AwesomeMania – A Statement on Awesome Con 2022

Official Statement from Ben and Mike Regarding AwesomeMania at Awesome Con 2022

So, as you may have seen that the Awesome Con Programming schedule was released this past Tuesday and while there are many fine panels included, you will notice that conspicuous by its absence, Awesome Mania was not one of them. This is not because we did not apply, it is because the panel was Waitlisted.

After being the only panel to appear at every Awesome Con, yes even the online only one they did during Lockdown, AwesomeMania has been benched for this year. We can assure you that we are just as disappointed as you are.

When asked why the panel had been waitlisted Leslie Hunsinger, Awesome Con’s Programming & Content Coordinator said:

“We received a large number of programming submissions, and we couldn’t accept them all. Additionally, having done the panel at Awesome Con in year’s past is not a guarantee that your program will be accepted, however we do appreciate the fact that the program has been so successful in the past and will certainly consider that in moving it up to a priority position on the waitlist. If a spot does open up on the waitlist, we can let you know.”

Now let us be clear, Mike and Ben completely agree that having done the panel at every show before should not be a guarantee that the panel gets accepted. However, it does show that for 9 years there has been enough attendance and interest to warrant bringing the panel back, a fact Leslie herself acknowledges in this statement. So, the question we are asking is, “What has changed?”

It isn’t that there is another pro wrestling panel taking AwesomeMania’s place, as the only other panel set to discuss pro wrestling is the one that covered it for all of 5 minutes last year after focusing on TV, Movies and other Pop Culture. So, what has changed?

Both Ben and Mike have experience with Programming Management and consultation and know that not accepting a panel that has proven it has an audience is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. It’s just not done. So, what has changed?

DC is a Pro Wrestling City. A Pop Culture con in DC Deserves a Pro Wrestling Panel and We’re disappointed that this year, due to a completely backwards, baffling reason, we cannot bring it to you. Last year after we did our first AwesomeMania live at Awesome Con in two years, we had attendees coming to us telling us how much they missed us and how excited they were to see us and talk to us about pro wrestling. That is the type of impact AwesomeMania has, and that is the type of community AwesomeMania has built over the last 10 years at Awesome Con.

But above all else Ben and Mike are disappointed with Leslie’s decision because they love Awesome Con. They love that there is such a big show in their home city. They love that such an event exists, and they want to support it. Every year they ask attendees at their panel to give thanks to the organizers and Volunteers that make the show happen. They love the con so much that they named their podcast after the panel they produced for the Convention.

If you want to show your support for AwesomeMania, reach out to Awesome Con via email at info@awesomecon.com and at the official Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Discord for Awesome Con, and reach out to Leslie via email at leslie@leftfieldmedia.com and let them know that you want to talk pro wrestling at their show. That you want to see AwesomeMania return and hopefully we will get to bring you AwesomeMania again at Awesome Con soon.

Be Excellent to Each Other,
Ben Taylor and Michael Lindenbaum