Wizard World - Philadelphia comic con

Every June nerds from the tri state area (PA, NJ & DE) converge on the Pennsylvania Convention center for what I like to refer to as a Nerdtacular but it’s better known as Philadelphia Comic Con or Wizard World. Wizard World is a place where comic book junkies, sci-fi fans, cartoon and anime fans and wrestling marks can gather to buy things wear costumes and gather autographs from some of our favorite “celebrities.” Why did I use quotes around celebrities? Because to Joe Average he wouldn’t know who Peter Mayhew is if he bit him but once he puts on the Wookiee costume people would recognize Chewbacca in a heartbeat. Some of the names are recognizable Stan Lee, William Shatner, Patrick Stewart & Chris Hemsworth. Others you wouldn’t know if they walked past you in a store but to us they’re the bigger than life icons we love for one reason or another and this gives us an opportunity to meet them and to let them know how big of a fan we are.

I had the pleasure of going 2 days (Friday & Sunday) on Friday it was a nerd day I went with a friend of mine who’s as nerdy as I am and we just had a blast doing what nerds do. We laughed at the costumed people who shouldn’t have been in costumes the slightly plump dude dressed as Iron Man comes to mind……..YIKES! We covered the floor I don’t remember how many times and by the end of our day our arms were full with toys and I even picked up a cool Boba Fett statue to add to my ever growing collection.

While there I also picked up a couple of autographs from Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and even though I’m closing in on 37 I still get like a little kid when I get to meet actors who were in Star Wars, that movie franchise means a lot to me and to able to talk with icons like that means the world to me. And I knew my “that guy” hat would get me noticed! When I was getting Jeremy Bulloch’s autograph he noticed my hat and struck up a conversation with me about where I would get a Japanese exclusive hat and I told him about how if came via Japan-via Hong Kong-via eBay and he laughed when I got done telling him how well traveled my hat was! That quick conversation totally made my day.

This year’s layout was a much better layout than years prior; it seemed more open and easier to get around. The dealers were spread out with the celebrities in the middle and the artists on the other side of them, it was open and nice, never once did we feel cramped. And speaking of artists some of the most amazing artists in the world are sitting at tables and will sell you absolutely beautiful art for a great price. I picked up a few pieces a couple of years ago for a song and have them proudly displayed in my man cave. There is so much to soak in that one day really isn’t enough that’s why I headed back for some more on Sunday this time I went with my wife and daughter and made it a family day.

Sunday was nice it was a lot less hectic and more subdue, it was nice to just take a slow stroll around to floor looking at things I managed to miss on Friday and we covered that floor a few times too! One of the things my daughter was looking forward to was getting her face painted and she did she had an angel painted on her face complete with wings and halo she looked really cute! My daughter picked up her stamp book to get well stamped and she got a special stamp from Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the teenage witch) she got an autograph just for being cute! It pays to be cute…I have first-hand experience! We had fun and I’m already counting down the days to next year’s con because there has to be one or two pieces of Boba Fett memorabilia I don’t have!  

I would recommend checking out a Wizard World near you, it is a great day for the family and kids are FREE!



***** SAVE THE 2012/13 DATES *****
May 31 - June 3, 2012 – Philadelphia Comic Con
August 9-12, 2012 – Chicago Comic Con
September 29-30, 2012 – Mid-Ohio Comic Con
October 26-28, 2012 – Austin Comic Con
November 30 - December 2, 2012 – New Orleans Comic Con
TBD, 2013 – Toronto Comic Con






Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions .We received passes to facilitate this review. No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising .