This spring, funny books will rule Philadelphia. On May 10-12, the Wizard Entertainment Group descends upon the City of Brotherly Love, bearing gifts of comics, cartoons, movies and all things geek-culture.
Wizard World East brings great comic conventions back to Philadelphia. The show promises to be the most epic, gargantuan comic event on the East Coast. Creators, celebrities and vendors from all facets of pop culture will inhabit the Philadelphia Convention Center for one glorious weekend of nerdish hedonism.
For years, Wizard has been a publisher of fine fanzines, covering everything from comics to movies to video games and beyond. Several years ago, the folks at Wizard put their money where their mouths are, and started Wizard World in Chicago. The guest lists have continually been packed with a virtual who’s who of superhero culture, and Wizard World has quickly become one of the largest conventions in the country. Conquering the Windy City was not enough, though, so Wizard World East was born.
The Philly show is poised to set a new standard in convention commotion. The guest of honor is Marvel Comics’ super-controversial Editor in Chief Joe Quesada, who will also be taking part in Q&A sessions with convention-goers. Fans will have the opportunity to congratulate Quesada or berate him for destroying some of their more beloved characters at these sessions.
Other scheduled guests include comic legend Joe Kubert, X-Men writer Grant Morrison, artist Jae Lee, J.G. Jones, Adam Kubert, Jeph Loeb, Mark Waid, Ron Zimmerman, and Brian Pulido, among a plethora of other industry greats.
There will be panels galore, covering topics like the upcoming Spider-Man movie, the future of Marvel comics, and creators’ opinions of the state of the industry. Wizard World East will be an excellent chance to pick the brains of some of the brightest minds in the business, making the convention an educational opportunity as well. For those of you out there looking to break into the industry, there will be lectures on writing, drawing, and computer art in comics.
Worried of being burned-out on all the super heroics? Fear not! Wizard World is not just about comics this year. Special guest Kevin Smith will also be on hand to talk about all things movies. On Friday night, several of Smith’s films, Clerks, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, will be featured in a free film festival at the Marriott hotel (1201 Market St).
Smith is not the only movie representative attending the event. Darth Maul himself, Ray Park will be there, along with many other Star Wars alumni. Park will examine and perform some of the spectacular fighting and combat sequences he made famous in films like Star Wars Episode I, X-Men, and Sleepy Hollow.
And let’s not forget about all the great stuff you will find there.
Vendors will be buying, selling, and trading every sort of collectable imaginable. Still looking for that final Star Trek action figure to complete your collection? Searching for that wonderful long lost Green Lantern issue? Wizard World East is your chance to find all those items you missed in the past and live a truly comic experience. The costumes, the creators, the collectors, the fans, the spectacle; Wizard World East is the one Philadelphia event that should not be missed by fans or laymen alike.
Wizard World East takes place May 10, 11, and 12 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Tickets are $20 a day, $40 for a three-day pass. Visit www.wizardworld.com for more information.
Bob Algeo can be reached at Nategray1@aol.com
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