Image Comics and Skybound Planning Comic Con Event on Cruise Ship

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the convention circuit saw some major changes in 2020 as most major events were either canceled or postponed or went virtual and while the 2021 convention circuit remains a bit of a question mark, Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment are already looking ahead. According to Newsarama, the two companies are exploring the idea of a themed comic convention on a cruise ship, potentially as soon as 2022.

According to the report, Image and Skybound sent out a survey on some of their mailing lists asking for input on the idea, something described as a way to "bring the comic community back together when things are safe."

"Calling All Comics Lovers! It's been a wild year, to say the least, and we've been spending a lot of time thinking about ways to bring the comic community back together when things are safe. Our solution? A good ol' vacation!" the survey introduction, which you can also take online here, reads.

"We know everyone could use one, and we'd love to get your feedback on bringing the con floor to the ocean with an immersive cruise vacation centered around all things comics. From when you feel comfortable setting sail with fellow fans again to where you'd like to go, fill out the survey and let us know!"

The survey itself asks for a variety of preferences, including vacation options -- 3 or 4-night options departing from either Miami or Los Angeles with destinations such as the Bahamas and the Caribbean for the Miami departure and Mexico for the Los Angeles departure -- and when people would feel comfortable sailing. The earliest option for that question was March-April of 2022. There are also questions about types of lodging and types of experience people would like to see on the cruise.

The idea of a cruise-based comic convention isn't exactly new. There have been smaller conventions on cruise ships during the 1990s and 2000s and in 2017, Fan2Sea Entertainment launched a convention cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas. While it was intended to be the first in an annual event, a second one never materialized.

Even with some precedent for a comic convention, cruise style, the idea of a cruise-based convention isn't sitting well with some. Online, people brought up concerns that a comic convention on a cruise may not be the best idea from a public health standpoint with some citing the ongoing pandemic while others simply referenced the idea of "con crud" at sea was probably not an especially good idea.

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