It Came From Rosemont — from Fan Expo to C2E2, Chicago’s big nerd cons return to full strength

CHICAGO — The other night, I watched a woman in a dinosaur costume walk across River Road in Rosemont.

Police stopped cars so that she could trudge awkwardly across four lanes of traffic. It was nice to see. For the first 18 months or so of the pandemic, the once-explosive growth of the sci-fi-comic book fan convention industry cratered. Spotting a homemade Gandalf or cosplaying Black Panther near Rosemont’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, or McCormick Place in Chicago, once a regular occurrence, became rare. If you wanted to dress like a velociraptor and meet dragon queens and Spider-Men, you settled for virtual events — and those really, really sucked.

Like other aspects of life impacted by the pandemic, fan conventions thrive on the personal — the spectacle of thousands dressed like fictional characters under one roof, mingling with authors, actors and artists, cross-pollinating Deadpools with Doctor Whos. When a handful of fan cons attempted to relaunch in 2021, they often did with celebrities signing autographs behind plexiglass. Hugging Mark Ruffalo again would have to wait.

It’s been three years since there were more Joker masks than N95s, but this summer the big pop culture fan conventions around Chicago are looking closer to the old days.

Though like every other universe touched by the pandemic, this one changed, too.

The two biggest fan cons return a little different. Last year, after 49 years in Rosemont, Wizard World Chicago Comic Con (which began as Nostalgia ‘72, spent decades as Chicago Comic Con, then eventually Wizard) was sold and rebranded as Fan Expo. It starts this week, having exchanged its usual August spot with C2E2 at McCormick.

Wizard had waned in significance for years but appears impressive again as Fan Expo. Meanwhile, the once-hot C2E2, which hosted a more mild convention in December 2021, returns a mere eight months later seeming gaunt — if its early guest list is any measure.

That said, two other local shows — two of the most fun — return nearly the same. (In fact, bigger.) What follows is a short guide to the nerd extravaganzas worth the wait.

Fan Expo Chicago

If Fan Expo is anything like Wizard, expect a fairly classic comic-con experience, with some emphasis on autograph gathering. Fanwise, think a little bit of everything: “Star Wars” alongside Marvel and DC alongside “Game of Thrones” folks.

Special guests: A very impressive first year for a rebooted enterprise. They landed all four hobbits from “The Lord of the Rings” (including Elijah Wood). Also, Anthony “C-3PO” Daniels, Ming-Na Wen (of “Book of Boba Fett”), Carl Weathers (“Mandalorian” and “Rocky”). Plus “Star Trek: Next Generation” actors, Goonies and Sons of Anarchy, oh my. And a handful of marquee-size comic book stars (Brian Michael Bendis, Geoff Johns).

What to know: Fan Expo Chicago, perversely, is billed as its 50th anniversary event, which is technically true, management and name changes aside. It is Chicago’s longest-running big comic con. But lots has changed since 1972. “We often hear now from people who didn’t know a comic con was for them,” said Andrew Moyes, vice president of Fan Expo HQ, the Canadian-based exhibition company that bought six Wizard shows around the United States last year. “Which speaks to (cons) being broader, and this culture not necessarily niche anymore.” For better or worse: The last decade of Wizard saw comics taking a backseat to C-list sitcom actor appearances and a general feeling of autopilot.

Like a lot of conventions, Fan Expo remains reliant on celebrity, but with a renewed focus on comics, fantasy, sci-fi, anime — general nerd-dom. Expect the usual aisles of comic book vendors, cosplaying Batmen and Q&As with guest stars. Still, plan ahead: That panel reuniting all four “Lord of the Rings” hobbits will be $20 extra; Kevin Smith’s panel is $29. The fan con universe is rebounding — Fan Expo’s recent Orlando show had record turn-out, they say — but at a moment of inflation and unease. “We are excited to bring this back,” Moyes said, “but this year will be the first step and we hope to continue the momentum.”

If you go: July 7-10 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N River Road in Rosemont. Single-day tickets are $12 for 6-12 years olds, adult tickets range from $27-$62 depending on the day, and there are other ticket prices for youths and families. But remember: Your ticket does not include everything. Autographs and photo-ops can get get especially costly. Elijah Wood is $100 an autograph or photo ($180 for a Frodo/Sam photo with Sean Astin). Jon “The Punisher” Bernthal is $80; Corey Feldman is a low-low $70. More information at fanexpohq.com

G-Fest

Exceedingly nerdy, strangely charming. (Your friend who thinks she’s “such a nerd” because she likes “Stranger Things” will rethink her words upon arrival.) It’s the world’s biggest meet-up of fans of Godzilla and other Japanese pituitary cases.

Special guests: Hiroyuki Kawase and Tomoko Ai — and if you know these Japanese actors, clear your schedule. (They were in 1970s “Godzilla” films.) For the casual G-fan, the real special guests will be the many homemade Godzilla costumes running around.

What to know: What began as a small gathering of like-minded fans of Japanese monster movies in 1994 is meeting for its 27th time, having lost years to the pandemic. The ringleader from the start has been J.D. Lees, a retired high school teacher from Manitoba who flies in each year to present screenings, panel discussions and artist chats. “Since the last time we met, there has been Godzilla anime, ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ general growth of the Monsterverse,” he told me. “We have lots to catch up on.” Indeed, if preregistration is a measure, the usual 3,500 or so attendees is expected to grow larger.”

Picture toy dealers selling Japanese rarities, panel discussions on Godzilla and culture, screenings of lost production footage, and (my favorite) a Saturday costume parade that is both awe-inspiring for its cleverness and hilarious for its image of men (and kids) in monster suits waddling through a massive ballroom. If that sounds a bit too much, Park Ridge’s Pickwick Theatre offers “Godzilla” movies all weekend in its 900-plus seat room.

If you go: July 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, 9300 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Rosemont. For tickets: Convention-wise, a relative steal at $55 for all three days for adults (or $35 for one). Kids under 16 are $25-$10 (depending on the day). And children under six are free. More information at g-fan.com

C2E2

Familial, crowded, plenty of variety, with a welcome eye on comics and artists over B-list celebrities. My favorite local convention since it debuted in 2010.

Special guests: As of last check, the lineup is being finalized, but looks iffy, even compared with a smaller C2E2 last winter that boasted Hayden “Anakin Skywalker” Christensen and John Cena. Right now, your draw is Billy Dee Williams. (But I’m told announcements will come.) As usual, the comic creator lineup is strong, with Jonathan Hickman, Scott Snyder, Jenny Frison as well as Chicago mainstays such as Gene Ha.

What to know: Like other convention planners, it’s been a rough few years for the Connecticut-based ReedPop, which produces New York Comic Con and Star Wars Celebration. They shed shows and staff. They tried a scaled-back, masked-up C2E2 before last Christmas. Now with Fan Expo becoming among the largest players in this business, they face stronger competition. Yet Kristina Rogers, vice president of events at ReedPop, said it also let them focus more attention on offering “a full experience.”

You hear variations on this from other showrunners, too. They learned — not unlike Lollapalooza with its audience — that 21st century crowds are there for the experience itself. “They’re lured in by names,” Rogers said, “but ultimately we need to offer value, not just photo ops, or panels — it needs to be all of it. It needs to feel like a mini-vacation.” Immersion, basically. Specifics for this C2E2 remain scant, but expect a strong after-show party, a big artists alley, thoughtful panels — something closer to the origins of the comic con itself. (Expect C2E2 to move back to its regular spring show time next year.)

If you go: Aug. 5-7 at McCormick Place, 2301 S. King Drive. Tickets are $99 for all three days, or $40 Friday, $50 Saturday or Sunday. Kids ages 6-12 are $20 for three days (or $10 on just Sunday). Again, remember autographs and photo-ops will cost ya. Billy Dee Williams is $210 a pop; “Obi-Wan” bad guy Rupert Friend is $80. More information at c2e2.com

Flashback Weekend

Hardcore horror movie fans yet, no joke, sort of sweet.

Special Guests: The Big Bad this year is Robert “Freddy Krueger” Englund, but if you grew up around a VCR in the ‘80s and ‘90s, expect a lot of bloody deja vu: cast from the original “Halloween,” two different actors who played Jason in the “Friday the 13th” movies, a cast reunion of “Night of the Comet,” “Nightmare on Elm Street” alum. Also less frightening: Robert Carradine of “Revenge of the Nerds” and Alex Winter, aka Bill of “Bill & Ted.” This year’s featured director is Steve Miner, the Chicago-born filmmaker behind installments of “Friday the 13th,” “Halloween,” “House” and ... “Dawson’s Creek.”

What to know: A true mom and pop production, now in its 20th year. One of the longest-running horror shows in the country, it began (and remains) a byproduct of fandom itself: Niles couple Mike and Mia Kerz wanted a horror meet-up by day, a horror film fest by night. “We were fans,” Mike Kerz said, “because horror is the ultimate indie film category, full of people with few constraints who are eager to break into the business. There’s real energy there.” For a time they screened movies in convention hotel parking lots. Soon after, they bought the Midway Drive-In, about two hours south of Chicago in Dixon. Today, all profits from Flashback go entirely into maintaining their investment.

The first year, Bruce Campbell (with cast and crew) performed a live reenactment of their cult classic “The Evil Dead.” On the strength of goodwill that first year, Flashback was soon pulling Sam Raimi, George Romero and John Carpenter. It now attracts 10,000 annually. This year, expect filmmaker-led “Friday the 13th” screenings, celebrations of Chicago-born horror films and even a vampire’s ball on Saturday night. “I feel like we’re at a perfect size right now,” Mia said. “It still feels personal, for us and everyone else.”

If you go: Aug. 5-7 at Hyatt Regency O’Hare, 9300 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Rosemont. Tickets are $75 for a weekend pass. $40-$45 day of the show; $35-$40 in advance. Kids 7-11 are $10 per day, while children under 6 are free (but dear god, what kind of parent are you? It’s a horror convention.) Also, Freddy Krueger will get in your selfie for $140. More information at flashbackweekend.com

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