[via our sister publication L.A. Weekly]
Apparently, the models of the alternative pin-up site SuicideGirls.com
have been banned from taking part in this year's San Diego Comic-Con. SuicideGirls founder Missy got a notice from Comic-Con International Exhibits Sales representative Rod Mojica on June 22 saying the group was banned from “having a significant presence” and getting their
own booth at either Comic-Con or Wondercon, both owned by Comic-Con
International.
The SuicideGirls have never actually had a booth at Comic-Con Instead, they've had a significant presence at the convention in the past four years, via Con appearances with
actor/author Wil
Wheaton and FilmThreat
founder Chris Gore and fan signings at the
booths that sell the company's merchandise, including clothes, DVDs,
and the series of Devil's Due Hack/Slash
comics featuring actual SuicideGirls as characters. As such, there was no explanation as to
what the ban entails.
]
In his conversation with Missy, Mojica
conveyed that the reason for the ban was because a member of Comic-Con
International's Board of Directors purchased an adults-only SuicideGirls
DVD at Wondercon 2010 without being ID'd and that the same man also
saw, first hand, an underage person purchase a DVD from SuicideGirls
without an ID check. Mojica did not name the member of the Board of
Directors who made the above claim.
Yet when L.A. Weekly called Comic-Con International's Director of Marketing
and
Public Relations David Glanzer, he said “no one is
banned.” Glanzer told L.A. Weekly, “We got a report that they were
handing out material that was not all ages appropriate [at Wondercon],” that the SuicideGirls were making adult content available to all ages attendees and didn't
comply with Comic-Con International's rules and community ethics.
So the SuicideGirls aren't banned (and that may be because you can't officially ban a group that's not officially part of the Comic-Con), but in a phone conversation, Missy told OC Weekly that the Suicide Girls “don't know what our involvement can be at this point.”
According to Missy, the group has done at least 10 conventions a year for the past nine years and never had an issue such as this come up. “SuicideGirls have done all ages shows in the past where we're very much aware of being age appropriate, and market to adults only.”
She added, “[At Comic-con] there are companies selling hardcore porn down the road, and just because it's animated it's not a problem. I've seen girls in Princess Leia costumes wearing far less at Comic-con than other SuicideGirls.”
Missy and the rest of the SuicideGirls are now waiting for a response from Comic-Con Executive Director Fae
Desmond and David Glanzer regarding the extent of their future involvement at both cons…stay tuned.
