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With the comic book medium being seen more and more as a form of “mainstream media,” it’s no surprise that every year, it seems like more people are seeking out comic book conventions as a means to celebrate this wonderful art form. It’s no wonder that over the course of a year, there are numerous conventions held across the U.S., with the main Chicago event, Wizard World, being just one of the many.
But, while Wizard World Chicago may have been just one in a sizable line of comic conventions this year, it may certainly have been the one that packed the most punch.
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A man searches for a specific issue of a comic at the booth of locally-owned Graham Crackers Comics
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Held on June 26-29 at the Donald E. Stevens Convention center in Rosemont, Wizard World Chicago had the distinction of nabbing some of the hottest writers and artists in the comic book industry today. Brian Michael Bendis (Writer:
Secret Invasion, New/Mighty Avengers, Ultimate Origins); Alex Ross (Artist:
Kingdom Come, Marvels, Co-creator:
Avengers/Invaders mini-series); Max Brooks (New York Times Best Selling Author:
World War Z); and Gail Simone (Writer:
Wonder Woman, Deadpool) were just a small fraction of the many talented artists and creators that attended this year’s convention.
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Writer Brian Michael Bendis signs autographs at the Marvel booth.
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The folks at Wizard were not content at stopping there, though, as Chicago had the distinction of playing host to two extremely special appearances by a well-known group of industry rebels, and an infinitely imaginative Brit with a knack for story telling.
The “group of industry rebels” mentioned above was none other than the group of men who shook up the industry in 1992 by leaving Marvel comics to create there own comic book company, Image: Todd McFarlane (
Spawn), Rob Liefeld (
Youngblood), Erik Larsen (
Savage Dragon), Whilce Portacio (
Wetworks), Jim Valentino (
ShadowHawk), and Marc Silvestri (
Cyberforce). All of whom reunited at the convention; signing autographs and sharing their often anecdotal stories in a panel on that Saturday afternoon.
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The image founders (sitting from left to right) Erik Larsen, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, Todd McFarlane, and Rob Liefeld.
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It was very interesting watching these six men as they responded to the questions posed of them with a levity that says their friendship has not waned over the years. They even went as far as to describe their first encounters with each other and their subsequent feelings towards that person, and how those feelings changed over time.
Sadly, artist Jim Lee, the final member of the Image founders group, was unable to attend the reunion due to a prior engagement. But he was not forgotten, as the absent artist was ribbed by his peers at the panel, and all sorts of humorous excuses were made for his absence.
Then, aside from the reunion of those industry revolutionaries, Warren Ellis, the man behind such best-sellers as
Transmetropolitan, the
Ultimate Human mini-series, and the novel
Crooked Little Vein, made a rare U.S. appearance at the convention. Not to be out done by any of the other amazing talent at the show, Warren Ellis brought his own style to Wizard World; his Avatar Press booth drawing crowds all four days, and his unique late-night Q & A (complete with cash bar) kept fans enthralled with him as they are with his works.
But, with the sheer amount of hot artists and writers doing panels and signings at the convention this year, it might have been hard to find the time to enjoy some of the other goings-on at Wizard World.
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Dc Direct previews some of their upcoming figures inspired by next year's Watchmen movie.
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Every year, the convention is host to a slew of retailers who offer something for everyone. This time, the convention was completely sold out, meaning that every booth available was taken by one of the unique retailers offering anything from comics and action figures, all the way to swords and kilts. The prices always vary from retailer to retailer, but half of the fun is trying to find the best deal available.
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A family dressed up as X-Men villian Mojo and associates
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Another staple of Wizard World is the variety of tournaments and contests that are always interesting to watch. This year, Wizard hosted a stage with both the
Guitar Hero III and
Rock Band video games set up and ready to play; holding contests that ranged from highest score, to best band costumes. Wizard World Chicago was also host to a costume contest; a silent auction of unique, one of a kind
Incredible Hulk covers hand drawn by various artists to benefit the Hero Initiative (a federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need); and a whole load of table-top gaming tournaments that lasted from Friday all the way through Sunday. With the exception of the auction, each of these contests and tournaments was free and open to any attendee who wanted to participate.
And finally, special to the convention this year, was a free concert by the J-pop band, Oreskaband, on Friday night. Having recently broke though here in the States, these six girls rocked the convention center with their insanely catchy ska-infused Japanese pop songs. Not only that, the girls were hanging around the show floor all day, signing autographs by the fountain and handing out flyers around the booths.
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Attendees peruse the selection of back issues at one of the many retailer booths.
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Oreskaband, like all of the other artists at the convention, are all there as part of their job; keeping their name out there and drumming up support for their projects. But, what makes these folks different from, say, a baseball player, is that you can tell that the artists at Wizard World really care about their craft, and especially the fans of it. They don’t necessarily have to do all that they do for their fans -signing stacks of books, posing for innumerable photos, and giving multiple talks in a single day- but it’s done because there is a passion for their art form that makes it all worthwhile.
Ultimately, that is what makes conventions like Wizard World so great. Sure, there’s the ton of retailers, contests and the like, but it’s the shared love of the medium that really makes an event like this shine. But putting it in writing just doesn’t do it justice; the only real way to know how it feels is to attend for yourself, next year, and find out just what it means to be a fan of comic books.
If you would like more information of Wizard World, Wizard Magazine, or any part of the Wizard Universe, please visit www.wizarduniverse.com.
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