Comic divide: Actor Kevin Spacey announcement has some ABQ comic con goers upset, others excited

The Albuquerque Comic Con draws attention every year for its celebrity guests.

Its next event is receiving some unwanted attention for one guest: actor Kevin Spacey. Event organizers announced Wednesday the controversial actor would be at the comic convention Jan. 17 through 19 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The announcement created a frenzy of posts to the event’s Facebook page, other social media platforms and area Reddit threads. The issue many commenters referred to was apprehension to inviting Spacey to the event because of multiple sexual misconduct accusations made against him beginning in 2017.

The allegations led to Spacey being terminated from the Netflix series “House of Cards.” Last year, Spacey was acquitted of sexual assault charges he faced in London. In 2022, he was found not guilty of molesting a teen actor who accused Spacey of abusing him in 1986.

Jim Burleson, organizer of the Albuquerque Comic Con, supports the decision to feature Spacey as a celebrity guest.

“Albuquerque Comic Con tries to bring the largest and most diverse guest list to fans of comic books and film each year,” he said in a statement. “The inclusion of Kevin Spacey was based on all of his relevant work to pop culture. He was acquitted of the crimes he was accused of so we hope that our community will welcome him or at least accept the due process of our legal system.”

Spacey is a two-time Academy Award winner who is known for his roles in the movies “Seven,” “The Usual Suspects,” “American Beauty,” “Superman” and “Superman Returns.” Spacey will be available for photo opportunities, autographs, meet and greets, and fan panels at Albuquerque Comic Con, according to the event’s Facebook page.

Many took to the Facebook page to voice their disdain for or support of Spacey. A number of commenters said they would skip the event because of Spacey’s attendance.

A commenter on Reddit posted, “ That’s a giant nope from me and just another reason to boycott this con.”

Others supported Spacey and expressed excitement about getting to meet the actor. One commenter posted, “While what he has done in his personal life is not favorable, the movies and other projects he’s been in have all been pretty good. Let’s all try to separate the art from the person. That’s all I have to say.”

The thread on Reddit had more than 100 comments with some criticism.

“The ongoing attempts to personally cancel me by a rival production that has failed at shows is driving the movement to cancel me now,” Burleson said in a statement. “I’m squarely against the idea of letting an angry mob determine what is or isn’t acceptable.”

Spacey’s representatives declined to comment for this story when contacted by the Journal.