No, That Gun Manufacturer Will Not Be At Wizard World Comic Con

By Kirsten Onsgard in News on Aug 19, 2016 5:57PM

Wizard World Comic Con Chicago removed a firearms manufacturer from its convention Thursday after a week of "will-they, won't-they" confusion and social media outcry from fans.

D.S. Arms, based in Lake Barrington, Illinois, was removed from the convention's opening day at the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center in Rosemont by Wizard Entertainment shortly after doors opened. The convention opened Thursday and runs through Sunday, Aug. 21. A Chicagoist reporter confirmed this after stopping by the gun manufacturer's booth, which at first appeared to be un-staffed and was later completely vacant.

"We want everyone to have a good time at the show," Wizard World spokesman Jerry Milani told the Tribune.

The firearms manufacturer and seller's would-be presence was highly scrutinized by fans using the hashtag #GunFreeComicCon, who urged Wizard World to "allow for one safe place of escape for geeks" and mocked the move to allow DSA.

Though DSA owner Dave Selvaggio said he had worked for months to secure a spot at this weekend's show, the week leading up to the convention was marked by some back-and-forth on whether or not the vendor would be allowed by Wizard World.

The website The Comics Reporter said they received a statement by Milani that Wizard World had "elected not to retain" DSA after realizing that "the organization markets and sells actual, real-life weapons." In that same statement, Milani said they were initially told that DSA, which they say had been obtained through a third-party vendor, "was to have displayed and presented imitation, costume Star Wars and other movie/comic type weaponry."

But later reports told another story: the company would be admitted, but would only display fake weaponry.

Milani told Chicagoist Friday that "they will not be attending," and had no further comment.

While Wizard World encourages cosplay—and many comic and pop culture characters carry weapons—its policy explicitly prohibits real weapons or those that can do any bodily harm. All weapons are tagged by security upon entry, and blades must be affixed to their sheaths. Blades sold at booths must be checked until the guest is ready to leave.

Selvaggio told the Tribune that because many fans are already carrying fake firearms to replicate their favorite characters, DSA's presence at the convention is a strong fit. D.S. Arms is also slated to attend DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia, and will be a sponsor of an exhibit called The Armory. On its Facebook page, The Armory wrote that it will not be selling firearms to anyone on site.