T he Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) is Chicago’s biggest and most comics-focused comic con-much larger than the wonderful CAKE and much less celebrity-centric than Wizard World.
Selene Idell-co-owner of Alleycat Comics in Andersonville-loves cosplaying at C2E2: “It makes you feel like a celebrity for the day.” But C2E2 doesn’t just give ordinary civilians the chance to be Batman or Harley Quinn (or Elvira, one of Idell’s go-to costumes). The community of cosplayers becomes a massive team-up that could rival the cast of Avengers: Infinity War. Thanks to the cosplay area, which provides glue guns and other materials to repair costumes, cosplayers get to hang out and help out each other with broken straps and other costume snafus. Idell described “a community of cosplay,” much like the back stage of a play, where strangers becomes fellow cast members encouraging each other to shine on the “stage,” the main C2E2 floor.
This year I’m most looking forward to seeing writer Christopher Priest, whose Black Panther comics are considered classics. He’ll appear on a panel on Saturday and have a table in Artist’s Alley.
The artist showed her this picture:
4/6-4/8: Fri-Sat 10 AM-10 PM, Sun 10 AM-5 PM, McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore, c2e2.com, $30-$40 one day, $75-$500 three days, $10-$20 kids.
