Wizard World Comic Con draws thousands of 'big nerds'
Baltimore native Maddi Levine, 15, has been attending comic book conventions since she was 10, but Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia at the Convention Center that ended Sunday was her biggest one yet. Dressed as the Marvel Comics character Black Widow and eager to get an autograph from The Avengers star Chris Evans, she said her favorite part of the festivities was the sense of community.
Baltimore native Maddi Levine, 15, has been attending comic book conventions since she was 10, but Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia at the Convention Center that ended Sunday was her biggest one yet. Dressed as the Marvel Comics character Black Widow and eager to get an autograph from
The Avengers
star Chris Evans, she said her favorite part of the festivities was the sense of community.
"[People here] might look intimidating because of their costumes, but everyone here is really just a big nerd," she explained as crowds of visitors filed into event. Some paid $90 for the full four days, $45 for just Sunday.
The convention drew tens of thousands of fans, many of them in costume as a wide range of comic book and anime characters. After waiting in long lines, attendees arrived excited for photo-ops with celebrities, rows of comic-themed merchandise, costume contests, and more.
Greg Meyer, 55, a resident of the Atlantic City area and a "huge X-Files fan", came to the convention Sunday looking forward to getting to meet David Duchovny, who played Fox Mulder on the X-Files sci-fi television show.
For 5-year old South Jersey resident Alaina Moore, who dressed up as Spider Girl, the main draw of the event was the superheroes. Her father, Jason, 31, came dressed as the Marvel character Thor, a costume he says his daughter picked out for him. Of the Philadelphia convention, he said, "She loves it. We've come here every year since she was three."
Wizard World will host conventions in a range of cities in coming months including Sacramento, Chicago, and Austin. Jerry Milani, public relations manager for the company, says comic cons have been growing in popularity in recent years. He said the demographics of the conventions themselves have also diversified, with more women and families attending than in the past.
For Robin Dannen, 45, who dressed up as the DC Comics character Robin, this rings true. Dannen, who drove to Philadelphia all the way from her native Chancellor, S.D., for the event, has been attending conventions since she was 7 and goes to four or five a year.
She noted that she sees many more women at events today than she did when she was younger. "I used to be the only girl at the comic book store," she remembered with a laugh. "I used to hide my comic books under my brother's bed."
Levine said she sees progress but thinks there's still room for the comic book community to become more inclusive. "I'll see a comic cover where the girl looks like a Barbie Doll times three or something, and I do have a beef with that because most people don't look like that," she explained.
But for now, she looks forward to attending more conventions in the future. Since comic books aren't the most popular hobby at her high school, she added, "this really is kind of like a refuge."
Her father, Charlie, 57, chimed in. "I think everybody here respects each other for who they are and who they aren't," he said, adding, "Awesome people-watching - it's the ultimate Halloween party."
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