Top 5 Tuesday: Chicago Comic Conventions
First off, welcome to Top 5 Tuesdays! It's a post dedicated to my personal top five favorite aspects based on a variety of topics.
For those of you who don't know me, I love comic conventions!
Since my first comic convention outing in 2013, nothing gets me excited than walking through aisles of collectibles and comics hour after hour, posing in whatever cosplay I assembled, and meeting up with friends and making new ones along the way.
For my first Top 5 Tuesday post, I want to show you five conventions in Chicago that I personally recommend!
5. Brick World - Schaumburg, IL
Brick World is a convention dedicated to all things Lego and brick pieces. Located annually at the
Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL, this convention caters to families and brick enthusiasts alike! The main hall has enough room to fit hundreds of booths filled with merchandise, custom-made dioramas, and interactive areas. There are many attendees and presenters who would be thrilled to share their work and talk about Lego bricks. You want to know the best part? Tickets for entry are cheap! Therefore, everyone in the family can save enough money to purchase whatever Lego products are inside the convention.
There are a couple of reasons why I added this entry to my list and why it's placed at #5:
1. This is the first and only non-comic convention that I have experienced.
2. The event runs for 2 days as opposed to the standard 3-5 days at a comic convention.
Although one can have fun at Brick World, the title and it's main purpose can be its disadvantage. Since the con only caters to anything related to Lego sets, there is little to no variety, leading to little interest from the general public. So if you or any of your friends and family are interested in a convention that only specializes in Lego, Brick World is the right place to check out!
For more information about locations, events, and schedules, visit https://brickworld.com/!
4. TFCON USA - Rosemont, IL
When I was young, my first childhood toy was a Transformer my uncle passed down to me. Since then, I've collected many figures, read volumes of comics, and watched their shows and movies. I owned a DVD box set of Transformers Season 3 that contained a documentary on Botcon, which was the only official Transformers convention. When I heard of Botcon's discontinuation in 2015, I was heartbroken. A year later, however, I heard from my aunt about a Transformers convention coming to the Hyatt in Rosemont. I was so thrilled that I bought tickets, along with a custom toy class, faster than you can say, "Transform and roll out!"
At this time, I already had three years of convention attending experience. I knew what to expect: dealers hall, panels, and costume contests. But somehow, adding Transformers makes it personal for me. I enjoyed my time at TFCON. I was more invested in each booth at the dealers hall than other conventions. I couldn't help but stay still and take a look at all the people who love and cherish Transformers as I do. I socialized with more people because I felt comfortable talking about the toys, the shows, and the games for hours without feeling like an outcast or in the unknown. In addition, the location for the con is perfect. Located at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, it is close by the Blue Line CTA, which makes commuting to the con easier.
Two events that I participated in was the custom toy class and the script reading. This con is the reason why I'm interested in voice acting and toy making.
Like the previous convention, tickets for entry per day are cheap, unless you add the toy making class, which will add an extra $60 to the total cost. The convention only caters to those who are Transformers fanatics but for those who look for variety, you will not see any found in other comic conventions. Another issue is that the convention rarely comes to Chicago throughout the years, which means that you may have to wait a year or two before it comes to Rosemont. However, If you love Transformers, whether they are from the Michael Bay movies or Beast Wars, and you happen to be in Chicago at the same time the convention is scheduled to open, be sure to roll out to TFCON USA.
If you want to rise up and roll out to the best fan-run Transformers event, get more information at https://www.tfcon.com/!
3. Wizard World Chicago/ Godzilla Fest - Rosemont, IL
Picking a convention to fill up the middle point of the top five list was hard, so I decided to put both Wizard World and Godzilla Fest as one entry (hopefully the only time I will put two aspects in one entry).
What puts these two conventions higher up in my list is that they were both my first conventions.
But wait a sec, Christian, didn't you say that Wizard World was your first convention?
Yes. But Wizard World was my first comic convention. My G-Fest outing happened in 2006. This makes Godzilla Fest, chronologically, my first convention. I can say that Wizard World was the first convention that launched my descent into convention culture while G-Fest was the event that kick-started my curiosity of discovering other conventions.
Located in Rosemont, Wizard World (Donald E. Stephens Center) and G-Fest (Crowne Plaza) cater to pop culture enthusiasts as all conventions do. However, Wizard World's use of both sides of the convention center as well as the second floor overshadows G-Fest's convention space. G-Fest is important because it focused on the celebration of things Godzilla and Kaiju related from the films/ fan-made productions to the merchandise in they spawned. As a child getting into Godzilla, I can say that G-Fest is a Godzilla Fan's personal heaven. Unlike Wizard World, whose conventions travel to a majority of the United States, G-Fest is the only Godzilla convention in the US, and it's only exclusive in Chicago!
In comparison, Wizard World has more space and more time. Compared to G-Fest's 3 day event, Wizard World has 5 days, which is more than enough time to explore the whole convention center while participating in all activities at the same time. Due to more space, it adds more variety and interactive sections that satisfies the criteria of families and the general public. G-Fest only has a small game room/ arcade, some rooms for panels and movie screening (most of which you have to commute to another theater), and one dealers hall.
Throughout the years, I see myself slipping out of Wizard World and a bit more into smaller conventions like G-Fest. It's more than expenses, though that can be a legitimate reason why people don't attend Wizard World often. Based on the 3 separate occasions I went to Wizard World Chicago, their conventions have gone down in quality. Meanwhile the feeling at G-Fest has done the opposite. At G-Fest, I was able to talk socialize with people better due to having the similar interests in Godzilla and Japanese monster movies. Where Wizard World was overwhelming at first, G-Fest prepared me for what a larger convention could possibly look like.
Personal opinion aside, if you want a convention experience that offers more activities, variety, and don't mind the expensive tickets, Wizard World is for you. If you want a simple and small, but charming convention, G-Fest fits that bill nicely.
If you're interested in attending either Wizard World or G-Fest, check out https://wizardworld.com/comiccon/chicago and http://www.g-fan.com/html/gfest_xxvi/gfest_xxvi.php for more info!
2. Anime Central - Rosemont, IL
Located at the Donald E. Stephens Center in Rosemont, IL, Anime Central is the third largest and third most popular anime convention in the US. Throughout my college career, I've seen many of my friends and peers attend ACEN, talk about ACEN, and they all have nothing but good things to say about this convention. It's so popular that when I came back from another convention and went to the student center to hang out with friends, the hangout spot was empty. Only one other person stopped by after me. When I asked where did everyone go, he said one word: ACEN.
After going there for three years, I can see why every one of my friends in college enjoyed attending Anime Central for many years. Unlike Wizard World, ACEN goes above and beyond to enhance the convention experience. Every time I go to ACEN, I discovered things that haven't found or tried yet. A whole floor dedicated to an arcade space, raves with awesome music and enthusiastic DJs, and photoshoot meetups that don't have to be related to anime. As a novice anime fan, I thought I would stick out like a sore thumb, but I was proven wrong. I felt comfortable and excited at this convention. I was happy to be in the unknown because it gave me a chance to explore and learn more about anime and its impact on everyone. As a Public Relations member of DePaul's Japanese Media Appreciation Club, I had the opportunity to promote the club and university to con attendees (pictured below).
One of my issues with Anime Central is that there is not enough restaurants in the area. Ordering takeout or pizza for the night is an exception, but lunch options are a bit limited unless you want to travel to Mitsuwa or McDonald's, Mitsuwa being farther to reach if you don't have a car. Another issue that I have is luggage storage before and after the con. There were times where friends and I had to wait three hours until we can drop off our stuff in the hotel room or that there wasn't enough space to leave our luggage after we have to check out on Sunday. Lastly, I've seen this issue many times from other attendees, but it is the hotel room block event. It takes 2 minutes until either the whole site crashes or no one gets a room and has to fight for one at another hotel. I understand that these instances are out of our control, but if there was a better way to manage this issue, it would make already good experience at ACEN a better one.
Aside from the problems, I hold Anime Central in high regard and am thrilled for this year's ACEN outing. Maybe its because of the friends or maybe its because ACEN is the only convention I stay at the adjacent hotel that allows me to explore all activities and events in its entirety, but it helps rank this con higher than the others.
One more advantage is badge prices. They are not expensive for the whole weekend ($48 in Fall 2018 to $75 in May). Out of all of the conventions I go to, Anime Central is the only convention that does not make me think, "Hmmm, maybe I should take a break from this con".
If you want to learn more about Anime Central or want to register, visit https://www.acen.org/!
1. C2E2 - Chicago, IL
If someone were to ask me what my favorite convention is off the top of my head, I would say C2E2.
What makes this convention my personal favorite is the location, commute, and positive experiences I had throughout the years I attended this specific convention.
Set at McCormick Place in Chicago, C2E2 is a comic book convention that is growing in popularity. Funny enough, it is closer to the city of Chicago than the other conventions mentioned on this list. C2E2 has an impressive array of guests ranging from voice actors to film/ TV stars, a nice location to take aesthetically pleasing photos, indoor restaurants, and a variety of booths that can appease collectors and general attendees alike. Another cool aspect of the con that distinguishes it from other conventions is the swag bag scavenger hunt. Never have I seen any convention promote itself than to challenge and award prospective clients into attending their event. It certainly catches people's attention while helping others navigate and explore the city as a bonus to the already appealing incentive. The commute for me is excellent. I can either walk (10-15 minutes) or take a bus (5-8 minutes), which saves me from spending more money on a hotel room.
While I have more positive experiences at ACEN, there are more memorable events at C2E2. Meeting Phil LaMarr, Austin St. John, Evanna Lynch, Doug & Rob Walker, and Fred Tatasciore were among the many actors I met and talked to. A lot of my high school friends that I haven't seen in a while attend C2E2, which is a treat, and I have a great time navigating through the dealers hall as if I could spend all day without panels or activity rooms.
There are a couple of issues that I have with C2E2. One instance is the changing directions to enter the con. Originally, you go through the side of the dealers hall and then enter through the an open front. Last year, however, you had to go through metal detectors, snake through a maze on the other side of the dealers hall, move towards the side of said hall, and enter through a more narrow entrance arch. This caused great confusion between attendees and staff which consequently formed criticism from the former.
Nonetheless, I am fond of C2E2 and still look forward to attending with friends. If you want to attend a convention that is relatively close in the Chicagoland area, is decently sized without being too vast or overwhelming, contains enough general fandoms for people to get into, indoor restaurants, and a gateway to convention culture, C2E2 is the convention for you!
For more info on C2E2, check out https://www.c2e2.com/!
For those of you who don't know me, I love comic conventions!
Since my first comic convention outing in 2013, nothing gets me excited than walking through aisles of collectibles and comics hour after hour, posing in whatever cosplay I assembled, and meeting up with friends and making new ones along the way.
For my first Top 5 Tuesday post, I want to show you five conventions in Chicago that I personally recommend!
5. Brick World - Schaumburg, IL
Brick World is a convention dedicated to all things Lego and brick pieces. Located annually at the
Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL, this convention caters to families and brick enthusiasts alike! The main hall has enough room to fit hundreds of booths filled with merchandise, custom-made dioramas, and interactive areas. There are many attendees and presenters who would be thrilled to share their work and talk about Lego bricks. You want to know the best part? Tickets for entry are cheap! Therefore, everyone in the family can save enough money to purchase whatever Lego products are inside the convention.
There are a couple of reasons why I added this entry to my list and why it's placed at #5:
1. This is the first and only non-comic convention that I have experienced.
2. The event runs for 2 days as opposed to the standard 3-5 days at a comic convention.
Although one can have fun at Brick World, the title and it's main purpose can be its disadvantage. Since the con only caters to anything related to Lego sets, there is little to no variety, leading to little interest from the general public. So if you or any of your friends and family are interested in a convention that only specializes in Lego, Brick World is the right place to check out!
For more information about locations, events, and schedules, visit https://brickworld.com/!
When I was young, my first childhood toy was a Transformer my uncle passed down to me. Since then, I've collected many figures, read volumes of comics, and watched their shows and movies. I owned a DVD box set of Transformers Season 3 that contained a documentary on Botcon, which was the only official Transformers convention. When I heard of Botcon's discontinuation in 2015, I was heartbroken. A year later, however, I heard from my aunt about a Transformers convention coming to the Hyatt in Rosemont. I was so thrilled that I bought tickets, along with a custom toy class, faster than you can say, "Transform and roll out!"
At this time, I already had three years of convention attending experience. I knew what to expect: dealers hall, panels, and costume contests. But somehow, adding Transformers makes it personal for me. I enjoyed my time at TFCON. I was more invested in each booth at the dealers hall than other conventions. I couldn't help but stay still and take a look at all the people who love and cherish Transformers as I do. I socialized with more people because I felt comfortable talking about the toys, the shows, and the games for hours without feeling like an outcast or in the unknown. In addition, the location for the con is perfect. Located at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, it is close by the Blue Line CTA, which makes commuting to the con easier.
Two events that I participated in was the custom toy class and the script reading. This con is the reason why I'm interested in voice acting and toy making.
Like the previous convention, tickets for entry per day are cheap, unless you add the toy making class, which will add an extra $60 to the total cost. The convention only caters to those who are Transformers fanatics but for those who look for variety, you will not see any found in other comic conventions. Another issue is that the convention rarely comes to Chicago throughout the years, which means that you may have to wait a year or two before it comes to Rosemont. However, If you love Transformers, whether they are from the Michael Bay movies or Beast Wars, and you happen to be in Chicago at the same time the convention is scheduled to open, be sure to roll out to TFCON USA.
If you want to rise up and roll out to the best fan-run Transformers event, get more information at https://www.tfcon.com/!
3. Wizard World Chicago/ Godzilla Fest - Rosemont, IL
 |
| First Cosplay Group (From Left to Right): Zombie hunters, Deadpool, Naked Snake, and Pewdiepie |
What puts these two conventions higher up in my list is that they were both my first conventions.
But wait a sec, Christian, didn't you say that Wizard World was your first convention?
Yes. But Wizard World was my first comic convention. My G-Fest outing happened in 2006. This makes Godzilla Fest, chronologically, my first convention. I can say that Wizard World was the first convention that launched my descent into convention culture while G-Fest was the event that kick-started my curiosity of discovering other conventions.
Located in Rosemont, Wizard World (Donald E. Stephens Center) and G-Fest (Crowne Plaza) cater to pop culture enthusiasts as all conventions do. However, Wizard World's use of both sides of the convention center as well as the second floor overshadows G-Fest's convention space. G-Fest is important because it focused on the celebration of things Godzilla and Kaiju related from the films/ fan-made productions to the merchandise in they spawned. As a child getting into Godzilla, I can say that G-Fest is a Godzilla Fan's personal heaven. Unlike Wizard World, whose conventions travel to a majority of the United States, G-Fest is the only Godzilla convention in the US, and it's only exclusive in Chicago!
In comparison, Wizard World has more space and more time. Compared to G-Fest's 3 day event, Wizard World has 5 days, which is more than enough time to explore the whole convention center while participating in all activities at the same time. Due to more space, it adds more variety and interactive sections that satisfies the criteria of families and the general public. G-Fest only has a small game room/ arcade, some rooms for panels and movie screening (most of which you have to commute to another theater), and one dealers hall.
Throughout the years, I see myself slipping out of Wizard World and a bit more into smaller conventions like G-Fest. It's more than expenses, though that can be a legitimate reason why people don't attend Wizard World often. Based on the 3 separate occasions I went to Wizard World Chicago, their conventions have gone down in quality. Meanwhile the feeling at G-Fest has done the opposite. At G-Fest, I was able to talk socialize with people better due to having the similar interests in Godzilla and Japanese monster movies. Where Wizard World was overwhelming at first, G-Fest prepared me for what a larger convention could possibly look like.
Personal opinion aside, if you want a convention experience that offers more activities, variety, and don't mind the expensive tickets, Wizard World is for you. If you want a simple and small, but charming convention, G-Fest fits that bill nicely.
If you're interested in attending either Wizard World or G-Fest, check out https://wizardworld.com/comiccon/chicago and http://www.g-fan.com/html/gfest_xxvi/gfest_xxvi.php for more info!
2. Anime Central - Rosemont, IL
Located at the Donald E. Stephens Center in Rosemont, IL, Anime Central is the third largest and third most popular anime convention in the US. Throughout my college career, I've seen many of my friends and peers attend ACEN, talk about ACEN, and they all have nothing but good things to say about this convention. It's so popular that when I came back from another convention and went to the student center to hang out with friends, the hangout spot was empty. Only one other person stopped by after me. When I asked where did everyone go, he said one word: ACEN.
 |
| My first time participating in a Themed Cosplay Photoshoot (Located far left) |
After going there for three years, I can see why every one of my friends in college enjoyed attending Anime Central for many years. Unlike Wizard World, ACEN goes above and beyond to enhance the convention experience. Every time I go to ACEN, I discovered things that haven't found or tried yet. A whole floor dedicated to an arcade space, raves with awesome music and enthusiastic DJs, and photoshoot meetups that don't have to be related to anime. As a novice anime fan, I thought I would stick out like a sore thumb, but I was proven wrong. I felt comfortable and excited at this convention. I was happy to be in the unknown because it gave me a chance to explore and learn more about anime and its impact on everyone. As a Public Relations member of DePaul's Japanese Media Appreciation Club, I had the opportunity to promote the club and university to con attendees (pictured below).
 |
| I found me!!! (Managing a booth at ACEN 2016) |
One of my issues with Anime Central is that there is not enough restaurants in the area. Ordering takeout or pizza for the night is an exception, but lunch options are a bit limited unless you want to travel to Mitsuwa or McDonald's, Mitsuwa being farther to reach if you don't have a car. Another issue that I have is luggage storage before and after the con. There were times where friends and I had to wait three hours until we can drop off our stuff in the hotel room or that there wasn't enough space to leave our luggage after we have to check out on Sunday. Lastly, I've seen this issue many times from other attendees, but it is the hotel room block event. It takes 2 minutes until either the whole site crashes or no one gets a room and has to fight for one at another hotel. I understand that these instances are out of our control, but if there was a better way to manage this issue, it would make already good experience at ACEN a better one.
Aside from the problems, I hold Anime Central in high regard and am thrilled for this year's ACEN outing. Maybe its because of the friends or maybe its because ACEN is the only convention I stay at the adjacent hotel that allows me to explore all activities and events in its entirety, but it helps rank this con higher than the others.
One more advantage is badge prices. They are not expensive for the whole weekend ($48 in Fall 2018 to $75 in May). Out of all of the conventions I go to, Anime Central is the only convention that does not make me think, "Hmmm, maybe I should take a break from this con".
If you want to learn more about Anime Central or want to register, visit https://www.acen.org/!
1. C2E2 - Chicago, IL
If someone were to ask me what my favorite convention is off the top of my head, I would say C2E2.
What makes this convention my personal favorite is the location, commute, and positive experiences I had throughout the years I attended this specific convention.
Set at McCormick Place in Chicago, C2E2 is a comic book convention that is growing in popularity. Funny enough, it is closer to the city of Chicago than the other conventions mentioned on this list. C2E2 has an impressive array of guests ranging from voice actors to film/ TV stars, a nice location to take aesthetically pleasing photos, indoor restaurants, and a variety of booths that can appease collectors and general attendees alike. Another cool aspect of the con that distinguishes it from other conventions is the swag bag scavenger hunt. Never have I seen any convention promote itself than to challenge and award prospective clients into attending their event. It certainly catches people's attention while helping others navigate and explore the city as a bonus to the already appealing incentive. The commute for me is excellent. I can either walk (10-15 minutes) or take a bus (5-8 minutes), which saves me from spending more money on a hotel room.
 |
| Cosplay Group 2017 |
While I have more positive experiences at ACEN, there are more memorable events at C2E2. Meeting Phil LaMarr, Austin St. John, Evanna Lynch, Doug & Rob Walker, and Fred Tatasciore were among the many actors I met and talked to. A lot of my high school friends that I haven't seen in a while attend C2E2, which is a treat, and I have a great time navigating through the dealers hall as if I could spend all day without panels or activity rooms.
There are a couple of issues that I have with C2E2. One instance is the changing directions to enter the con. Originally, you go through the side of the dealers hall and then enter through the an open front. Last year, however, you had to go through metal detectors, snake through a maze on the other side of the dealers hall, move towards the side of said hall, and enter through a more narrow entrance arch. This caused great confusion between attendees and staff which consequently formed criticism from the former.
Nonetheless, I am fond of C2E2 and still look forward to attending with friends. If you want to attend a convention that is relatively close in the Chicagoland area, is decently sized without being too vast or overwhelming, contains enough general fandoms for people to get into, indoor restaurants, and a gateway to convention culture, C2E2 is the convention for you!
For more info on C2E2, check out https://www.c2e2.com/!
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