Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con: After Some Growing Pains, it’s Bigger than Ever

Photo: Lauren Colyer-Pendas

Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con has blown up in the past few years — just three or four years ago, it was a relatively intimate comic book convention with a modest selection cult celebrities. Then, two years ago, it became the first con in the world to host all five Star Trek captains at once, plus Thor/The Avengers’ Chris Hemsworth, a rising star who was the lead in a blockbuster movie that was coming out that summer. Suddenly, Philly (and all Wizard World cons across the country) was on the map. And while most con-goers who remember its more humble years are nostalgic for the days (not so long ago) when it was a small con with autographs that averaged $10-25, there’s an excitement about today’s Philly Comic Con and its evolution that I wouldn’t trade for the old days (except when I’m stuck in my third long line of the day or see those $99 autograph fees). Yes, it’s a lot more expensive. It’s a lot more crowded, and a lot more people come for the stars. But just three years ago, I couldn’t imagine Doctor Who‘s Matt Smith or current blockbuster actors like Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan having panels and gracing the showroom floor. I mean, how cool is that?

I’ll be honest, though, I wasn’t always thrilled with the evolution. The year of the 5 Star Trek captains was kind of a mess. Last year’s Walking Dead panel was jam-packed with Norman Reedus fans, while Reedus was so swamped with fans in his autograph line that he could only appear for a tight 10 minutes (Luckily, Jon Bernthal is a fantastic panel guest, so for me, at least, it was all good, but there was a feeling of disorganization and un-preparedness for Reedus’ huge popularity. To be fair, Reedus had appeared at several Wizard Worlds before, as a cult star, and it had never been so overwhelming).

This year, they’ve worked out a lot of the growing pains. After John Barrowman of Doctor Who, Torchwood and Arrow appeared last year and drew huge crowds, they knew enough that when Matt Smith, The Doctor himself, came this year, they should pre-sell tickets to the panel (I think back to my early WWPhilly years and I would have been appalled at the idea of paying extra for a panel, but I was so glad to see it this year for Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. As a result, there was no pandemonium getting in, no worries that the door would slam in our face as soon as the guy ahead of us got in — got a ticket, you got a seat). The Photo Op lines had their own space that doesn’t infringe on the artists. The autograph lines were organized. Artist’s Alley is much like it’s always been — a bit more crafty than past years, maybe — and of course there are still vendors galore. And WWP is still one of the best places for cosplay.

There were a couple of disappointments. Laura Vandervoort of Bitten had to cancel, presumably to film the second season of the SyFy show. Karl Urban, whose FOX series Almost Human got the axe, cancelled, too. But this was the year of Doctor Who, Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Walking Dead, Firefly, and Sean Astin, with a sprinkling of X-Men, Buffy/Angel, and Star Trek.

The Stars

Me and Sean Astin. Photo by Lauren Colyer-Pendas

Since we’re a pop culture blog with a focus on TV and film, I’ll start with the celebrity guests. I had three I was dying to see: Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Sean Astin. I confess I’m not that into the Marvel movies, but the presence of Winter Soldier’s Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan added excitement to the floor (and though I didn’t meet them or get into their panels, it’s clear that Stan gives great Photo Op).

The Doctor Who panel was a well-organized 90 minutes that gave fans insight into the making of DW Series 5-7, its impact on the actors, and the big Hollowood movies Smith and Gillan have been working on, specifically Guardians of the Galaxy and the next Terminator movie. There were no embarassing or inapprpriate questions, no one asking Matt to cradle them like a baby (an actual question for Norman Reedus at last year’s The Walking Dead panel — which is probably why there was no Norman Reedus TWD panel this year). Sure, questions started to become redundant, but Matt Smith responded

Karen Gillan and Matt Smith are closer than they appear. Photo: Holly Quinn

to every one with “That’s such a good question!” before answering a version of a question they’ve already answered from a different angle. With Smith and Gillan having retired from the show, there were no teasers for the new series with Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor, but fans left with some fun facts and the satisfaction of spending a morning with The Doctor and Amy.

Sean Astin’s panel was next. Astin, star of  The Goonies and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and good Samaritan (remember that time he helped rescue people from elevators during the NYC Blackout of 2003?), brought a nice balance of ’80s nostalgia, LOTR filming stories, The Strain teasers, and insight to his life and passions, including running marathons and his political awareness podcast, Vox Populi, which he co-hosts with his brother Mackenzie. Astin could have easily done the full 45 minutes on the crisis in Iraq, but he kept the politics to a minimum — yet just enough, that, if you have any interest in political discourse, you wanted to listen to the podcast. Astin is one of those people who can inspire people with his stories and compassion, and he doesn’t leave anyone hanging if they’ve stood in line to ask questions. With ten minutes left, he froze the lines and did a “lighting round” of questions. I left

Photo: Lauren Colyer-Pendas

very excited for Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain, premiering on FX on July 13. If you’re not familiar with the novels and comic books, it’s about the Centers of Disease Control investigating (and eventually fighting) a viral outbreak that turns out to be vampirism. Not your typical vampire story. Astin plays CDC employee Jim Kent.

The cast of The Walking Dead, including Lauren Cohan, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies, Scott Wilson, Michael Rooker, and Norman Reedus, were in attendance, signing autographs and doing photo ops. TWD has been a yearly presence at WWP since the show first aired, evolving from a couple of tables with short lines to the pandemonium of 2013. This year, the lines appeared well-managed and the only related panel featured Bernthal (the saving grace of last year’s TWD panel), Callies and Wilson discussing their current projects. I’ve done TWD in past years, but I kept my distance this time, other than catching glimpses. If Danai Gurira and Andrew Lincoln ever make it to WWP, I’ll brave the lines.