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It’s impossibly fitting that Emerald City Comic Con has adopted a grunge theme for this year’s show, with appropriately plaid aesthetics on display in its promotion and signage. (You’ll see for yourself when you get to the Seattle Convention Center this March, but it’s https://www.emeraldcitycomiccon.com/ already visible on the show’s website.) I say that not because of the obvious Seattle connection — yes, I’ve seen Singles as well, and I lived through the ‘90s the first time, but there was a lot more to grunge than just one particular city in the Pacific Northwest, even if that city was Seattle — but because, in many ways, ECCC is to the comic con circuit what grunge was to music back when it first came around.

Yes, I mean that in a complimentary way. Let me explain.

It’s a strange thing to have attended so many comic conventions across the years — and across the country — that you realize that every single show is different. That’s not to say that every single event is different, but that each show has its own vibe and its own speed: San Diego Comic-Con is not New York Comic Con is not C2E2, and so on, and so on. Some of the shows are big movie shows where everyone is lining up for the biggest panels or waiting to hear what the buzz is at the end of the day on the exclusive footage, and others are shows where it’s all about the show floor and what you can find in the dealer bins on the last day; some shows are full-on extravaganzas where there’s something to be seen no matter where you turn and it’s almost overwhelming, and others… Well, let’s look at Emerald City Comic Con, as an appropriate example, given what I said above: ECCC, for me, is the scrappy can-do show that’s all about the creators.

That’s not to say that ECCC doesn’t have great panels (It does!) or big name celebrity guests. (Have you looked at the guest list for this year’s show?) It’s just that, every single year, the takeaway I have from attending ECCC is that it has what is probably my favorite Artist’s Alley of any single show, and it also has maybe the finest Writers Block, as well. It’s a show where creators — whether they’re writers, artists, cosplayers, even the LARPers who make the idea of beating each other up with foam weapons for a little bit as a stress reliever seem so attractive each and every year — feel not just celebrated, but centered, so intrinsically the heart of the entire show that everything else exists in an orbit around them.

Again, this isn’t to ignore everything else that ECCC has going on, but the feel of the show for me has always been that it’s a show that centers itself around the creative talent that’s shown up and set up shop for the four days. (It’s no coincidence than ECCC is almost certainly the show where I spend most at Artist’s Alley, versus dealers on the floor or some other manner of throwing away cash that I should probably be saving, all things considered.)

I should, perhaps, skim past that “scrappy can-do show” thing, given how big the show actually is, and how much effort is involved in pulling it off across multiple buildings every single year. (It’s a massive undertaking, and those involved have every right to try to yell at me for even suggesting otherwise in jest.) ECCC is, of course, far less fly-by-night than my description sounds, but there’s a lack of showbiz glitz that always feels welcome to my grizzled old self, and also feels a little… well… grunge-y.

To get back to what I was saying at the start: Emerald City Comic Con has always been a grunge show, even before it officially adopted a grunge aesthetic this year. It’s been something that has put the voice of individual creators first, stepped away from the artifice and business elements that other shows can get caught up in, and instead just appreciates the work for what it is. It’s what makes ECCC worth the trip every year for me, and I say that as someone who’s old enough to begrudge almost any amount of travel I have to undertake for whatever reason.

After all: you remember that I said I lived through the ‘90s the first time, right…?

Seattle's ECCC 2025 is coming up faster than you think! Keep up to date with our guide to all the Artist's Alley & Writer's Block celebrities, all the major panels, a grunge-themed playlist for the grunge-themed con, and even what to do while you're in Seattle for the event. Reserve your passes as soon as you can!