Alas, Indiana Comic-Con has come and gone. The promoters behind the Tampa Bay Comic Con, Orlando Comic Expo, and Nashville Comic Expo were kind enough to sweep through Indianapolis, IN and bring Hoosiers a comic convention of colossal proportions. Amidst the brutal weather the Midwest has seen this winter, Indiana Comic-Con, held March 14-16, 2014, was a HUGE success, managing to sell-out completely March 15th. Hit the jump to see all that Indiana Comic-Con had to offer.
Before even getting into the convention, I was amazed at the fantastic work gone into the cosplay costumes. It was difficult to get to all the cosplayers, but rest assured, I was able to capture a bulk of the awesomeness.
(Click on any of the images to enlarge)
Celebrity and fan panels were set up for both Saturday and Sunday’s list of events. Included on the celebrity panel roster were Evan Peters (American Horror Story, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Kick-Ass), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) and Daniel Cudmore (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Twilight Saga, and X2).
The celebrity panelist answered questions ranging from “what’s your favorite music to listen to?” to “what direction do you see your character progressing?” Maisie Williams was hands down a favorite during this convention.
There were also a number of fan and hobby panels going on. I popped into The Walking Dead fan panel where they discussed the spin-off based in Washington D.C. with a completely new cast and focused more on the origins of the virus that has forever changed the world of Rick Grimes. No premiere date has been given, but the show is anticipated to air sometime in 2015.
I managed to work my way through the sea of comic enthusiasts and the many booths of local vendors offering their very best in comics and comic-themed posters and games to get to what I was most excited for, the guest creators and artists. This year’s comic-con offered some of the best artists in the industry, everyone from George Pérez (Avengers, Teen Titans, Infinity Gauntlet) to Arthur Suydam (The Walking Dead, Marvel Zombies, Deadpool, Batman, Army of Darkness).
I was able to talk to a handful of artists about their work and experience in the field. One that really stuck out to me was stand-up comic, turned illustrator Douglas Paszkiewicz. He’s done work with MAD magazine and is the creator of “Arsenic Lullaby”. He recently landed a spot on Comedy Central’s Trip Tank (link) and has pitched his creation to Cartoon Network. If you’re attracted to dark humor, check out his blog.
There were loads of other talented artists including Bob Camp known for his work on Ren and Stimpy and Mike Cachuela who has helped bring Nightmare Before Christmas to life.
Below are a few more snaps from this year’s Indiana Comic-Con. I’ll admit, there wasn’t much outside of the vendors and artists as far as props and interactive booths were concerned. Many people people I spoke to agreed that there was definitely room for more, especially in comparison to the holy grail of conventions, San Diego Comic Con.
All in all, this was a great win for Indy. With the overwhelming success of this year’s Comic-con, there is no telling what growth Hoosiers can expect next year.
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