Help Detroit celebrate the 30th anniversary of the most illustrious of our pop culture traditions: the Motor City Comic Con at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi between May 17-19 (2019).
In case you haven’t been paying attention since Mom sold your Spider-Man collection at a garage sale, Comic Con has become an incredible hulk of entertainment over the decades. Worlds apart from the stereotypic gaggle of pasty geeks attacking boxes of musty pulp fiction, today’s comic convention is a multimedia whirl of graphic art and artists, elaborately costumed fans saluting their favorite characters through “cosplay” (costume play), movie and TV collectibles, and celebrity guests galore.
Goldman acknowledges that the San Diego Comic Con, with its proximity to Hollywood and massive size, may be better known (“When they doubled the size of their convention center, they had so much floor space the big companies started coming in,” he says). But Detroit is more than worthy of superhero worship. He says that per capita, southeast Michigan boasts the largest number of comic book shops in America. What’s more, in the epitome of the little-known fact, “Detroit had the first comic book show 50 years ago,” Goldman contends.
“Now, New Yorkers like to fight about it and say that they had the first, but in fact what was first considered a comic book show, an organized event where maybe 100 people showed up, was in a hotel banquet room here I believe in the spring of 1964,” Goldman says. “About a month later they had the first one in New York.”
Here’s what you can expect at the 29th annual event. Motor City Comic Con gathers over 250 comic book creators, writers and artists, and more than fifty actors from the television and movie industry. Over a million comics for sale, plus collectible toys, anime, movies, pop culture crafts and gaming merchandise! Truly something for all fans of comics and pop culture!
Fans will be able to meet celebrities from “Arrow,” “Game of Thrones,” “IT,” “The Lost Boys,” “Batman Forever,” “Toy Story,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “The Walking Dead,” “Boy Meets World” and “The Princess Bride.”
“We work year-round to host an event that engages fans of all ages in a fun-filled atmosphere bursting with escapist, family-friendly entertainment,” promoter Michael Goldman said.
The 20th annual event’s guest list includes Jerome Flynn, Lucy Lawless, Stephen Amell, Jason Patric, Alanna Masterson, Wallace Shawn, Summer Glau, Val Kilmer, Ryan Hurst, Will Friedle, Rob Paulsen, Tara Strong, Trish Stratus, Jaeden Lieberher, Frank Quitely and John Cassaday, with stars to be added.
More than 300 comic creators, writers, illustrators and actors will greet fans, sign autographs, take pictures and participate in panels and Q&A discussions. Cosplayers in disguise as their favorite superhero and comic character can enter a Cosplay Contest with celebrity judges Saturday and attend an evening party with entertainment and refreshments. Sunday’s Kid’s Day features kid-friendly activities.
Sources:
Jim McFarlin, “Star-Powered Celebration: The Six Million Dollar Man, the Bionic Woman, and even Captain Kirk are coming to Motor City Comic Con’s 25th anniversary”, Hour Detroit, May 2014.
Edward Pevos, “Shatner beams back to the MotorCity ComicCon”, MLive, May 12, 2015.
Julie Hinds, “Motor City Comic Con 2017: Why we need this weekend more than ever“, Detroit Free Press, May 17, 2017.
“Motor City Comic Con unveils cast for 2018“, Hometown Life, April 4, 2018.