton Griepp contained non-confirmed dates. The official line from John Rafacz, a representative of Bragman Nyman Cafarelli (BNC), a public relations and marketing agency that has assisted with press and marketing on the WizardWorld shows, to THE PULSE on Tuesday the 26th was that as no dates had been announced by his firm or by Wizard, that ANY news of a show or specific dates fell under the category of speculation and rumor, and therefore they could not comment. Mr. Rafacz is believed to be the person who would be responsible for coordinating Wizard’s response once a set strategy regarding the show was decided upon. After an initial contact with THE PULSE where he expressed surprise at the line of questioning and promised to get an answer, Mr. Rafacz did not return follow-up phone calls or e-mail.

Wizard’s stance regarding the fictional nature of the dates were soon exposed as fanciful takes on the truth by officials at the Cobb Centre who admitted to THE PULSE Wizard had expressed an interest in those dates through Vice President/Business Development Martha Donato, who was on the schedule available to Cobb personnel as Wizard’s contact person.

Very few in the comics professional community had believed Wizard line about nothing being planned, and as reported at THE PULSE and elsewhere, several have pledged support for the independent Heroes Con, to be held in regionally proximate Charlotte that same weekend. Con organizer Shelton Drum claimed in news stories that he had heard from Wizard officials that the date was not only on but was at that time non-negotiable, which the tentative nature of the listing at the Cobb Centre and the expected outcome of the story this morning also disputes.

If they follow through with what look to be current plans to leave that date without ever official confirming they were interested in them, a move to another weekend in 2006 or even a delay to 2007 should give Wizard Entertainment the opportunity to find a show weekend that is amenable to Heroes Con and perhaps also better coordinated with the gaming con Origins and the Anime Expo, both of which were also scheduled for the original 2006 date.