Comic Con 2012 – Recap

Comic Con 2012 – Recap

Comic Con 2012 (Chicago, Illinois) has come and gone. Comic Con (Chicago) was held August 9-12 in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, which was an appropriate venue since the event was larger than life. I decided to visit on Friday and Sunday to make the most of the Stan Lee VIP experience I purchased at the beginning of the year. Yes, you read correctly¾I was fortunate enough to participate in the Stan Lee VIP. It would be more than enough just to see Stan Lee up close, but the VIP experience included an autograph, a picture with Stan Lee, early entry, and a panel discussion. The aforementioned was enough to get any true comic-book/sci-fi fan excited; however, there was even more incentive to attend Comic Con. The event was full of celebrities, most of whom have made a significant impact in the comic-book/sci-fi/fantasy/horror industries. The four-day event was a perspective-changing experience.

Guest list

There were over 500 celebrity guests available to meet and enjoy, including Stan Lee, Kevin Sorbo, William Shatner, Tom Felton, Nina Dobrev, Scott Bakula, John Cena, CM Punk, Bruce Campbell, Sam Trammell, Denis O’Hare, Hayden Panettiere, Dean Cain, Laura Vandervoort, Holly-Marie Combs, Brian Krause, Jon Bernthal, Norman Reedus, Sean Patrick Flanery, David Della Rocco, Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Joey Lawrence, James Marsters, Juliet Landau, Amber Benson, Amy Acker, Craig Parker, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Katrina Law, Robert Knepper, James Hong, Lauren Holly, Scottie Thompson, Colin Ferguson, Lou Ferrigno, Dean Stockwell, Sean Young, Frank Vincent, Colin Cunningham, Avery Brooks, Peter Mayhew, Jeremy Bulloch, Doug Jones, and more.

This being Comic Con, it would be a great tragedy not to mention the comic creators. The list consisted of Daniel Acuna, Carlos Pacheco, George Perez, Greg Capullo, Cafu, Barry Kitson, Shane Davis, Greg Horn, Michael Golden, J. Scott Campbell, Rodolfo Migliari, Mahmud Asrar, R. B. Silva, Rob Lean, Brom, Humberto Ramos, Paul Jenkins, Ken Kelly, Budd Root, Arthur Suydam, Pat Lee, Clay Mann, Mick McKone, Chris Burnham, Yanick Paquette, Doug Wheatley, and Mark Texeira.

I knew I was in the vicinity of Comic Con when I saw the droves of people walking down the sidewalk in costumes. There were Spidermen, Ironmen, Catwomen, etc. It was a joy to watch people dressed up in costumes inspired by their imagination and passion. After enjoying the parade of ticket-holding customers, it was time to experience the fantastic, creative wonder known as Comic Con. Even though it was the first time for me to attend the event, I entered with great expectations. I looked around at the well-staged hall and soon discovered I had greatly under-estimated Comic Con, because, as an artist, marketing manager, sci-fi/fantasy lover, and comic book enthusiast, I was in paradise. Entering through the VIP section (no line for me!), I received my VIP package and some super cool World of Warcraft (WOW) promotional cups.

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World of Warcraft

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/

The WOW organization may be the largest game community in the world¾if not, it is close.  The WOW game community has a large amount of loyal fans who are engaged because of the intense online game play and interactivity with fellow game lovers. WOW has definitely created a culture that embraces the passionate gamer. This organization has built a strong brand image for quality game play, reliability, and amazing graphics. The organization understands its customer, and it communicates a message that is clear and straightforward. WOW is an industry leader, and its highly successful marketing strategy is likely focused on retention. The gift of visually stunning cups definitely keeps WOW in the minds of gamers.  Think about it: how often do you get something of quality for free?  Just as the WOW games are graphically in a league of their own, so are the promotional cups that were handed out at the door. Any World of Warcraft fan would be thrilled to have them. I was surely pleased to receive them, since I collect anything that is visually phenomenal.

 Star Trek

Moving along, I entered Hall H, where the conference was held. Displayed in chronological order were the uniforms from the five captains from the Star Trek television series: William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, and Scott Bakula. Of course, I pulled the camera out to take full advantage of the photo opportunity.  The Star Trek brand has remained relevant through many generations and show variations. I enjoyed a discussion about Star Trek with a fellow sci-fi fanatic as we compared our favorite shows and captains. Most fans prefer the show that aired while they were teenagers. I love Captain Kirk; however, I am a Next Generation girl and I adore Jean Luc Picard. The Star Trek legacy endures because of the relevant and fresh content that is produced in the TV and movie studios and viewed by millions.

I was fortunate to catch a peek of William Shatner and Scott Bakula, although I would have loved to have met both actorsbecause they are integral to the Star Trekdynasty. William Shatner had an extremely long line of conference attendees, and Scott Bakula also had fans lined up to see him. The area for Kevin Sorbo, the legendary Hercules and Captain Dylan Hunt, was just in front of Scott Bakula. Kevin was scheduled to arrive at 12pm. I knew I would return to see him later, so I rushed to join the insanely long line to receive an autograph from the father of Spiderman, Stan Lee.

Stan Lee

http://www.therealstanlee.com/Therealstanlee.com/Home.html

I hate waiting in line, but I would wait an eternity to meet and receive an autograph from a man I greatly respect and admire. If success is measured based on all the people one inspires, then Stan Lee’s must be huge. Stan Lee has accomplished feats in his career bigger than those of the superheroes he created. His comic books have inspired youth and given them hope in environments where there are few reasons to look toward the future. The Marvel superheroes can be looked at as models of ethical behavior, bravery, and morality. They have struggles with their identities, right and wrong, loss, etc. Their struggles reflect the human experience on a larger scale, which makes the message of each comic book clear and effective.

While in the line for Stan Lee, I heard perfect strangers discussing their comic book collections, confessing their love for Stan Lee, and comparing superheroes. I even talked to the man behind me about my Spiderman book and his limited-edition comic book. He and I did not exchange names, for we shared a comic book love that bonds people instantly. The wait in the line felt like a family reunion, but without the drama. Suddenly, we heard cheers and applause from those at the front of the line. We joined them because we knew Stan Lee had arrived. It was Christmas morning and we were all 5 years old. It was my immediate goal to get a picture and glimpse of Stan Lee. It seemed my fellow family members shared my goal. We were all on tiptoe, leaning and stretching our bodies in unnatural ways. The people in the front of the queue bent down or leaned out of the way¾we were all in this together. All this camaraderie was caused by the one man known as the godfather of Marvel comics. Finally, it was my turn to receive an autograph, and as I approached Stan Lee, I noticed his amazing trademark smile, which filled the area with a positive happy energy. He asked me where I wanted his signature, while the volunteers at Wizard World tried to rush him and keep the line moving. Stan Lee was firm on his position and he waited for me to show him where I wanted my signature. His professionalism, joyfulness, and high energy are the reasons why he is beloved internationally. Stan Lee is definitely one of my mentors, even though he does not know it.

Kevin Sorbo

http://www.kevinsorbo.net/

I thanked Stan Lee and found a little area to enjoy my autographs; then I packed them away and headed toward the already-gone William Shatner. Next, I took a quick picture of Scott Bakula.

My next mission was to get a picture of Kevin Sorbo. I enjoyed Hercules, but being a sci-fi girl, I loved Andromeda and I watched the series faithfully while it aired on TV. Andromeda was a refreshing space drama that had a compelling storyline. I definitely wanted an autograph and picture from Kevin Sorbo. In line I went and waited my turn. As I waited, I noticed how generous Kevin was with his fans. He took the time to talk to each fan that came to visit him and treated all the fans as individuals. I was floored by Kevin’s behavior¾it was unexpected and somewhat unreal. When my turn came, I was not nervous about meeting him; he acted like an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while. He was personable and did not rush anyone. He took a picture with me as he did with everyone who requested it, with great enthusiasm. He clearly regards his fans highly and appreciates their support. The extremely attractive and talented actor/writer Kevin Sorbo is a down-to-earth, charismatic, sincere guy. He seems to share my ideology that everyone matters and everyone is equal.

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Having an electronic media education, I decided to create a photo montage to be signed by Kevin. Since he was such a good person, I knew he wouldn’t mind signing my custom picture, and I was right. On Sunday, I was third in line to see Kevin Sorbo. When he arrived, he set up his own area. I almost asked him if he knew who he was! Kevin Sorbo, famous person, actually set up his own area and organized everything well. I was impressed with his ability to keep an inclusive world perspective. Kevin Sorbo attracted a constant stream of fans for the duration of Comic Con because he has the ability to make the people around him feel significant.

Created with photoshop.

After the time I spent with Kevin and after observing him with other fans, I was drawn to buy his book on Audblie. Once I finish listening to it, I will post a book review. I must add that I am listening to his book as I type this, and the structure of Kevin’s audio version is clever. His wife Sam’s additions to the book contrast with Kevin’s writing style and add depth to his personal and professional discoveries.

Pictures with Stan Lee

http://www.therealstanlee.com/Therealstanlee.com/Home.html

It was time to take pictures with Stan Lee. With my logo t-shirt on, I was ready for the photo-op. I made sure I looked perfect because I knew I would frame this picture and hang it in a place for everyone to see it. Stan Lee was in high demand at Comic Con; therefore, there was a long line of people to take pictures with him. I must compliment Stan Lee on his endurance, because he was busy all day in some fan event. Stan Lee is a true star and an absolute sweetheart. I can say with great sincerity that I got more than my money’s worth out of the Stan Lee VIP experience.

Overall

Lou Ferrigno with a Fan. 

Lou Ferrigno from afar.

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You and Me This Morning show

It's a normal day for me (hanging out with Spiderman and Predator)

Comic Con 2012 was an event of celebration and imagination. There were fans in costumes everywhere. There were media personnel filming the event. I even saw the You and Me This Morning show video-graphing a spot. Even Predator showed up and walked through the crowd. Comic Con is a marketing dream; the event definitely gathers a specific demographic in a concentrated area. Comic Con is a must-do event for comic book/sci-fi/fantasy/horror fans.

"Predator, I am also sad Comic Con 2012 (Chicago) is over."

Please share any questions or comments, and I will gladly address them.