What does RI Comic Con have planned for its 10th anniversary? Here's the scoop

It may be the weekend after Halloween, but you’d never know it in downtown Providence, where Rhode Island Comic Con celebrates its 10th anniversary sprawled across three venues: the Rhode Island Convention Center, the Omni Providence Hotel, and the Amica Mutual Pavilion (formerly The Dunk).

It’s a three-day celebration of pop culture on Nov. 4, 5 and 6 that will feature a smorgasbord of costumed superheroes, celebrity guests, professional wrestlers, voice actors (you might not know the face, but you’ll know the vocal cords), tattoo artists, vendors, an anniversary party, TV cast reunions, and — of course — comic books and their creators.

Press relations manager Susan Soares of Altered Reality Entertainment said Comic Con encompasses a wide variety of pop culture, but there is “always, always, always” representation from the “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” franchises. Tickets for Comic Con are still available at the website, ricomiccon.com and the AMP box office, but Soares advises fans not to wait, in order to avoid the disappointment of sell-outs or long waits at the box office windows.

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Rhode Island Comic Con dates back to 2012, Soares said, when Altered Reality CEO Steven Perry decided to bring a convention to Rhode Island. “People think it’s a small market,” Soares said. “But thanks to its location, people from a lot of other states show up.”

Here are five cool things to do at Rhode Island Com:

The top entertainment: People-watching

There are lots of people wandering about Comic Con in costumes. Sexy costumes (within limits), scary costumes, elaborate costumes, weird costumes. Aliens, robots, dinosaurs, superheroes, cartoon characters — you name it. Some folks spend a lot of time and money on their getups, and it’s great fun to see. If you want a more organized chance to see the best costumes, check out the cosplay contests on Sunday afternoon. (Kids at Convention Center Room 522 at 1:45 p.m.; adults at Omni Narragansett Ballroom at 4:30 p.m.)

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Attend a panel with celebrity guests

Comic Con presents a number of panels in the ballrooms at the Omni, where celebrity guests can talk about their work and answer questions. Two of them, on “Supernatural” and “Walker," require an added admission fee, but the others don’t. Panels include sessions with Disney voice actors, the stars of “Cobra Kai,” British actor/comedian John Cleese, Brent Spiner (Data from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and "Star Trek: Picard"), and cast reunions from “Clueless,” “My Name is Earl” and lots more.

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Get an autograph or a photo

Soares said this year’s Comic Con boasts the largest guest list ever, with more than 130 people. Autographs and photos cost extra, depending on the guest. Prices are posted on the “Guest” page at ricomiccon.com. You may bring an item to be autographed, although the celebrity guest has the right of refusal. Note: Sometimes Comic Con guests are forced to cancel, usually because they are filming something. Soares notes that since COVID, studios are very reluctant to let actors leave a set.

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What about a tattoo?

Think of it as a permanent souvenir from Comic Con. Ink Fusion Tattoo Empire will set up shop at the Rhode Island Convention Center Exhibit Hall. Contact info for the tattoo artists is available at the Comic Con website, so you can make appointments in advance.

Comic Con throws itself a party

The big afterparty this year is a 10th-anniversary bash on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Narragansett Ballroom at the Omni from 10 p.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees have to be at least 21. Admission is $20, with tickets available at the Comic Con website.

Coming in 2023: Rhode Island Anime Con

Altered Reality Entertainment, the Fall River-based company that runs Comic Con, has a busy year planned for 2023. Last week the company announced several new events, including the Rhode Island Anime Con on July 29-30. (Anime is Japanese, or Japanese-style, animation.)

The company also announced events in Philadelphia;, Marlborough, Massachusetts; New Jersey; and Colorado Springs.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island Comic Con 2022: Tickets, panels and celebrity guests