Chicago Comic Con, put on by Wizard Entertainment, now Wizard World Inc., ran from August 11-14 this year at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Thousands of comic book lovers and other fans of science fiction and fantasy attended the four day event, and many for single-day passes to see celebrities like Sir Patrick Stewart who made an appearance for autographs and a Q&A panel on Saturday.
There were several VIP options for the weekend, including a general VIP, and specific VIP tickets and experiences for Felicia Day, Bruce Campbell, Julie Benz, James Marsters, and an overall BuffyFest option. There were a handful of no-shows from the original lineup, such as Morena Baccarin, best known for her work on Firefly, who had to cancel due to work commitments.
Highlights and Disappointments
Most notable throughout the weekend were the impressive costumes by fans, some entirely crafted, others bought, and most portrayed perfectly as their characters. As a comic convention, there were many X-men and DC villains and heroes, an excessive but entertaining amount of Deadpool depictions, Marvel’s fan-favorite ‘merc with a mouth’ character, and even some surprising costumes like the Green Man from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
The costume contest was the only poorly run part of the convention, as participants who had signed up ahead of time were made to wait and line up during the allotted contest time, and contestants who signed up later were given some additional suggestions by the judges, while very late entries ended up rushed due to lack of time. It was difficult for participants to understand what they were supposed to do for the competition, and final judging came under some scrutiny.
Most panels were well organized, however, and easy to get into despite large crowds, although timing was backed up on Saturday after Sir Patrick Stewart’s panel ran a little long.
A panel highlight was a well-planned proposal by one fan to another during the Bruce Campbell Q&A, as reported by Wired, during which Campbell offered some assistance, much to the delight of the crowd.
The convention floor was filled with merchandise and artists, many of the talented artists working currently for big names like DC and Marvel Comics, and some nostalgic creators and writers like Peter S. Beagle, known for The Last Unicorn. Some artists were even willing to draw commissions for a reasonable fee, offering the opportunity for something more personal than prints, though there were many Con exclusive prints and simply beautiful art that made the entire Artist Alley worthwhile to walk through several times over.
A Good Time At Chicago Comic Con
Unlike the larger Comic Con of San Diego, the Chicago Comic Con is small enough for chance encounters with celebrities, such as coming upon The Boondock Saints actors, Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery, taking a break outside one of the nearby hotels, or being stopped by celebrities at their own booths for them to take a picture of passing costumes, while fans clamor to get a picture of them.
Overall, the convention was a good time for everyone involved, and is a nice stepping stone for those who may have never gone to something as large as the San Diego Comic Con, or even those who have never gone to a convention at all.
Well done Wizard World and Chicago.
Amanda Meuwissen - My passion will always lie with fiction but expressing that devotion through non-fiction helps feed the creative beast.
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