Like most people, you go to a comic con for certain things. Celebrity guests, your favorite artists and lots of cosplay. Vendors abound with things both treasured and new to discover. Maybe it’s also a pilgrimage, a time of year where you’re able to get together with your friends. Besides all of that, what else are you going to do for three fun-filled days? The answer is entertainment!
Throughout the weekend there were chances for all the attendees to enjoy a little time away from the lines. The newly expanded Suburban Showplace Collection in Novi had room for lots of new additions to this great show. Returning for a second year was Alpha Amusements of Warren. VP Chris Pascaretti was operating the booth throughout the weekend and talked about how well things went the previous year which allowed for better selection this year. They presented quite the selection of pinball machines and brought back the world’s largest Pac-Man machine. Alpha also showed off Bally’s Nip It pinball machine that was featured on Happy Days in honor of Henry Winkler’s appearance.
For the more analog gamer there was free board gaming presented by RIW Hobbies of Livonia. Besides perennial favorites like Ticket to Ride and Pandemic they also had games like Timelines and Quirkle. They also had games for sale including nearly every variety of Clue you could find! Store owner Amir also mentioned that the store presents a board game night every Wednesday from 6-11PM.
If a mystery is more your ticket then there was a booth hosted by Escape Room Novi. They were showing off one of their mobile offerings called the Hot Seat. It required the escapee to get out of a room which required switch boxes and an intimidating “electric chair”. Escape Room Novi, besides having the mobile rooms, also has their permanent location with 10 different rooms with various themes.
Entertainment vendors like these were a very welcome addition to the Motor City Comic Con this year. As the size and excitement over the convention grows into its fourth decade, entertainment should make for a larger piece of the pie. Motor City Comic Con 2020 is scheduled for May 15-17 and future details can always be found on their website.