What’s in a Name? Welcome to Denver Pop Culture Con

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

What’s in a name? The organizers of Denver Pop Culture Con (DPCC) hope that the new moniker sounds as sweet as the old one to long-time fans and newcomers alike. 2019 marks the first year that the convention operates as DPCC, rather than under the old name of Denver Comic Con. The shift marks the end of a tumultuous legal war between two other conventions, the beginning of a brand alignment for the Denver con, and the opening of a window of opportunity.
 
First, the history. In a winding legal saga, the veteran San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) went to battle with an up-and-coming Salt Lake Comic Con (now known as FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention). SDCC has a long history of using the “Comic-Con” name, debuting as Golden State Comic-Con in 1970, switching over to San Diego Comic-Con by 1973, and being organized by the Comic-Con International non-profit. Hoping to maintain sole ownership of its name, SDCC brought a $12 million lawsuit against Salt Lake for infringing on their trademark by using the “Comic-Con” title. Despite Salt Lake’s claim that “Comic Con” was a common and widely used term, a federal jury ruled in favor of SDCC in late 2017, stating that Salt Lake did use the trademark without permission. However, the ruling found that the violation was not a “willful infringement” and awarded SDCC only $20,000.
 
The dagger truly came in a follow-up case in August 2018. SDCC appealed the $20,000 it was awarded in the initial case, seeking coverage of attorney fees and other costs. A federal District Court, again, ruled in SDCC’s favor, requiring the Salt Lake organizers to pay nearly $4 million to SDCC. This second ruling sent shockwaves through the convention community. It left con organizers with a couple of options: stop using the “Comic-Con” identity or risk the potential costs of a lawsuit from SDCC. Quite a few notable cons still use “Comic-Con”, including Alamo City Comic Con, Baltimore Comic-Con, Motor City Comic Con, and New York Comic Con. Some, such as Rose City Comic Con in Portland, have licensed the ability to use the name through SDCC. For others, it was easier just to transition away. That brings us to DPCC.
 
Comic Book Classroom, the non-profit organization behind DPCC, was founded in 2010. The convention itself debuted in 2012 as Denver Comic Con. By 2014, Comic Book Classroom changed its name Pop Culture Classroom to better capture the wide array of work that the organization does. So, in 2019, the perfect storm pushed Denver Comic Con to change its name to Denver Pop Culture Con. The SDCC lawsuit was one factor, sure, but it wasn’t the sole reason why DCC became DPCC. That change had been looming.
 
While some may initially feel like DPCC’s hand was forced, the new title actually opens up a window of opportunity for the convention’s branding. In a recent Westword interview with DPCC convention director Christina Angel and programming director Bruce MacIntosh, Angel stated that organizers “have long felt that ‘comic con’ doesn’t entirely describe what (they) do, and it never really did”. If you’ve attended a DPCC before, you know that to be true. While DPCC always has and always will feature a plethora of comics and comic creators, it’s also long been a trove of cosplay, celebrity guests, TV and movie fandoms, authors, and countless other facets of nerd and pop culture. The Denver Pop Culture Con name gives attendees a better idea of what’s in store for them when they buy a ticket.
 
It’s also important for the DPCC brand name to be aligned with Pop Culture Classroom, just as it was when Denver Comic Con was aligned with Comic Book Classroom. Since 2010, Pop Culture Classroom has expanded its reach far beyond comic books. Pop Culture Classroom still maintains its traditional resources, including graphic novel teaching guides and comic related school curricula. But it also fulfills its mission of promoting literacy and educational engagement through pop-culture themed community outreach and student drop-in times, professional development for educators, and workshops. Some recent workshop topics truly give you a feel for the non-profit’s shift towards pop culture wholistically: “Digital Ink: Drawing in the Digital Age”, a film discussion titled “Gotta Watch ‘em All: 20 Years of Pokemon Movies”, and “Cheap, not Cheap!: Creating Quality Cosplay on a Budget” were all on the docket this last semester.
 
Denver Pop Culture Con fans have a lot to look forward to in 2019. While the new name will take some getting used to and while it doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as easily with the old name still lodged in your brain, it’s a much better fit for the product and experience. Attendees of DPCC 2019 will find a star-studded list of film and TV guests, an expanded authors roster, another year of the PCC Kids’ Lab, a batch of attractions, and over 600 hours of programming. In its eighth year, Denver Pop Culture Con is truly cementing its identity as a convention and as a brand. You can tell just by looking at its name.

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