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Over the next decade, Graeb and the Wizard team presented a number of innovations to revitalize this dying Comic Con, based on the wide variety of fan communities and ways to incorporate their interests. Thanks to the magazine, the Morroiko team had relationships with toy makers, video game producers, film studios and marketers. Suddenly Gareb was uniting the world and bringing the glamor of the entertainment industry and high production values to this mediocre old congress. They created professional photo meetings and encounters with celebrities, video game activations, movie promotions and marketing pop-ups. Suddenly the fans were part of the action: they could find their heroes and compete against each other for the best costume. Friends were playing board games at the dedicated play areas to win status or make friends. With each innovation came larger groups and more communities were connected. Gareb’s deal was known as the Wizard World Comic-Con, and in a single weekend a few thousand people passed through an event for more than 50,000 people. What started out as a huge flea market became the main gathering and connecting place for fans and enthusiasts. Over time, events were organized in more than 16 cities a year. Meanwhile, the magazine provided fans with year-round access to industry news related to television, film, video games, comics, toys, events, and even cosplay.
Note that Gareb did not invent a passion for comics — the fans were there before he was born. Instead, he gave them a place to meet and express themselves without trial. A place where members of these subcultures can have an emotional connection. When you’re a fan of comic books, shows, or story franchises, it comes with the mythology and history that you identify with. All Star Wars fans know that Force, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, any Spider-Man fan knows that Peter Parker regrets not stopping the villain who killed Uncle Ben and carries great responsibility with great power. And, of course, all Harry Potter fans know Lord Voldemort. Wizard magazine and, over time, Gareb’s Comic-Cons offered all these fans a place to connect around the history and mythology they loved. Today, this mythology has redefined the entertainment industry and all the major blockbusters come from one of those stories, but everything was close to ever happening.
Although the sense of community and fans was increasing, by the end of the 1990s, the comic book industry was in decline. People bought less comics, and toy sales went down. Marvel was forced to file Chapter 11 and in 2000 the company brought in a new president to turn things around. Before the new president began, he knew he needed enough insight into the state of the industry. He knew that his old friend Garebe might have some ideas that could help Marvel’s future. While most people in the industry sat writing, drawing, or managing offices, Gareb had a unique perspective. Not only did he connect with people from all related industries, he spoke to the fan community every day through conventions and magazines, and he understood the difficulties of subcultures. Speaking of which, Garebe joked that “comic book stories have aged so many characters that Spider-Man’s next issue would be Peter Parker vs. Prostate Exam.” In fact, many of Marvel’s characters were no longer contemporary or socially relevant. If the company wanted to connect with new fans, it had to reinvent its characters, and Gareb suggested they start with Spider-Man.
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