Reedpop Bans Animal Rights Group at New York Comic Con

Guests include, Brendan Fraser, Who Starred in Animal Flick Furry Vengeance.

September 27, 2022 – New York, NY – Sigma Comics, a comic book publisher dedicated to fighting animal abuse, today announced that Reedpop, the organizers of New York Comic Con, banned the group from participating in future events. The event, the largest comic book convention in New York City, will host celebrated actor, Brendon Fraser, who is coming off a highly praised performance, in 2022’s The Whale, and also has animal flicks in his repertoire, via 2010’s Furry Vengeance.

The order was sent by Gabe Yocum, Reedpop’s sales manager, and delivers a significant blow to Sigma Comics’ mission of fighting animal abuse through comics.
“Reedpop runs the biggest show in town,” said H.H. German, founder of Sigma Comics. “They made an unfortunate decision. It was entirely unnecessary, but sometimes when you’re the biggest of the big, you feel like you can bully anyone you want.” The banishment stems from an incident that occurred last month at Emerald City Comic Con, another Reedpop event, in Seattle.

Like other vendors at the event, Sigma Comics complied with Reedpop’s policy of wearing a face mask to prevent the spread of Covid-19. However, when complaints began piling up, from attendees that were unable to hear German, he began using a microphone headset to amplify his voice. Even with the headset, German still found himself having to repeat himself to attendees, thus compromising the sales process. Despite this, Yocum requested the headset’s removal.
“We complied immediately, and when I followed up to voice my concerns, our contract was terminated just a few days later,” said German. “I’m not sure what his issue is with us but it was entirely uncalled for. What’s worse, I reached out to Reedpop’s event and sales management, Kristina Rogers and Ryan Will respectively, and even the founder, Lance Fensterman, to make them aware of the situation. I received no response from their management, and two dismissive responses from Fensterman, who vouched for Yocum and didn’t even give us an opportunity to be heard. Imagine treating a customer that way. Yes, believe it or not, we’re actually the customer here! You wouldn’t know it by the way we were treated.”

The banishment came as a shock to Sigma Comics, especially since Yocum and German discussed the matter face-to-face immediately following the Seattle event, a conversation that concluded with a handshake between them. “This guy looked me in the eyes, shook my hand, assured me that the matter was settled and confirmed that we’d have good placement at New York Comic Con,” said German. “Then he banned us. I have no words.”

Sigma Comics, for its part, is undeterred. “We refuse to be bullied and we will not let this stand,” said German, a former boxer from The Bronx. “We’re reaching out to all of our customers, fans and those who are part of our animal rights groups, to have their voices heard.”

Given Sigma Comics’ extensive animal rights partnerships, the possibility of multiple, ongoing protests is very real. NYCC 2022 will be held over the course of four days, at the Jacob K. Javitz Center in New York. NYC-based media law firm, Hrbek Kunstler LLC, is representing Sigma Comics in the matter.

Asked whether he’d sit down with Reedpop’s management to address the matter, German said, “Indeed, that’s what we proposed in the first place. This was an extreme overreaction; totally unnecessary. I have no idea why Reedpop would want to ban an animal rights group that quickly complied with all of its rules. You shouldn’t have to worry about being retaliated against by simply voicing your concerns, especially when you’re the customer.”
Reedpop’s management can be emailed by visiting: https://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en-us/about/contact-us.html

About ReedPop
ReedPop is a boutique group within RX – one of the world’s leading events organizers. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events across the globe as well as a full service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPop currently features events in North America and Europe, including: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, and Unplugged, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Star Wars Celebration, MCM Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), Star Trek Missions and more. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPop also runs and operates the Gamer Network and its portfolio of leading gaming websites including Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun and GamesIndustry.Biz. The staff at ReedPop are a fan-based, globally focused group of professionals that are uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion. (www.reedpop.com)

About SIGMA COMICS
SIGMA COMICS, LLC is a comic book publisher dedicated to fighting animal abuse. The company’s goal is to reach a growing audience of readers across the globe, in order to promote animal rights advocacy and provide a powerful mechanism for animal rights charities to promote their efforts. For more information, visit https://www.sigmacomics.com.

SOURCE: SIGMA COMICS LLC
Media Contact:
Heck Martinez
media@sigmacomics.com
917-397-0574