This year my wife and I are gearing up to attend our third consecutive C2E2 comic-book-’n'-entertainment convention up in Chicago, happening April 26th-28th, 2013. We missed the inaugural year in 2010 due to a schedule conflict, but I’ve made a point of prioritizing it on my calendar ever since. I rather like the idea of someone attempting a Midwest version of the San Diego Comic Con.
Most people in our hobbies are familiar with the longer-running Wizard World Chicago con, whose present incarnation emphasizes its celebrity autograph show while casually including some comics on the side. Though C2E2′s 2013 guest list implies that their entertainment-guest budget has been exponentially increased, they nonetheless attract a much wider lineup of comic-book writers, artists, and fans as well. C2E2 has one major advantage in my book: the major comic companies — Marvel, DC, Dark Horse — have sided with C2E2 over WWC, appearing each year at the former while having sadly eschewed the latter for years.
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C2E2 is nowhere near the size of San Diego, but obviously dreams of being such someday. It presently uses only one section of Chicago’s enormous McCormick Place convention center, which has plenty more room to offer if Reed Exhibitions decided they needed some value-added sprawling space. 2012 attendance was pegged at 41,000, up from 32,000 in 2011 and well above its 2010 debut of 27,500. San Diego could still beat up C2E2 and steal its lunch money, but I’m eager to see it keep growing.
The following photo collection, to be curated and presented here in two parts, was previously shared elsewhere online at the time, but never on a site I could call my own…until now. Midlife Crisis Crossover wasn’t created until a few weeks after C2E2 2012; thus it’s my pleasure to present to you, the Viewers at Home, this retrospective of our first C2E2 — chiefly, pics of some of the most interesting costumes we witnessed. For the average con attendee, the costumes are one of the most fascinating, creatively engaging aspects of the convention experience.
(Not that it was all about costumes. Your humble author and his even humbler wife were each allowed a moment to strike our own poses courtesy of Dark Horse Comics.)
Even type-A cynics who have no time for super-heroes know these guys. DC Comics may have forced them into new costumes two years ago, but fans dressed in the classic versions will outnumber the usurper togs, guaranteed.
Cyclops and Jean Grey represent for the Marvel side, during a brief time frame when neither of them were dead.
Fan conventions are never all about super-heroes. You can always count on a few Ghostbusters, one or more Indiana Jones, the occasional stray Captain Jack Sparrow, and an increasing number of Doctor Whos. Leave it to Jedi Masters Kit Fisto, Plo Koon, and Saesee Tiin to keep the Force alive.
Two of my favorites that year: Marvel’s classic mismatched buddy-hero team, Power Man and Iron Fist.
Fans who enjoy the CW’s Arrow are likely unaware that, in his advance years, Oliver Queen later had a son who followed in dad’s super-heroic footsteps. Connor Hawke wore the Green Arrow mantle for several years while his dad was dead, but was eventually sidelined after his resurrection. As far as I know, poor Connor ceased to exist after DC’s New 52 reboot.
Another couple of favorites: Hawkman is tough to pull off in a crowded atmosphere because of the constant risk of wing damage. His companion is G’Nort, one of the most incompetent, mentally unaware Green Lanterns of all time. As comic relief, he ruled. He now resides with Son of Green Arrow in post-reboot limbo.
From the world of video games, meet King Mickey from the Kingdom Hearts series, one of my son’s childhood favorites. (The first two games rank pretty highly with me, too. The final boss battle in KH2 remains one of the most stressful yet successful moments in my entire gaming history.)
Lest anyone think it’s all about American media, rest assured that anime/manga fans show up in droves. Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop is but one of a pantheon. I’m sure you know her companion. Oh, and whatshisname the droid, sneaking into the shot like a tiny, jealous diva. Squint hard and you’ll spot at least one Ghostbuster as a veritable buried Easter egg.
To be continued!
