Posted by For the tenth year in a row, Comicpalooza returned to Houston, Texas this May 25th through May 27th 2018. The guest list was filled to the brim with A-listers from every genre. There was plenty of programming at Comicpalooza 2018 that kept guests wanting more the entire weekend. Temple of Geek was there on Saturday and we have a lot to cover. So let’s get started!
The Venue
Comicpalooza was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. If you never been to that center, all we can tell you is that it is HUGE! Three stories tall with 1.2 million usable square feet, George R. Brown ranks among the 10 largest convention centers in the nation. Comicpalooza used a huge majority of the space. There was a heavy emphasis on security, which we appreciated. Bag checks were located at every possible entry point to the show. Once you got past bag check, you entered the center and approached registration. There is on thing that needs to be emphasized, their were thousands of people at the convention and the lines looked long. But because the convention was so well organized, the lines moved very quickly and people were on their way to enjoy what they came there for.
The main show was located on the first floor. The main showroom had hundreds of vendors, artists, and activities spread across the entire area. At one far end there was Maker’s Space which had activities such as sword fighting, a Lego world, Battlebots, NASA, and more. The other end is where they had the celebrity guests and the photo ops.
With this center being so huge and only one Temple of Geek member being in attendance, it was impossible to cover every bit of the available convention space. With this convention being spread out so far and all the available space was being used, never once did the convention feel overcrowded. This is something that is really appreciated.
The Guest List
What is a convention without guests? Comicpalooza did not have a shortage of celebrity guests, including headliners Charlie Cox (Netflix’s Daredevil), Krysten Ritter (Netflix’s Jessica Jones), and some up and coming actor, what’s his name? Oh, Tom Holland (Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War).
Other guests included John Cusack (Say Anything, Hot Tub Time Machine), Michael Chicklis (The Shield, Fantastic Four) Dante Brasco (Hook), Walton Goggins (The Shield), Tricia Hefler (Battle Star Galactica), Levar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek Voyager), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Orlando Jones (American Gods).
You think that was all the guests? Hahaha! Nope, there is more! Also appearing was James Marsters (Smallville) Nestor Carbonell (The Tick), Michael Emerson (Arrow), Henry Ian Cusick (Lost), Fracois Chau (The Tick), M.C. Gainey (Lost), Ray Parks (Star Wars: Episode I), Peter Mayhew (Star Wars: A New Hope), Ross Marquand (The Walking Dead), and Jimmie Walker (Good Times). Ponch and John themselves, Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox (CHIPS), were present. Finally, David Faustino (Married with Children) and Ming Chen (Comic Book Men) rounds out this impressive guest list.
The Panels
What better way to get to know the celebrity guests then to attend one of their panels. Temple of Geek only attended two of the many celebrity panels that were happening on Saturday. We made sure to attend Krysten Ritter’s and Tom Holland’s Q&A panels. Some of the fun tidbits we heard while in attendance was Krysten Ritter is going to be working on season three of Jessica Jones and Tom Holland didn’t know he was cast as Spider-man until he learned about it on the internet! One thing to note, this new kid, Tom Holland, draws a crowd. 😉
The panels were more then just celebrities, there were also several panels hosted by engineers from NASA, writers, Cosplayers, and more. One example was a panel hosted by the amazing Mariana Lowrey discussing how to apply cosplay make-up.
The Cosplay
A large variety of cosplayers showed up to Comicpalooza donning their best! Many Spider-men, Jessica Jones, and various other comic characters were present. Star Wars was in full force thanks in part to the 501st Legion that was in attendance. To see the full range of cosplayers and fandoms represented at the con, you can check out our cosplay gallery.
The Con Floor
If you have children and you feel that the convention scene is not for you, you may want to reconsider and attend Comicpalooza. There were all sorts of activities for families ranging from NASA exhibits to battlebots! There was even a section that was dedicated to the world of building blocks. Props and displays can be seen all over. There were props that were brought in by the 501st Legion an more.
If you are a collector of art, there was plenty of it on the con floor. Artists ranging from comic creators to independents could be found all over. One artist in particular, Ms. Kealy Racca from Austin, TX, was there and interviewed with Temple of Geek. Look for that interview in this week’s episode of the Temple of Geek Podcast.
The Overall
Comicpalooza is definitely one of the best cons in Texas, period. There was nothing that I could find wrong with the way this convention was ran. Everyone from the Con management to the volunteers were completely professional and knew what was going on. The guests were entertaining and, more importantly, genuinely excited to be there. Next year, we are making plans to attend this convention for the entire weekend to partake in all Comicpalooza has to offer.
The dates for 2019 have not been announced, but you can found out all you need to know about the con, the guests, and more by heading to their site. If you decide to only attend one convention next year, please consider Comicpalooza. You will not be disappointed.
Did you attend this convention? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below!
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