Hello, fellow geeks! This weekend I had the opportunity to make the trip to the inaugural Wizard World Sacramento Comic Con. Now that being a geek/nerd is acceptable and cool, the attendance numbers at conventions have skyrocketed. What were once small conventions are now huge Meccas for all things geek, full of fans from all walks of life. As such, many convention promoters have realized that there is a definite need and want for more conventions! So, yes – more and more of them are popping up across the country. Even my home town of Fresno will be having its first comic based con this year called ZapCon. (for more info visit ZapCon’s website). Being a new convention on the block must be like being a new kid at school. You have to make an impression, on your classmates, on day one or risk being bullied by the “big kids. Guests, space, panels, and even food are all things that make a convention successful or a failure. So it was no surprise to me that Wizard World Sacramento, in its first year was a completely fun and stellar convention.
Wizard World is no stranger to the convention scene. They already have a slew of conventions in places like Philadelphia, Ohio, Austin, and so on. So naturally, they know what they are doing. They have a lot of the same guests at each one of the cons. Choosing to contract celebs for multiple appearances which I think is a brilliant idea. And of course they get special celebrity appearances depending on location of the con. Wizard World Sacramento featured great quests like Norman Reedus of Walking Dead fame, the ever so popular and immortal, Bruce Campbell, fan favorite (and the reason why I made the trip) Jason David Frank, who played the Green and White Ranger from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and much more. I was only there Saturday, but Sunday saw one of the biggest stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor Himself , Mr. Chris Hemsworth. For a cool $150 dollars, fans had an opportunity to get an autograph from the God of Thunder, or for $200 a special photo opp with him. Pricey? Yes! Did people still pay for that? Hell yes they did! Heck, if it was Robert Downey Jr, I would have paid more! It was a spectacular addition that I’m sure drew a lot of fans for that alone.
Horror legend Bruce Campbell
I entered the con to an enormous amount of people in line. Definitely not the type of line you are used to seeing for a first time convention. I was glad to see a whole host of cosplayers bringing their best to the convention. Another smart thing Wizard World Sac did was invite some very well known cosplayers to have booths at the con who are like celebs in their own right. People like Ivy Doomkitty, Vegas PG, and Abby Dark-Star were on hand to meet with their fans and add to the excitement of the event.
Internationally know cosplayers: Vegas PG and Ivy Doomkitty
I will say that with the amount of people, the main exhibitor floor felt cramped and congested. I heard rumors that they only used half of the space and already planned to fix that for next year. Other then that there was a nice mix of vendors selling, everything from collectibles and comics to clothing and steam punk items. Along with a great artist alley and various panels, Wizard World Sacramento came out of the gates at break neck speed. I appreciated it and I know the other fans did. I look forward to seeing what they do next year!
That’s all for now! If you would like to see my full photo album, please click here. The album is set to public so you don’t need to be a member to view! I hope you all enjoyed this inside look and I am excited to read your reactions below in the comments section. Or, if you’re feeling savvy, click the voicemail link on the right side of your screen and tell me your thoughts. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll be featured on an upcoming podcast!
Till next time… This is Darth Sparrow and I will catch YOU, on the geek side!
Cosplayers Tallest Silver and Roxanna Meta as Anna and Elsa