C2E2 At Large: Worlds Collide

So, we had John Barrowman and Anne Rice both at C2E2 this weekend.  Turns out, both are fans of each other's work.  Here's a little behind-the-scenes video of them meeting, as shot by Anne's assistant.

C2E2 At Large: Thank You!

C2E2 2012 is a wrap. The show floor's been torn down. The booths are gone. Our guests are on their way home. And I just blew three days of con crud out of my noise. But while C2E2 physically is no more, the memories remain -- pictures, emotions, experiences, and friendships. Immortal stuff.

A huge thank you to everyone who made C2E2 2012 a success. To our fans. To our guests. To our exhibitors. To our press. To our professionals. To our partners. To the folks at McCormick and the Hyatt. To our staff. And, pictured here, to our awesome, incredible, fantastic crew! Huzzah, kudos, and bravo!

C2E2 At Large: That's A Wrap

It's 5 PM in Chicagoland! The lights are dimmed! A round of applause! And @ArmstrongMike gets on a mic to bring C2E2 2012 to a close!

C2E2 At Large: Life Lessons

Today's Kids Day, meaning the show is overflowing with younglings. It's awesome seeing the next generation of nerds, and one of the under-ten set's biggest draws is Art and Franco. (Technically, it's two draws.) They're the fine folks behind Tiny Titans and Superman Family Aventures.

And here they are in one of C2E2's fine traditions... The Art and Franco Draw Off. It's a battle of wits, markers, and dirty tricks. And really only teaches kids you win by cheating.

C2E2 At Large: The Sun Is Out!

It's Sunday morning in Chicago. The sun's cut through the morning mist and fog, and -- in the place of this miasma is an ABC News Truck. They'll be reporting shortly from the show.

In other updates, all of John Cusack's autograph tickets have been distributed. There are no more. However, John is speaking in the IGN Theater (Ballroom, Level One) at 11:30. There's no additional ticket needed to see an hour of Cusack later this AM. Just check out the queue for the theater at 9 and 10.

C2E2 At Large: Mother's Milk

This is a fridge. This is a fridge in C2E2's Show Office. This is a fridge in C2E2's Show Office jammed full of Monster Rehab. It's Sunday morning, and we're on-site with the already snaking line for John Cusack autograph tickets -- and Monster Rehab is the thin, enriched lemonade line that separates man from beast in these cold, dark hours of the Chicago pre-dawn.

C2E2 At Large: Dinner

There is nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing healthy about this.

C2E2 At Large: Take Home Capt's Shield

Remember, tonight is C2E2's Captain America Auction! Featuring props from the movie including Capt's shield, bike, and full uniform, it's all being auctioned off by Marvel and Profiles in History. It's awesome! It's sexy! And it's in Room S404abc at 6 PM!

Come for the shield, stay for Bri and I getting in a bidding war over it.

C2E2 At Large: Kinda A Big Deal

A view of the show floor from our top secret sky bridge!

C2E2 At Large: Light Reading

One of the most thankless jobs at the con is working the Info Desks, little pillboxes armed with Program Guides and iPads dotting the convention floor. Have a question? Our info counters have the answer. And they've had many, many, many answers over the past two days of the show.

When talking with the Info Desk on Level 4, I noticed something. When not fielding questions, Our Info Deskateers are reading a little George R.R. Martin.

Chicago At Large: Full House

C2E2's first Saturday IGN panel has begun! John Barrowman is here with close to 2,000 of his closest friends!

C2E2 At Large: From England With Love

We've got a full day of panels in the IGN Theater at C2E2 -- Stephen Rannazzisi, The Walking Dead, Anthony Daniels, Nikita, and it all kicks off at 11:30 AM with John Barrowman. The line's already started for John, and we popped in with a little surprise from our friends at BBC America -- Torchwood: Miracle Day Blu-rays!

C2E2 At Large: Walking Dead Autographing Info

Today's first post is super early and super important.  It's Saturday.  C2E2 opens at 10 AM for Press, Pros, fans, and everyone.  If you're coming in early, you'll be led into the queue hall right beside the show floor.  Here's where we get tricky -- The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan will be signing today. The signing is free but you need to get a ticket for it.  We're giving these tickets out at 8 AM.  To get your ticket for Steven and Lauren, come to C2E2 early.  The doors open at 6 AM, and we'll be there shortly to let the first fans in.  There'll be a special line in our queue hall just for Walking Dead tickets.

Walking Dead tickets. 8 AM.  Separate line in the queue hall.

Cool?  Cool.  

C2E2 At Large: Day's End

Day One is wrapping up. The show floor's just closed, and pictured are my pounding feet. There was walking today. There was a lot of walking today. And my feeties hurt. We've still got a few hours of programming to go, and then we do it all again tomorrow -- and ya gotta get here early if you want to get the Walking Dead autographs!

Medium At Large: Shia At Large

Hey, guys, we've got a special surprise for you. A little comic creator named Shia LaBeouf is at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo today. Come say hi at Artist Alley Table O21!

C2E2 At Large: Costume Contest Grand Prize

C2E2 is hosting daily costume contests on our Variant Stage. Adult contests are today and tomorrow at 6 PM, and there's a kids-only one Sunday at noon. Come by a half hour before any of em to sign up, and you should sign up, as we've got great, big boxes of swag for winners.

And the grand prize tonight and tomorrow? Just some Stan Lee-signed comics from our friends at Marvel.

Don't have a costume? You've got only a few hours left to make your duct tape Iron Man out of whatever you can find in McCormick Place's Fed Ex.

C2E2 At Large: Loud Noises

And so it begins! We're open to the public, with fans spilling in in a loud, loosely organized mob of capes, tights, big foam swords, Adventure Time hats, and at least one dude walking around as "Pimp Deadpool".

And while Pimp Daddy D could have been the high point of the move in, it was the group of rowdy youths simply chanting "loud noises" as others were cheering. Clever, clever kids.

Anywho, we're open tonight until 7 PM. Come out and get nerdy with us.

C2E2 At Large: WE'RE OPEN

C2E2 is open! The doors opened at 10 AM, and Press, Professionals, and VIPs now have the floor to themselves -- with fans storming the gates at 1 PM. What's new on the exhibit hall this year? More booths. And video games. And a DJ. Yup, in his infinite wisdom, Bri's set up a DJ at the head of the show floor to add some extra texture, flavor, and juice to the con. It's plenty cool, but I'm dreading the inevitable Fensterman/Armstrong two-man moshpit.

C2E2 At Large: My Precious

Saturday night is the Profiles in History Captain America auction, and all weekend, select props from Capt. will be on display on the show floor. Full costumes. Motorcycles. And shields. We hear one of these went for $25,000, which is going to be a problem if Bri and I get in a bidding war.

C2E2 At Large: Breakfast Of Champions

We're on-site. Got here to see the tail end of CBS's live coverage and the cool kids at Nerd City and the 501st. They're now off to get some sleep before the show, while we're humming along in the Programming Office. Pictured is the healthiest thing we're going to eat all weekend.

Yay!

C2E2 At Large: As Seen On TV

Good morning, Chicago! Up early? We are... And we're on CBS right now! CBS is doing live spots from the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo all morning, talking with various fans, costumed characters, and Captain Fensterman. So, between your breakfast and morning zumba work out, flip on CBS!

C2E2 At Large: CBR Bar

This is an image of a healthy bottle of orange juice. It's filled with vitamins and minerals and the things your body needs. This is not what we're drinking tonight. Oh, no. Tonight we're at the CBR Bar, raising our glasses with guests, creators, exhibitors, and retailers. It's fantastic. And packed. And totally intimate compared to what'll happen when the fans get here tomorrow.

If you're at C2E2 this weekend, come out to the CBR Bar. It's in the Hyatt, and it's something we can't do in New York. NYCC's location makes any post-show gatherings too disparate -- but, in Chicago, we have a common watering hole, and for the next three nights, the nexus of the comics universe will be gathered here in between sliders and Cebrewskis.

C2E2 At Large: Comic Art And Fine Art

Here's the Art Institute of Chicago's Comic Art and Fine Art Panel going on now. What you can(not) see are Neal Adams, Ivan Brunetti, Geofrey Darrow, J.J. Sedelmaier, and Richard Holland on stage in the Institute's Rubloff Auditorium. We're very proud to be co-presenting this talk, hosted on the eve of both C2E2 and AIC's new exhibit - Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective.

For more on the exhibit, hit up...

http://www.artic.edu/aic/exhibitions/exhibition/lichtenstein

And, if you're going out to the Art Institute (and you should), here's their C2E2-themed mini-tour...

http://www.artic.edu/aic/visitor_info/selfguide/apr12_guide.pdf

C2E2 At Large: A Large C2E2

Found my way out of what I learned was Level S2.5 to find these puppies have gone up at the show entrance. Fun Fact: The C's are filled with candy and the E's are filled with whiskey.

C2E2 At Large: Lost

Do you know where this is? Because I sure don't. There's a back way to the Level 4 Panel Rooms and Vista Room that the building told us not to use. Of course, stupid me, I used it. And where, praytell, does this snaking corridor from the rear of the Programming Office go? To locked doors, dimly lit passages, and wherever the hell I am now. Which is clearly not the Vista Room.

Stay on the beaten path, kiddies.

C2E2 At Large: Good Morning!

Good morning, Chicago! I woke today to the glorious sight of CBS's morning news covering C2E2 (and they'll be on-site tomorrow). But, that wasn't all, as there were two more presents waiting for me -- from the Hyatt and the BBC.

The fine folks at the Hyatt McCormick had asked me if there was anything I wanted in my room for my stay. I told em I wouldn't have time to down a bottle of wine to devour a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. Instead, really, if they could get me some waters, juices, and teas, it's be darling.

And now I've got a mound of Tazo Tea, water bottles, OJ, and Red Bulls for me. It's far too much, actually, so I'll be sharing the gift of Red Bull with fans in need.

And then there's the BBC. I got this fantastic stack of Torchwood Blu-rays and DVDs from BBC Amercia. C2E2 will be giving them away during John Barrowman's panel on Saturday. And, spoilers, maybe over Twitter as well.

C2E2 At Large: Animal Farm

Dinner time! We're at the Farmhouse, a fantastic super fresh, ultra local place that specializes in foods and brews from Illinois. They bake their own bread. And make their own catsup. (Yes, catsup.)

We've got an assortment of burgers, steaks, deep-fried cheese curds, and beers. Plus one order of tea.

Chicago At Large: Inner Circle

Behold the shadowy hands of C2E2's Board of Directors. We're meeting up to go through registration, move-in, queuing, autographing, and other wonky bits.

Once we get done with this, if we've got time, we'll discuss who makes the best deep dish pie in Chicago. And, possibly, the New World Order.

C2E2 At Large: Survival Kit

Let's look behind the curtain, shall we? Here's a glimpse inside the Programming Office. We're packing up schedules, agendas, and welcome letters to be delivered to our Spotlight Guests' hotel rooms. It's all coming inside a smart-looking white bag topped off with a flourish of red decorative paper (selected by MK).

What you see here is one of the items in the bag -- the C2E2 Survival Kit. What's inside? Hand sanitizer, tissues, mints, and advil. Seriously. While it may seem silly or gimmicky at first, it'll start looking essential by the twilight hours of Day One.

Chicago At Large: And So It Begins

The team is on-site and final pre-prep is underway. We're busy putting together guest packages, exhibitor bundles, and finding wayward boxes. And, here, you can see the expanse that is the exhibit floor. Tall, long, and vast, while it's impressive, it's kinda empty. We'll share more photos as the show begins to take shape.

C2E2 At Large: Taxi, Part 2

Hello, Chicago! Team C2E2's arrived. Flight got in a wee bit early and now we're speeding toward McCormick -- the roads surprisingly clear. And, in the interest of getting a head start on unpacking boxes, we abstained from the siren song of Bayless's new Frontera storefront. So, with hungry bellies and switchblades, we'll soon set upon the convention center.

I hope one of the first boxes we open is munchies.

C2E2 At Large: Skylaw

At the airport and boarding. After two years of Singapore travel, I've got enough points for upgrades, so I'm in fancy pancy First Class - while Bri, Jackie, Heise, Wendy, Fitch, Michelle, and Malico are plotting my demise in coach.

My offer to send them back caviar and petit fours has been met with angry stares, and I'm now afraid there'll be an insurrection somewhere in the skies over Lake Michigan.

Clearly, I'll need to make a pre-emptive strike. Time to fashion my copy of SkyMall into a crude bow-and-arrow.

C2E2 At Large: Taxi!

Well, this is a new one. For the first time in all my years in NYC, I can't hail a cab. I'm here, waiting at a busy intersection at a prime hour in the morning, and there are no taxis. There are other cars and crazy expensive livery cabs are honking at me, but, alas, I see no black and yellow institutions.

Thankfully, I'm still stupidly early, so even though I've been on a street corner for the past ten minutes, I've got probably an hour until I get into trouble. I could go back home and maybe grab breakfast. No, then, I'd be missing out on LaGuardia's famous and fantastic eats. I should actually go back and fold all the clothes I dumped out on the bed, as the girlfriend won't be too happy to find that tonight.

Oh, hey, a taxi!

C2E2 At Large: Peter's Packing Tips

Today's the day! The morning of C2E2 Eve Eve! Most of the team is right now on their way to the airport. Me? Packing. Last night was Paley Center's Doctor Who: How It All Began with Director Waris Hussein. It was a fantastic event, and big thanks to Paley Center, Who York, BBC America, and Waris himself! Bravo!

Of course, this meant I didn't pack until this morning. I'll be out in Chicago for roughly five days, and the bulk of my suitcase is utilitarian -- five pairs of pants, five shirts, seventeen socks. Yup. While I've got all the standards, there are a few oddities to my packing, tricks (or compulsions) I've picked up in my time in the convention business...

Read more »

C2E2 Tips and Tricks with Lance

Ahoy dear friends of C2E2, lovers of pop, consumers of cool. C2E2 is afoot so shake a leg and let's get ready for this thing, ok?

I've assembled some handy tidbits of wisdom, links, reminders, etc. that I believe will make your con a safe, dry, rash free experience.

First and foremost if you don't have your tickets yet, you should probably get that taken care of. They are cheaper if you buy them online before Friday at 12:01 AM CDT, so do it now, don't delay! Click here and be ready to make the most important purchase of your life...or something like that.

To put everyone's minds and stomachs at ease there is a White Castle within walking distance of the con - 2140 South Wabash Ave. I'll be getting several Crave Cases throughout the weekend for the ReedPOP team; come by the Show Office (Room N231) some evening to behold the specter of 100 Sliders.

The Basics: Comfortable shoes. Hand sanitizer. Aspirin. Phone charger. Yellow in front, brown in back. Anything not covered here surely will be in our FAQ section.

Show Planner & Mobile: First thing you should do after you memorize the FAQs, is make sure you follow me on Twitter @LFensterman and the official show account @C2E2 then download the Official C2E2 Mobile App. It works on pretty much any device or platform and has all the info about Guests, Exhibitors,

Artist Alley, Panels, Autographing Info, etc that you’ll need for C2E2. Then use this handy show planner to create your own custom schedule for the con. It's fairly awesome.

McCormickLocale:Folks, this is a big building. In fact it's 4 big buildings. It's a damn campus. We keep messing with you because every year we have been in a different one. This year it's the NORTH BUILDING. You'll probably enter off of MLK Drive, walk in the main entrance, go up some escalators and the magic forest of C2E2 will be in your left. Check out the North Building Overview here.

Panels, Screenings & Autographing:The biggest Panels at C2E2 are happening in the IGN Theater, located in room S100 on Level 1 of McCormick right after you come in the front doors of McCormick Place.Check out the IGN Theater Panel schedule here. The rest of the Panels & Screenings are happening up on Level 4. Be sure to check out the full schedule here so you don’t miss what you wanna check out. If Autographs are what you’re after, head over the to Autographing page for all those deets.

The Nerd Express: Last year a lot of you rode our free shuttle from the loop so this year we are adding more stops at key L stations in the Loop. The shuttle is totally free and runs all day long all 3 days; the schedule is right here. Get on the Nerd Express! Also, the closest L stop is Cermak-Chinatown on the red line. It's a bit of a hike to McCormick, but the fresh air will do you good and the exercise will help stave off any con funk.

The CBR Bar: Once again our pals at CBR are laying claim to the coolest place in the show, the CBR Bar in the Hyatt attached to McCormick Place. Last year every night after the con the place was jammed with Fans, Creators, Publishers, Media and yes, the entire ReedPOP staff lived there. Plus themed drinks, what’s not to love. Details here.

Meet The ReedPOP Team: Wanna ask ReedPOP staff a question? Make a suggestion? Lodge a complaint? Propose to marry me? Yes, for the first time a few of us will be on a stage working without a net or the aid of teleprompters. It’s all going down Sunday at 3:45 PM in Room S402ab.

Three Floyds Pre Con Party: Make the trek out to IN for the Official C2E2 Pre-Show Party. The beer is damn, damn good and well worth the journey. Thursday, April 12 from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Pieces from this drink and draw will be donated to the Hero Initiative. E-mail your RSVP to C2E2preparty@gmail.com today! Located at 9750 Indiana Parkway; Munster, IN, 46321. Must be 21 or over to enter.

And there you have it folks, I'll see you at the con!

Stay nerdy,

Lance

Chicago At Large: Art Institute Panel And Tour

Here we are at ReedPOP HQ in the final days before this year's Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.  Some of the staff is already out in Chi-town, some are going out tomorrow, some Wednesday, and some Thursday as we take the stacks and stacks of paper we've generated, wave a magic wand, and turn it all into a comic convention.  I'll be out in Chicago starting Wednesday afternoon and will be sharing the behind-the-scenes blow-by-blow of building C2E2.  If you haven't yet, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the complete picture.

We'll have different content coming out through all three channels before and during the convention, ranging from essential, on-the-spot updates on Twitter, to photo galleries on Facebook, to my accounts of the staff's slowly waning sanity (and sobriety) here on the blog.

And while C2E2 officially starts Friday, I'm going to be excited to start seeing fans on Thursday night, as this year, C2E2 and the Art Institute of Chicago are presenting Comic Art and Fine Art, a panel with Neal Adams, Ivan Brunetti, Geofrey Darrow, and J.J. Sedelmaier discussing the history and future of pop art.  Richard Holland, co-founder of the Bad at Sports podcast, will moderate this event, which is held in advance of the Art Institute's Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective.

Coming out to C2E2? We encourage you to spend your Thursday at the Art Institute with Neal Adams, Ivan Brunetti, Geofrey Darrow, and J.J. Sedelmaier (and me).  The event is from 6 to 7 PM and free with admission into the museum.

Further, while you're there, check out this special Comic Art and Fine Art mini-tour, which connects the dots between the styles and influences of 16th Century painters and 21st Century pop artists.  Presuming there are no fires (figurative of literal), I'll be taking in the mini-tour before the panel on Thursday night.

See you there!

Cosplay At Large: Sign Up For Sakura Matsuri's Fashion Show

Calling All Cosplayers, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is hosting its Japanese Spring Festival -- Sakura Matsuri -- Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29. Capping the event will be their third annual Cosplay Fashion Show, hosted by Uncle Yo and accompanied by live music from J-Pop big band Morning Musuko. The fashion show takes place April 29 at 5:15 PM and is open to cosplayers in costumes spanning anime movies and television series, manga, and video games. All participants receive complimentary admission for both days of Sakura Matsuri!

Entries must be received by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, April 17, and all cosplayers will be notified of their acceptance status by Thursday, April 19. For more info and to enter, click here.

PS: We'll be there.  We'll have a booth and stacks of manga and anime to giveaway!

Caturday!

Interview At Large: Mighty Mike Negin vs. Rick Remender

C2E2 is almost upon us, and as we pack up to head to McCormick Place, Mighty Mike Negin returns for one final interview with a guest who'll be appearing in C2E2's Artist Alley -- Rick Remender! Rick gives us the low down on bringing the pain to the Marvel Universe with the Savage Six, the New Masters of Evil, and the New Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! He talks about the Secret Avengers / Uncanny X-Force battle that could have been! And did you know Rick was the artist on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... Yup, he talks about that, too! Sit back, relax, and delve into the mind of Rick Remender!

NYC At Large: Take A J-CATION!

While the ReedPOP team will be out in Chicago next weekend for C2E2, if you're sticking around in NYC, might we recommend you take a j-CATION? NYC's Japan Society's annual j-CATION Culture Festival is Saturday, April 14th and is fat with cherry blossoms, samurai flicks, and Japanese game shows. Really. The all-day event's activities include traditional taiku drumming, shodo calligraphy workshops, Japanese language lesions as well as concerts from NYC-based Japanese garage punk band The Suzan and "You’re On Standby: A Japanese Game Show".

There's with a real ticket to Tokyo as the show's top prize. 

And, because samurai make everything better, 1960s samurai film masterpiece Killing in Yoshiwara is part of the mix. Tickets are $10 (or $5 if you’re a Japan Society member). For more information, visit japansociety.org.

Interview At Large: Mighty Mike Negin vs. Ryan Stegman

Here we are, two weeks to C2E2 2012 and Mighty Mike Negin is back! This time, he's sitting down with rising star Ryan Stegman! Mike talks with the Scarlet Spider artist about the big surprise he got at the first C2E2, how Sleeping Beauty influenced the look of the Red She-Hulk, living like a rockstar at New York Comic Con, the nostalgia of Spider-clones, Twitter addiction, the '90s, and more! So, sit back, listen, and enjoy!  Then, meet Ryan Stegman (and Mighty Mike Negin) at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo next weekend!

YouTube At Large: Nerdist Channel Is Go

Today's the day! The YouTube Nerdist Channel kicks off a new era of internet time wasting!  Watch as Chris Hardwick and Nerdist Industries take YouTube by storm and bring with them Weird Al Yankovic, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Zombie, The Dudesons, Harry Knowles, The Kids In The Hall and much, much more...  All available in the comfort of your own home or office (just don't tell your boss) or car (just keep at least one eye on the road).

Some of the content that'll be on the Nerdist Channel at launch today was shot at New York Comic Con, and a lot more will be coming soon as Nerdist and Chris Hardwick appear at, host panels at, and generally run amok at C2E2, Star Wars Celebration, and New York Comic Con.

Swoon!

Interview At Large: Art and Franco vs. Mighty Mike Negin

C2E2's Mighty Mike Negin returns with the most historic of events! Today, we're proud to present the very first podcast crossover the internet has ever seen (expect for all the others). Fanboys and fangirls, it's The Aw Yeah / ReedPOP Podcast crossover featuring Art Baltazar and Franco!  In today's interview, Art Baltazar and Franco talk about their sentimental farewell to Tiny Titans, the return of Fuzzy the Krypto mouse in Superman Family Adventures, Jimmy the Muscle and the Aw Yeah Mafia, why there should be a warning label on a box of crayons, the C2E2 Kids Day Drawing Competition (Hopefully Franco won't cheat this time), and how C2E2 (really) revolves around them! Aw yeah, listen here!

Photo (From Left To Right): Franco, Mighty Mike Negin, Jimmy The Muscle, and Art Baltazar