Chicago Comic book and Entertainment Expo :C2E2

 

The massive, marvelous and mighty C2E2 attracted guests, attendies, and vendors that lived up to it’s name. With heavy hitters in the comic world such as Brian Michael Bendis, Garth Ennis, and Adam Hughes. Plus literal heavy hitter Chris Hemsworth who will be playing Thor on the big screen this may, C2E2 pulled out all the stops to make this one of the best conventions in the mid-west!

I started my journey in this comic domain, with a live show put on by the Ghostbusters : Chicago Division “Your Ghostbustin’ Troop Outside Da Loop”. A fantastic choice I believe to kick off the con. I watched as they discussed the many ghosts and demons they have vanquished on behalf of the great Windy City. Werewolves to ghosts to a beast names Pyrosis who tried to enflame the city just this past year!  To have the convention arrange for us to meet such great heros was above and beyond! They even showed us their latest containment device for holding such monsters.

Unfortunatly the EPA (Enviromental Protaction Agency) showed up to shut them down!

When the new Containment device started to smoke, these brave men knew exactly what to do though!

             

Disaster was avoided! When trouble strikes you know who to call!  Contact them at www.ghostbusterschicagodivision.com or find them on facebook.  They are  ready to believe you!

Of course if Ghostbusting isn’t the help you need there is always Heros For Hire.

Later that Friday Night , my friends and I were fortunate enough to attend Comedy Death Ray, headlining Patton Oswald! With our hilarious host Scott Aukerman warming us up and keeping us warm between guests, the energy never stopped!  With Joe Mande starting us off with his jokes about being blocked by celebrities on twitter, and the awkwardness of his “Daddy” on myspace it was great way to start the show. Next was the awkwardly nerdy Dan Telfer who had fans rolling with his bit about watching a Zombie Movie with his pregnant wife. With the energy from the audience ready to peak, out came Patton Oswald, the loud, plump, comic. Most fans know him as the voice of the lead in Pixars Ratatouille or his many reocurring roles on King of Queens, Caprica or the United States of Tara. That night the audience knew him only as the lover of sweatpants and talker of the penis. An altogether great show!

 The next day was filled with many more events such a Quiddich lesson for beginers. A D&D  campaign right across the enterance to the Main Exibitors Room. Speed Dating, hosted by the Scout Troopers Of Love and The Sith Lord of Romance. That last one sounds like a bad fanfiction waiting to happen, but it was actually alot of fun! For thos looking for love in “Alderaan ” places (their joke not mine) it was great way to meet people in a safe three minute dates. 

Later that night I attened the first ever Marvel : Cup o’ Joe panel, hosted by former Editor and Chief Joe Quesada! With Brian Michael Bendis (creator and wirter of Ultimate Spiderman and current writter for Avengers), Matt Fraction (Writer of X-men and the up comming Fear Itself) , C.B. Cebulski (writer of Marvel Fairy Tales and SVP creator) , and Jeph Loeb the Mayor of Television (writer of Hulk Red and the Head of Television) .

 What’s this? Suprise guest Mark Waid? And he’ll be writting the new Daredevil series? He quotes to say “maybe every issue doesn’t have to end with me wanting a stiff drink.”.  Considering Waid has written on everyone from Archie Andrews to Superman and half the heros inbetween, we will get to see an interesting take on the Man Without Fear later this year. Also if dark vigilanties are up your alley, you should know Frank Castle with be re-launching in a new direction with Punisher and and new writer. As for Moonknight, everyones favorite muliple-peronality-disorder-but-I’m-okay-I-swear hero, he’s moving on up and out in new ways. Out to Los Angles to stop a new Kingpin of crime, and up with the personalities. He will supposedly create these new personas in direct influnce of his time with the Secret Avengers. As for the kingpin, Quesas says it is an already existing villian who will be reveiled at the end of the first arc.

 Bendis took a moment to premier his new project with Mark Bagley called “Brilliant”. It is about a group of college students trying to crack the code for superpowers. And the cost that comes with it. 

This was a great panel. I have been to alot of group talks like this but nothing quiet like this. With Bendis starting off by throwing random candy in to the audience and all the jokes they make about one another, it seemed more like a comedy show than a comic panel. With a no holds barred Q n’ A at the end that made my sides hust so much from laughter, I almost had to leave. A great group of guys working to make our comics better!

Sunday was they final day for autographs and raiding the Exibitor hall. With both Marvel and DC booths signing at same time as Garth Ennis downstairs, my friends and I divided and conquered. With helpful staff guiding the way I went downstairs to get Ennis’ autograph. Though it felt like I was about to meet the Great and Powerful Oz. No joke, he was in the center of a room all by himself with large black drapes behind him. Only a few fans were allowed in the room at a time, with a girl in a green C2E2 staff shirt waving us in bit by bit. I was very omnious meeting the wizard but I got my one item signed and thanked him for the great books.

Back on the main floor was Kids Day. Free admission for kids with special entertainment for them on the vendor room stage. Why, my big sister even got to meet he favorite Disney Princess Repunzel! A great day.

Of course there were trouble makers.

But Thankfully in addition to C2E2s amazing security staff, we had SHIELD agents on site to defuse larger problems. They even printed out free IDs for aspiring Field Operatives!

And for those real tough cookies, we go right to the top with these two :

Chicago Comic Book  and Entertainment Expo finaly pulled off a con that put comics book back where they belong. At the top! Too many conventions get carried away with media guests and gimicks that they lose sight of the main attraction. COMICS!  The name is even in your title! Boy did they mean it too! From local comic shops to online distributers. The stuggling indy artist to the top writers in the field. This convention had room for everyone and everything they may want. Great layout, strong panels and a wide range of geekdom, this is what all other conventions should measure up to. With this only being their second year I can’t help but wonder, could they really do any better?

 

Just a few minutes after buying Emerald Allies I run into one of its stars, Connor Hawke! Total Fangirl Moment!

 

Mad Props to these henchmen, not for their props, but for remaining in character the ENTIRE convnetion!

Long Live Hawkman!

We have the Droids your’e looking for at the 501st!

About Katherine Hollingsworth

I travel the US attending every convention I can! Refairs in Wichita to ComicCons in Chicago. The Anime Fests and one day College Campus Sci-Fi days. I sell nerd-flavored t-shirts and animal hats(think Molly from Runaways) along with random Steampunk. My posts will be about a few of these cons and how YOU as a geek should prepare for them!
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