C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo) is an annual event for the Fandads. We enjoy going to McCormick Place every year and geeking out with our families for three days. With press passes in hand, my daughter and I attended the weekend with a few goals in mind.
It’s a Family Reunion
We have been going to C2E2 since its first show, and every year it feels like a reunion with old friends. Walking up and down the aisles, we see artists and vendors that we always talk to and sometimes buy stuff from. Ideally, I would love to buy something from everyone we meet, but that is not financially feasible for us. The best that I can do is share the names of the creators we see with our readers. This year, we ran into John Avina from Avina Comics, Julio Guerra from Guerrilla Publishing, Kevin Miller from Blerds Underground, Jorge Garza, The Game Shore cats, and Nannymomrhonda. If you get a minute, I highly recommend checking out their art and online stores!
A Lot of Celebrities
This year was a big year for those born in my generation. This was the first time in over 40 years that the entire cast from The Breakfast Club was together. Again, taking a picture with the group was financially impossible for me, but I could see them from afar as they signed and took pictures with excited fans.
One actor that I paid to meet and take a selfie with was John Boyega. My daughter and I were surprised at how small his queue was with fans. I do not know if I will ever get the chance to interview him, so I took this moment to not only get a selfie but thank him for his comments on “Number One on the Call Sheet”. I also told him how much I enjoyed “Breaking (2022)” and wished more people would talk about that movie. Boyega was such a lovely person, and I hope I can interview him for the website one day.
Our friends from C2E2 provided us with a great summary of the Breakfast Club panel that we have posted below.
For the first time in 40 years, all cast members, including Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy, were brought together for a special live taping of Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. During the panel, the club reminisced on collaborating with legendary director, John Hughes, shared behind-the-scenes tidbits, including how they improvised the scene where they get high and how Hughes took Ringwald shopping for a new wardrobe for her character, while also discussing the lasting impact the film has had personally and culturally.
What We Enjoyed
As we stated, we love attending C2E2 every year, and here are a few takeaways that we have
My Daughter’s takeaways
She has a better appreciation for artists’ alley than when she was younger. She finds it fascinating that these artists work hard on perfecting their craft and putting it out there for others to buy. As a creative herself, she loves seeing the variety of art that is for sale, and it gets her creative mind working on what she can make one day.
My daughter also loves the obscure cosplayers on the show floor. While everyone can dress as their favorite Marvel or DC character, it is great to see someone dressed as a character from a cartoon or television show that takes you a second to recognize. Those are the cool costumes to see because they are like a niche fandom in a room full of fandoms.
Her last takeaway is the vibes of C2E2. It is great to let your geek flag fly in a convention hall with thousands of people who do not judge you for what you like. The con has something for everyone, and it feels so great to just walk around and enjoy yourself and support each other.
My Takeaways
I love seeing all of the families on the show floor. This year, due to poor planning on my part, my entire family did not attend, but we will correct that next year. It is always fun to see my kids get excited about the cosplayers walking around. This year, it was just my daughter and me, and we enjoyed walking the floor and taking our time in Artists’ Alley. Taking your family is a great way to share your fandom with those you love, and maybe they will see something that connects with them.
Going to this event every year feels like a family reunion to me. I have been attending C2E2 since the first one and have seen vendors come and go. I always like buying things from someone whom I have never heard of. This year I bought a trade from Jake Smith. I loved how he pitched me his book, and that got me excited to read it. He told me about an upcoming project that had to do with a father trying to rescue his kid, and I can not wait to buy that one once it comes out.
My last takeaway from C2E2 is to make sure I take more pictures of the cosplayers. I usually try to take fun pictures with the cosplayers, but this year I was a bit more reserved. The only picture I had fun with was with a guy dressed as Weapon X. I asked him if he could pretend he was stabbing me, and he was like “Let’s do this!” To me, those are the fun pictures as opposed to just posing with the cosplayer. I always ask them if it’s ok to take a picture in a certain pose, and we go from there.
C2E2 is already planned for March of next year, and I am already counting down the days. Who knows what guests will be there next year and what will be the big reunion? If you have never been to C2E2, I highly recommend checking it out. It is a great time to let your geek flag fly and enjoy the creativity of all the people around you. If you have been to C2E2 before, let us know what your favorite part is or your takeaways of the event.