Tons of fun could be hard at this weekend’s Comicpalooza, held at the Gorge R. Brown Convention Center. Events included autograph signings from Nicholas Brendon, Ray Park, Dichen Leachman, Peter Mayhen and Francis Capra and an opportunity for comic book fans to search for their favorites in a humongous dealers’ hall. | Travis Hensley and Jack Wehman/The Daily Cougar
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In a hall of people dressed up like superheroes, you’re bound to have a good time.
Comicpalooza concluded Sunday at the George R. Brown convention center but held everything from a costume contest to an autograph session with B-movie legend Bruce Campbell.
Among the stormtrooper and Spiderman costumes, were rows of dealers selling everything from comics and trading cards to knives and swords; there was even a DJ room pounding techno beats with lasers all over the walls. In short, everything a nerd could want or need was available for three short, sweet days in the heart of downtown Houston.
The heart of the convention was in the comics themselves. Hundreds of boxes of comics, all displaying different sales and prices were available. Issues ranged in price from 50 cents to several hundred dollars.
Live artists also drew sketches of their characters, while dozens of posters and art prints that can be found only at conventions like these were strung throughout the convention center.
On top of the normal memorabilia, a live auction of show props and autographed goods, there was even a silent art auction. Many of the artists created large paintings at the convention, with the proceeds of their sales going to charity.
“I’m here for the comics, so it’s good,” civil engineering junior Jaxson Gluck said. “There’s only one fifty cent comic booth, which is disappointing compared to Dallas’s Comic Con, where there were two booths that had 25cent comics. I’ll dig through that all day.”
As with any comic book convention, costumes were a huge part of the event. One University student, English freshman Chelsea Gaines, dressed up like Wonder Girl.
“I chose Wonder Girl because I liked her costume and I have slightly blonde hair, and it looked like it would be easy to (make),” Gaines said. “The costume looked really comfortable so I could walk around in it and not be too bulky or anything. It was just an easy costume to (make).”
Among the fervent video game supporters, no one shined as brightly as Amanda Schwen. She decided to break the gender barriers and wear a costume of Kratos from the God of War series.
“God of War has been and always will be my favorite game … as far as any kind of superhero ever goes I don’t think anybody can ever beat Kratos. Ever,” Schwen said.
Along with the video game and comic book characters, a few people dressed up in Steampunk. For readers who can’t tell Cthulu from Gundam, Steampunk is all about mechanical parts and gothic-inspired dress. Several elaborate costumes and booths were dedicated solely to Steampunk parts, and several panels dedicated to history of Steampunk and how to make your own Steampunk gear from spare parts were held.
As one t-shirt put it, “Steampunk is like goth for geeks.”
Comicpalooza had its fair share of celebrities as well. Bruce Campbell, the Chin himself, showed up on Saturday to a packed Q&A session. He had a line of people stretching down the hallway to take a picture with him.
Jason Dohring from Veronica Mars also showed up on Saturday. Ray Parks, the actor who played Darth Maul from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was in attendance for the last two days of the convention, while Peter Mayhew, the man behind the Chewbacca mask in the original Star Wars trilogy, stayed for all three days. Nicolas Brendon, who played Xander on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, made an appearance all three days as well.
Although most attendees spent their time on the convention floor, there were heated Dungeons and Dragons games going on at all times, along with Magic The Gathering trading-card tournaments. This was no place for children, however, as the grand prize ($5,000) made it one of the largest independently run Magic tournaments ever held in Texas.
Panels discussed everything a true nerd cares about, from how to create your own comic book to how to duel correctly with a Lightsaber. The Houston chapter of Ghostbusters held a panel and “ghost hunt,” with prizes awarded to the best hunters.
The 2010 Comicpalooza was a huge success, and it’s growing every year. Look forward to dressing up and going downtown next year.
