I saw magic happen at C2E2 I saw a little girl in a princess dress who was waving at a costumed character calling, Mira, Mira. I told the woman that a little girl was trying to get her attention and she turned, then the little girl ran up to her and hugged her. They talked for a few minutes and posed for pictures for her parents, and when she walked away, she said she couldn't believe that she met her favorite K-pop character Mira. This is not the only magical moment that I had at C2E2. What could be better than seeing the mandalorian? A whole row of Mandalorians. This was a very popular costume here. What could be better than a parade of droids from star wars? Absolutely nothing! I saw families dressed up in costumes attending together. There was batman with his two spiderman sons, a father who was Bowser, the mother who was Super Mario and their son who was Luigi. I saw lots of couples who were dressed up together. I took a picture with Snorlax from Pokémon and Godzilla too! Sadly C2E2 is over for this year, but the memories will last for a long time. So if you want to hang out with Batman, the Mandalorian, Catwoman, X-Men, K-pop Demon Hunters and more, make sure to get your tickets to C2E2 2027 early! Mark your calendar, C2E2 2027 runs April 30th thru May 2nd 2027 read more

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I've been going to this for the past few years, it's always fun to go to! Meet lots of people, meeting celebrities (some have cancelled over the years, but it's fine). I'd recommend some of the panels, they're always fun, (if you do go remember to get VIP). read more

Attending C2E2 Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo gave me something to do for the weekend rather than just train for my upcoming run event. Crazy how I have lived in Chicago now for 9-years and just now visiting C2E2 Chicago. A co-worker of mine, who has attended it recommended it to me year after year. And as stubborn as I am, I never made it after he recommended it year after year. For those of you who are not in the nerd stratosphere like I, tehehe, C2E2 is a three-day event that celebrates comics, cosplay, gaming, wrestling, and anime. Other than seeing the cosplay outfits, and the wrestlers, I cannot lie, the lovely Amy Jo Johnson (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers - Pink Ranger), who I had a crush on as a kid, slightly persuaded me to attend this year. Even Maxwell Jacob Friedman (or simply MJF), a wrestler who wrestles for All Elite Wrestling had a slight influence. I was left with purchasing a ticket for Sunday, since Saturday was sold out the weekend I decided to attend. The price for a ticket was only $80, with no extra taxes! And it included access to the 300+ exhibitors, artist alley, panels, screenings, questions and answers, the show floor brand experiences, pop Asia and cosplay central, and much more. I do feel that since I purchased it late, plus it being C2E2, the price was well worth it. The mobile application was much easier to navigate on rather than the website. It had features that allowed me to highlight the events of my interest and place them on a calendar. I highly recommend downloading it prior to your C2E2 adventure. I just was not in the mood to take public transportation to C2E2, even though it is very convenient, and affordable! Instead, I drove my vehicle and paid only $16 to park in lot B of McCormick Place, which was not that bad of a walk from the lot to the venue. The event gave off a very lively vibe! I absolutely adored the cosplay outfits worn by enthusiasts which inspired me to dress up in the future. Maybe I will cosplay as Kwame, the bearer of the Earth Ring, a Planeteer from the cartoon Captain Planet. I cannot wait for next year's event, and I just may purchase my ticket once ticket sales open up. The arcade gaming area was a complete throw back into the 1990's for me! Double Dragon, Street Fighter, NBA Jam, and Primal Rage, yes! I took a liking to many of the displays whether it be for costume, the t-shirts, and even the decorations by Collect PCS which had fabulous statue displays of Michael Jordan, Chun-Li, Shredder, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Oddly, I had the theme to American sketch comedy television series Mad Tv stuck in my head while walking around. And low-and-behold, I walked right by the booth in artist alley of Tom Richmond, the "Mad Art of Caricature" author and longtime MAD Magazine artist. As an avid wrestling fan, I could not resist stopping at the Pro Wrestling Tees booth where I saw former WWE wrestler Mustafa Ali, who currently wrestles in TNA. Along with getting a glimpse of Mustafa, I could not resist picking up both the TNT, and AEW Championship belt sitting on the Pro Wrestling Tees display table. What could be done better is labeling the sections and booths which would make them easier to identify for someone utilizing the application. As overwhelmed as I felt inside of the show floor, it was even harder to find the booths where I could participate in the activities I was interested in. As indicated in this review, I certainly enjoyed and cannot wait to return to C2E2 Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo. I highly recommend it if you enjoy not only comics, but cosplay, gaming, wrestling, and anime as well. ~ Oh darling, let's be adventurers ~ Thomas G read more

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I realized as I was walking in the market that I hate this event. Somehow I forget every year. This year, however was the worst. I arrived at 9:30am to get in line for the Breakfast Club panel. Needless to say I did not get in as they were at capacity by 10:05am. The venue opens at 10am. I was able to get into the spillover room. I then got in line to see J. Boyega and barely made it in. The last straw for me was trying to walk through the market and it being so packed you couldn't look at anything closely. There was also significantly less merchants this year. I then went an hour early to get in line for the Futurama panel and that was also at capacity. I was told I could see it online but when I went I had to pay to be a member to see it. Basically, your general admission only gets you in the door anymore. They also changed their slogan to reflect this..."you may not be able to see who you want or buy what you want, but you can make new friends." Seems like they are aware.... read more

C2E2 Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo - Email - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

2022 C2E2 Review Yes, I know you can see a previous review was 5 stars. This is just based off of our trip here in Aug '22. Ticked Purchased - Comic VIP (Have been purchasing VIP tickets for the past 8 shows) The VIP perks this year are less then what they have been in the past, and what you actually get for the hefty price tag was not worth it this year. Staff this year, for the most part, under trained and every question I asked they had to get a supervisor to answer. I do have to say every staff member I came across were always friendly polite and courteous. The con this year lacked something big. Something you would think would be at a comic convention, a comic based presence. No big publishers were here, well Devils Due was here but had such a small presence it was almost missed. Not many Main Street creators were there either. No Main Stream comic panels Panel in general were rather lack luster and the ones that looked interesting cost extra. Everything this year seemed over inflated. Creators asking for an absorbent amount of money for autographs. I have seen creators ask for donation to The HERO Initiative and I gladly tossed a 10 in there for that. Some were asking for $5 but more wanted 10-20 and double that if you were getting your book graded. This con way heavy in Anime this year. Nothing wrong with that and there were a lot of people enjoying that part but not my thing. Where is the comic books at. I felt this year this con forced to much on making money. Everything had an extra price tag attached to it. I felt like it was just one big cash grab and when I left I felt like I was pickpocketed when I got outside. Sure sure I enjoy my time here but this is the first year I did. Or spend the entire three days at the con. Sadly I was getting bored. I am hoping this was a fluke year and just happened to be like this because of COVID and the economy. I do hope the show is better next year. Unfortunately I may skip it and go to NYCC instead. read more

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Pretty cool. Everyone was really friendly, both when it comes to attendees and the staff. The artists were all really happy to talk about their work, and it was pretty cool talking with them. The creativity when it comes to costumes is fantastic. I wish there'd been more variety when it comes to the more mainstream stalls. How many Funko Pop stands does one convention need, honestly? The layout is poorly organized and hard to navigate, especially taking children and big costumes/props into consideration. Photo-op/autograph sessions are insanely priced. I don't know if that's the convention or the individual celebrities, but ouch. Especially since there was no one personally that I was dying to see this year. It was my first year and I'd go back, but I'd do things differently. I'm glad I at least know what to expect for next year. read more

One star for the customer service. I accidentally purchased tickets. I explained to them what happened and was looking for a roll over. they said they will send the issue to the head team. But they never responded at all it was a 7 day span before the event. To be honest I don't think the customer service rep even sent the issue out. Because there is no way that the head team for the event is unprofessional to not answer an email, especially when it comes to a customer. Every time there was communication it was they the rep was still waiting for a response even the day before they said they would let me know by the end of the day and never reached back out. Totally felt like they were moving like scammers. read more

What an excellent con! I've only been to smaller cons before (Cincinnati, Lexington,etc). C2E2 is so much more. I attended on a Friday so the crowds were not bad. The vendors and artists were top notch. I was also impressed to see publisher booths with contests, giveaways, and meet n greets. I had so much fun at the Marvel and DC booths. The panels were also well organized and great. I will return! read more

C2E2 Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I absolutely loved this event! Before going, I had no idea what to expect but am happy to report it was such a great time - I'd love to go again in the future. Probably my favorite part of C2E2 was the all inclusive nature of the event. No one needs to feel like they'll be made fun of, everyone is so kind to each other and accepting, there are all types of people and it's just a nice place to be. My friends joined me Friday and Saturday, but then had to leave on Saturday around 2pm. I ended up staying a few more hours solo and didn't feel at all strange about it. There were actually tons of other solo people there, especially in the panels I attended. In one, I grabbed a seat in a row of 6 and 5 other solo ladies trickled in and grabbed the seats around me! Really, C2E2 is just a feel good type of expo for EVERYONE! Now that being said, this event is mostly adults. This is an all ages event but 95% of people are over 18. If you bring the kiddos, keep in mind a lot of people wear revealing costumes. A lot of the panels, especially those with actors/writers include swearing and perhaps rated R stories and thoughts. It is incredibly crowded, especially on Saturday, and it is hard to keep track of adults, let alone little ones. I saw a couple people trying to maneuver through with strollers and they looked they wanted to die. They DO have some family friendly events though at one stage from what I saw so bringing the little ones can be done. Just proceed with caution. It was so incredibly fun looking at all the costumes! Everything from video game characters to TV shows to movies to comics to Disney to fantasy. There were costumes of all shapes, sizes, and qualities and we had so much fun people watching. They have a super awesome app that you should download if you're going. You can keep up to date with what's happening at what time, add things to create your own schedule, and most importantly they send alerts if someone is running late, if a panel is full, when important things are happening, etc. It's actually a well executed app that works well. I had a really fun time exploring all the booths - there were so many unique and crazy things for sale. I had the most fun attending all the great panels though. A brief summary of the panels I attended: ~Michael Cudlitz Spotlight - He talked a lot about being Abraham on The Walking Dead and a bit about his other roles. I *loved* being able to see an actor I admire live and in person. I'm a big TWD fan so it was total fangirling for me. Michael was personable and fascinating plus the interviewer was insanely great at keeping things on track & engaging. ~Comics in Hollywood with Executive Producer of AMC's Preacher Ken Levin - Another great panel discussing many comics and how they did (or didn't) make it onto the big or small screen. I'm a big Preacher fan so went to this based on that but found out so much more than I bargained for. Another truly engaging panel. ~Jim Cummings Spotlight - The voice of Winnie the Pooh, Darkwing Duck and the farewell in Illuminations - ha! He's done a ton of Disney voices and a Disney freak like myself was just enamored. I loved hearing him DO all the fun voices too. What a legend this guy was! ~Racism, Sexism and Diversity in Comics, the Tech Industry and Pop Cultures - My favorite panel of the weekend! As a woman in tech who thrives on social issues, I was particularly engaged in this discussion. It was enlightening and helped me feel good about choices to speak up when I see something in my workplace that is unjust. Great panel of academics who brought in examples from gaming, comics, tv, etc. Loved this! ~Veronica Taylor Spotlight - As one of the last humans playing Pokemon Go (yep, I still am), I had to go hear the voice of Ash talk on all things Pokemon! Loved hearing her experiences with Pokemon and other voice acting. She was so genuine and kind to all her fans, it was another fabulous panel. Food options are TERRIBLE, so try to eat before you go and then again when you leave. There is a food court outside the main C2E2 floor so if you need to eat, you should head out there instead of getting a very subpar hotdog for $7 on the main floor. I'd go to C2E2 again next year in a heartbeat. Now knowing what to expect, I feel well prepared and like I could plan everything a bit better. For me, the panels are the money spots and I'd be quick to attend more next year. C2E2 was way more fascinating than I ever expected and I can't stop gushing about it to my coworkers today! read more

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Literally almost every person I wanted to see cancelled. There were no huge names in their places. That's my reason for three stars because I wouldn't have come! Overall though, it was still a pretty fun time. There's a lot of walking involved and some awesome costumes. I seen a review on here about not wanting to see a 250 pound poison ivy and something about not wanting to see a big guys beer gut...pfft. NOT TRUE! Well, maybe true for that jerk but everyone there seemed to love and accept everyone! There were Harley Quinns and Poison Ivy of all shapes and sizes and they were beautiful! Guys and girls! Wear whatever you want!!! Anyways...I got off track a little...the food is expensive so try to eat beforehand and bring snacks. It's hard but try not to impulse buy! I bought so much stuff...I don't even want to look at my bank account! haha. read more

C2E2 is my favorite convention I've ever been to! I've been going there almost every year and I love the atmosphere, especially since it's at McCormick Place and not like any other Rosemont con. 2023's con was very good but they need to space out the artist alley because it can get crowded in there. Security needs better service. read more

Paid for a picture with a voice actor and asked him to sign my game as a favor because $60 its too expensive. He agreed to do it then after signing the convention staff stops me to tell me to pay for the signature even though he said it was a favor. Con staff tells me it doesn't work like that. This whole convention is a scam and they're abusing the autistic community. read more

This convention is pricey compared to what I paid six years ago, so it makes sense to scout out what you want to see & do before arriving to max out your money's worth. It's also hella-mega-huge now, and the dealer room alone needs its own day to enjoy. There are dozens of free guest panels each day of the convention--this is a big chunk of that $$ you paid for, so pick out a few. Arrive half an hour to an hour before the start time to ensure you get in to the panels. Tip: The food here is astronomically priced. Two of us spent $30 just on food & beverages. Autographs will run you between $30 to $80, depending on who it is, and that's not including photographs. Most vendors take credit cards. Plan to pay cash for autographs. Check the C2E2 website--it lists who takes cash or cc. The #3 bus is super convenient for getting to and from the Loop. No more tips. Go have fun! read more

Going for atleast the past 7 years & debating ever going back I went on sunday to only be harassed by security for about 15 minutes until I got in the main floor. Took my mask monetarily to rub chap stick off and instantly got surrounded by security to put a fucking face diaper on RIGHT NOW. The line for covid emulated what I think Nazi germany was like demanding PAPERS to proceed. next: Walking up to the the bag line- Getting YELLED at again when theres no reason to. I fucking know to empty my pockets and open my bag theres 3 people in line let us figure it out. Mccormick security is the living embodiment of the HORRIBLE MAYOR. Keep wondering why our city is WORSE read more

Well, I'm slowly expanding my Chicagoland con horizons. Last year it was Wizard World, then today my #1 Geek and I trekked down to McCormick Place for the last day of C2E2. Sunday is kids' day apparently (eek...) but the space is so huge that there was room for everyone, and noise just dissipates in that ginormous convention hall. So we all got to have fun! More than just a comic con, this one bills itself as an "entertainment expo." While one side is the Artist Alley (and hosted artists this time like Chris Claremont [X-men etc.] & Mike Mignola [Hellboy]), there was a HUUUUGE sales area, encompassing cosplay vendors (more corsets than the Renaissance Faire...and some of their merchants were here too!), toys ahoy (Funko pop and Alpacasso rule the day!), and other things like getting yourself 3-D printed. Some organizations were present that appeal to this crowd, including the American Library Association (reading "The Very Hungry Cthulhupillar" [sic]), Brookfield's Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary (thanks to whom I got to pet a lemur!), and the Friends of Scales Reptile Rescue (for a donation, my companion was allowed to hold an Argentinian black and white tegu). At an event this big it would be impossible NOT to find something to pique your interest, and we discovered a number of artists and vendors with some incredible work. Has Dr. Who convinced you fezzes are cool? Fez-o-Rama has the hookup with all shapes and styles (including mini-pet sizes, if you have a supremely tolerant animal). Looking for an unique and GORGEOUS hat? Try one of Miss Fitt's felted creations on for size. Do you just want to feel all warm and fuzzy when you look at your wall? Erin "I draw hugs" Schechtman of Super Group Hugs has the hook-up with sweet illustrations of all your favorite comic and sci fi characters in warm fuzzy embraces (I got Data and Spot from ST:TNG, but you could always go with Deadpool cozying up to a giant chimichanga). Speaking of warm fuzzies, Jenny Parks will provide you with them in spades with her pics of cats dressed as your favorite heroes...how about Wonder Woman as a Siamese cat! My cohort was supremely satisfied by finding a first edition of Peter Mohrbacher's Angelarium...and then the artist himself on the next aisle to sign it! Buying stuff is fun, of course, but you could spend no more than the price of admission and still have a fabulous day spent merely people-watching. Cosplay was on point here! Given the fact that the "Deadpool" movie just came out I'm surprised that we saw so few versions of him: I saw more iterations of Jayne Cobb from "Firefly." Elsa from "Frozen" is still a favorite (bonus points to the Elsa-in-drag in flawless wig and dress who was taller than my 6'4" companion...!) Lots of girls (big and small) as Rey from Star Wars. But my top pick, for quality + sheer obscurity, was Quail Man (from the old Nickelodeon cartoon "Doug"). Well done, sir :) The one thing to note: do NOT buy food here! A bottle of water was $3.65! Chinatown is right nearby; get your geek on then go eat elsewhere. Overall though, this is definitely a pillar of the Chicago geek world. Worth a visit if you live in the area! read more

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I warn you, please go to C2E2 with people you will not want to strangle once the fourth hour sets in. Yes, you will be walking A LOT. I made this mistake, and I am kicking myself about it. I had a weekend pass, but was only able to be there for a small part of one day. Great selection of items for sale, and a wonderful assortment of artists. I was very excited to see what Ben Templesmith, Gavin Smith, and Tim Sale had to offer. Elliott Serrano from RedEye geek did a wonderful job with the panels. I had no AT&T cell service in Artist's Alley. And those paninis...so delicious. read more

This year was my first time at C2E2 and it was the biggest con I've ever been to. I wasn't disappointed. It was an absolute blast! I loved every moment of it. The only thing I could think to mention is that the staff should maybe do a little bit better at communication while lining people up for panels. I had a point where I had to walk all the way down a long hallway and past multiple people without anyone warning me that the line had been cut off, as well as having to ask 3 different staffers where the line ended for another panel before finally finding the actual end. I'm not taking any stars away from it, however, because it was such a small thing. Also some sort of info booth around the autographs and photo ops would be nice. Overall, I adored the con and will definitely be returning in the future! read more

What an awesome event! Wonderful kind people, staff and guests. Poorly organized as far as flow of booths and things, but otherwise no complaints. Tons of artists to be commissioned, plenty of activities for the kiddos, tons of merchandise. Just a fun day all around read more

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Damn, I was just reading the rules for C2E2 and they've placed an outright ban on the use of vuvuzelas... Damn, the world really hates those South African horns! I'm stoked for C2E2 next month. I get stoked for the opportunity to show off my dork side and have it be totally acceptable. A good friend told me he's going this year, and naturally he asked me what parking is like at the event. I am pretty much a parking guru for this thing, so I sent him over to post I wrote on free parking just for this event. The link is below. http://blog.spothero.com/2011/02/chicago-comic-entertainment-expo-c2e2-free-parking-mccormick-place/ Hopefully this helps us all save some cash so we can spend it on more important things like more comics and beer. That sounds a little better to me. Victory!!! read more

I had a blast here, It was my second time doing it and it was just as epic, I just went saturday, I saw the Jason momoa Panel and the Hayley atwell Ming Na panel, both were very fun, I ran into so many people I know and saw a lot of great costumes, te Galaxy hero beer on tap was great as always, tho the lines for that sucked but what are you gonna do, afterwards we hung out at the c bar in the hotel which was fun, I hope to be back next year! read more

My friends and I went Sunday afternoon, the last day April 23, 2017. To my surprise I ended up enjoying myself. It entails a lot of walking but worth it, so many costumes, people, all ages, gender, color, religion, etc. Folks was there to basically have fun! If you have never been I advise to give it a chance! Take public transportation or Uber/ Lyft highly recommended - avoid driving. The food and drinks are pricey so don't be surprised. If you love to dress up it strongly ENCOURAGED! read more

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I have been to many many Cons over the years many were small a few were large but C2E2 was the first major comic book convention in downtown Chicago that I know of. I first got wind that the people behind the NYC comic con was going to bring the show here to Chicago and give Wizard World Chicago some competition. Well I have to say that they did that and more. I found C2E2 had almost all the same vendors as Wizard but some I had not seen before. Also the check in process was painless and was probably one of the easiest check in's for a con I have ever experience. I bought my tickets on-line and printed out the ticket with a bar code. So when I arrived at the check on Saturday around 11am I was shocked to see there was a line of maybe 5 people and the line moved fast. When it was my turn they scanned my ticket gave me my badges, it was that fast. I even asked if I could pick up my Sunday badges and they happily did. You could NEVER do that at any con I have been to before. Once out onto the exhibition floor I realized how massive McCormick place is. Because of how large it is it made the con more accessible and less stressful and crowded. I have been to Wizard World many times and I always felt rushed and always bumping into people because of the small exhibition space but not here. I have never felt so relaxed and such an exhibition space made it easy to get around in. To me this was a BIG plus. I went to several show panels and I have to say I have never experienced such nice panel rooms with roomy chairs and easy access. The Celebrate Stars Wars panel was the best as it was in the gigantic IGN theater. What a great venue to host the most important panels. I have to say McCormick place was wonderful for a comic con this large and the McCormick staff was very professional and efficient. BIG thumbs up for C2E2 I cant wait for next years and I really think Wizard World has some serious competition now. read more

C2E2 Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got to unleash my inner comic book fanboy at C2E2 and got signatures from many of the artists I admired as a kid, such as Jim Lee, Mark Texiera, Mark Bagley, and Angel Medina just to name a few. I also got to fake-arm wrestle Lance Briggs, but let's face it he would've snapped my arm like a toothpick if he wanted to. I'm glad it was hosted at McCormick Place - much better than the usual convention spots in Rosemont IMO - and it was cool to attend a real comic book-focused convention again. Definitely hope to be back next year. read more

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What did my ticket buy? Here's my experience sit in traffic for three hours. Get there and all the parking garages are full. Finally get parked for 22 dollars walk through a dimly lite passage with no security. When I get up to the event I meet the rude security detail. Then I go in all the artist charge for drawing nothing reasonable oh no. They have food vendors but the food is not very good. The place isn't laid out well and there is no place to sit. I went to Wizard comic con at the Rosemont years ago and it was great. Easy parking they gave me a bag of stuff when I walked through the door and as soon as you got in there was a famous artist sitting there. Oh, I saw sign about C2E2 exclusives on my way out must have the disappointing day because there was nothing else sitting there. read more

This was my first time going to C2E2 and I loved it so much that I will visit next year. We went on Saturday used the free shuttle to get there. Only complaint was that the first shuttle that came was too small and the wait time for the 2nd one was about 40 minutes, but can't complain for a free service. The 'flea market' section was very interesting but my favorite part was the artist alley. We grabbed something to eat from the food vendors which were very overpriced(hotdog, chips and a drink were $10) so next year I will bring a snack or buy from the food court which was cheaper. I loved seeing all of the cosplayers, I wish I could have gotten pictures of everyone. Tips: I would suggest going one day unless there are panels/autographs that you want to see all 3 days. Bring cash. If you don't want to deal with ATM fees, also in the artist alley, most only take cash. The flea market area took credit cards. Buy from the food court or bring snacks. Know which building it's in. My sister parked on the wrong side and we had to walk through 3 buildings!! Walking through all of that after a long day is not fun. Also be mindful of certain booths if you have children, there were maybe 2 booths that I saw that had hentai(they tried to cover some things with post-it notes) displayed but overall the booths were child friendly. read more

Yea my first nerd, I mean, comic convention. I am not a big person into comic books, superheroes, etc but I do love my Star Wars and Doctor Who. This place is great to people watch because everyone comes out for this, from the homemade Batman suits to the professional Storm Troopers, you will see it all. The vendor tents were pretty nice. I swore I wasn't going to get anything then spent some change on a wookie backpack and Tardis beer glasses. It was also really jammed pack with people. Too bad they couldn't use both sides of the convention center like the auto show. I felt squished the whole time. The free shuttle wait was awful both getting there and coming back. The shuttle itself was nice but the line to get on the bus was huge which made for a very long wait. Coming back the buses weren't marked (or they were marked but the buses weren't going to the right places) and we almost missed the bus. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday but not something I was dying to see. P.S. Make sure you buy a ticket ahead of time online. It will save time and cash the day of the event. read more

Last year was better, mainly due to which part of McCormick the event was held in. This year had the nasty upstairs "food" court (can you really call it food?) That being said... C2E2 is still better than Wizard World. Marvel & DC come to this con, whereas they no longer go to Wizard. The aisles are clearly marked, so it's pretty easy to find anyone you're specifically looking for, be it vendors or artists. I used to be all about meeting the celebs who'd go to the cons. 5 years ago, meeting your fav's was free if you were willing to wait in line 2hours. Now, some of the lines are still that wait time, but you have to pay $40. Even if you don't want want an autograph or picture, just want to say hi, you've gotta cough up the cash. Not cool. With all that's going on in the world, do the celebs and their rep companies really need that extra money? Nope. But my cable company does if I want to continue seeing these celebs on my dvr each week. Ended up with some pretty good finds this year. Several t-shirts, a farting elephant with signed book about said farting elephant (for my friend's 9yr old, I swear!), Batman earrings, some twisted books based on Alice in Wonderland, a Bazinga! t-shirt in black/grey (been looking for NOT red since I first heard Sheldon's utterance), etc. I was very tempted to get the Wuzzles dvd (have you snuzzled a Wuzzle today?) and Muppet Babies dvd just to watch while eating cereal in my jammies. But I've run out of room for dvd's in my current apt, so... I'm looking for a bigger apt. Of course I'll return next year. Hoping they'll be back to last year's location with individual food vendors who serve actual food. p.s. Oddest part of the experience? Did not see a single Storm Trooper! read more

I would agree with Brooke! One day was not enough. I went with Hubby, since he is a major comic fan. We had a great time, and liked the panel discussions. We decided next year to get two days and stay downtown to make a night of it too. People watching was fantastic! I loved seeing all the hard core fans. I heard they have a killer (pun intended) Human VS Zombies game that was on Saturday and Sunday. The food sucks though... :-( read more

Great event with many major publishers present. Crowds and lines can be large. Many things to see around comics, movies, tv, and general entertainment. Cosplay and costuming is welcomed and fun. read more

C2E2 Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo - C2E2 is a great place for Costuming and Cosplay - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The crew running photo ops was outstanding. This was our first con and we unknowingly scheduled 4 photos ops 10 minutes apart. 2 at 5:40 and 2 at 5:50. Amazingly, we still made it to ALL our photo ops. The employees quickly pressed us through lines and immediately after the photos were taken, we were ushered into the next tent. We didn't have time to be nervous about meeting celebrities because we were constantly on the move. The staff directed hundreds of people around, many who had multiple ops like us. The crew was efficient, organized, and upbeat throughout the whole thing. It was the most organized and on schedule event I've ever been to. Thank you to the staff for how you handled everything!! read more

We came on the last day and it was still plenty packed. There were quite a few people in excellent costumes and others in loin cloths. There's a bit for everyone. Comic books, art, clothing, jewelry, toys, Japanese swords, journals, cool looking fans, kids drawing tables, book signings, tattoo section, speed dating, costume competition...really it's endless. We went upstairs to try out the new Galaxy beer they were promoting. It was a darker beer and not bad I must say. All in all it's a great place to go if you have some spare cash on you. Be prepared to spend. read more

C2E2 Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A fun time! As with so many other cons, there is a great mix of fandoms and comics and wrestlers and the like, so many things I look forward to. There is a great amount of panels to enjoy, with diverse subjects, and it helps pass along the time over the weekend, although some of the more interesting panels seem to get stuck in smaller rooms. Chicago really goes all out with the cosplay, and everyone gets into the festive spirit. There is a loud and somewhat grating DJ right outside the main entrance that I could do without. I go every year, and make a weekend of it, but I've noticed that some of the publishers who used to pride themselves on going have stopped, which is likely not c2e2's fault, but it's noticeable. This year's guest list was kind of lacking, although it's not my primary focus. I guess one of the things that really detract for me is the lack of night life, which can only be found clear across the city, the rather cramped quarters for the AA that kept me away, and the lack of exclusives. Still a great time, and keeps me going until other shows in Chicagoland. The staff are pretty nice as well. :) read more

1st time at C2E2. Great experience except when I emailed them for the address, they gave me the old convention address and our Uber got us lost. Other than that, it was a great experience. Great crowd control from the open of the convention to the artist lines. The venue was large and airy and there were lots of space to move around. They also have a lot of tables and seating areas. read more

I went to C2E2 on Saturday for both 2012 and 2011.(2012 was first time I cosplayed and 2011 was my first ever con, so C2E2 holds a very special place in my heart.) I didn't know panels that well so I usually hang out at the dealer's room. I saw many familiar faces (booths, guests, cosplayers, etc.) Took many pictures as always! The convention center is great; not to small, not to large. The majority of booths sold comics, t-shirts with all sorts of references, action figures, plushies; typical convention stuff. I think one booth consisted of free books, all you can take, yay free books! The artist alley was a nice size, talented artists, but I didn't really linger around therewith red carpet covering the majority of the room is classy and great for cosplay pictures. About the food... the floor under the dealer's room leads to a cafeteria with McDonalds, Connie's Pizza, and other vendors, but I would rather skip eating there since the lines are pretty long (I would imagine prices are too expensive for me anyways). Other reviews claim they were really bad, but then again convention food is usually crappy. I was really excited that Starkid was signing, and they were really friendly! the lines were monitored by a few employees to keep it organized, quick paced and I think I only spent 10-20 minutes in line. This year, there was an excessive amount of Doctors in one place enough to distort time and space, but hey, you can't have too many Doctors. Overall I had a great time this year, and will plan on going next year! read more

Best con ever! This is definitely better than Wizard World. But that's not saying much. Everything is nice and clean and SUNNY! The one problem is the layout. some area were a bit cramped in the exhibitor's hall. However, I think that has to do more with McCormick place than C2E2. This place is fun for everyone and I mean everyone. If you like table top games, movies, tv, comics, anime etc. it is this place. So far they have kept the ticket prices reasonable and the same for the past 4 years. read more

I enjoyed c2e2, but honestly, once you've been to one comic convention, you have been to them all. (Statement without having been to ComicCon in San Diego). They are fun, you walk around a lot, you people watch (I'll explain my new rules to dressing up later), you can meet artists and actors and buy everything you thought you ever wanted. Here are some of my thoughts on the event: Disappointed by D.C. comics. Marvel had a stand and did some (not a lot) of promotion for Iron Man 3. D.C. had nothing promoting Man of Steel, D.C. didn't even have a booth. I would have liked to have seen something promoting the film. The company also did very little promoting Arrow, the CW show. Again thumbs down. I went to the tv writing panel and really enjoyed it. The guy giving it, answered every questions with thoughtful and meaningful answers. Big Thumbs up. The overall layout of the event SUCKED. There is a lot of room in McCormick place and this was awful. The aisles were WAY to small, with no room to walk around. Part of the problem was people in costumes, hard to get by them. If you wanted to stop and look at something, getting over to that booth was hard because of the amount of people. People can't stop in the middle of a walk way! People also don't know how to walk in a crowd! There needed to be more room in the walk ways, everything was to close together. I learned my lesson at Wizard World brought food and snacks. Okay, people dressing up. First, let me say you want to dress up, fine do so. I don't care, it's just not my thing. Some of the costumes were amazing, they took time and patience and they looked great! This next statement does not go to the kids but to adults only. If you are going to dress up and wear something slutty, please people be considerate for the rest of us. I don't want to see a 250 pound poison ivy nor do I want to see a male as something that requires no shirt with a huge bear gut. I know this is going to offend people and don't care. I saw many males and women dressed up wearing little and overexposing themselves with roles hanging everywhere. Hey, I'm overweight and I don't go dressed as Rocky, why cause no one wants to see Rocky with no muscles and a bit of a gut. Overall, I enjoy it. Didn't think it was the greatest. It was cool meeting Jake the Snake Roberts. Actually I just looked at the guests for Wizard World, more there that I want to see over those that were at c2e2. To packed, they should have used the space better. I will probably be back but just cause. read more

This thing just gets bigger and bigger every year. I'm a huge comic book fan and C2E2 is a Midwest must for any geek (like me!) who's into superheroes and manga and other cool stuff like I am. The halls quickly fill to capacity before midday, so a pro tip for any newbies would be to download the C2E2 app, which allows me to create my own custom schedule of which panels I want to see, guests, autograph sessions, artist meet-and-greets, and exhibitions. Last year I listened to a panel on how to survive a zombie apocalypse, and this year I was excited to finally meet CM Punk, a hometown favorite. I attended both days (ugh, Sundays are overrun with kids) as Deadpool, and anticipating the popularity of the movie, chose to cosplay as Deadpool Cosplaying as James Bond, so I wore a Roberto Cavalli tuxedo over my suit, complete with an ivory suit coat, pleated dress shirt, and black silk tie (Though someone in a plastic Hellboy costume asks if I'm Deadpool dressed up as Lt. Aldo Raine. My mask cinches around my neck and I'm suddenly overcome with the panic that if I don't do something unique at that very moment, I will bleed into the crowd and die. If I don't add to the universe in a worthwhile way, the booth lines will absorb me and I will die). Those who don't want to pay for parking can take the free shuttle, though the wait can grow to Star Wars prequel proportions. This is why I split an Uber with Paz, who was on her way into downtown herself, after much coercion on my part, leading to an awkward car ride, her on one side of the back seat and me on the other, our Uber driver asking if I'd seen the Deadpool movie yet. But it was worth it. I got dropped off directly in front of the main entrance while Paz continued down Michigan Avenue to Planned Parenthood. In Artist Alley I pay for someone to draw me sitting on the Iron Throne. The show floor has a lot of vendors selling collectibles and exclusive merchandise, so I buy a few things for Paz, a Chewbacca plush, a Rocket Raccoon rattle, Marty McFly booties, and to cover my bases, a newborn Wildstyle onesie, all to be mailed to her place. I swipe my debit card and hit cancel to use it as a credit card. That way I don't have to type in my pin in case this place ever gets hacked and my data gets stolen. The cashier actually rolls her eyes when I do this. She's dressed as a slutty Finn from "Adventure Time," the ninth one I've seen at C2E2, wearing white knee highs, white bear cap, and a blue shirt-dress that stops just below her hips. I feel like as a customer I should be able to do anything I want to my liking. But I don't tell the girl behind the register this. She won't get the luxury. Only the consequence. read more

Wow! My family and I were here yesterday (Friday). What a wonderful Comic Con!!!! Everything was so well-organized and professionally done, from the free shuttle from various points in Chicago (including Union Station) to McCormick Place to the registration process to the panels -- everything went smoothly. There was lots of tchotchke, too -- from free comic books on the shuttle buses to free Men in Black sunglasses to Headsmash tote bags, The show floor was incredible -- with 100s of talented artists featuring their drawings in Artist Alley and 100s of vendors selling their wares. We even managed to find a discounted collector's edition of the Sonic the Hedgehog version of Monopoly. Stars like Burt Ward, from the original Batman, were on hand to sign autographs. (And I noted that Julie Newmar, the original Catwoman, was scheduled to be at C2E2 on Saturday.) Staff were professional, courteous, friendly, and low-key. Attendees, as expected, were dressed for Halloween. Unlike New York Comic Con, which we've also attended, C2E2 is more devoted to comics and artists (as opposed to gamers). We loved the panels, which were, for the most part, easy to get into -- there were no lines or very short ones at worst. A lot of Friday's panels were geared for aspiring cartoonists, educators, and people interested in learning about industry trends. We also enjoyed the hula hoop exercise session, which was crazy and fun. I have just 2 suggestions to make C2E2 better: 1. Provide more meal choices. There were just 2 restaurants open in the food court on Level 2.5 and the lines were very long at Starbuck's. 2. Do something about the music in the main concourse -- while the DJ was having a good time, the music was loud and not connecting with attendees. All in all, we had a great time and we look forward to attending C2E2 again in 2014!!!! read more

One of the best comic conventions I have ever attended. The prices were reasonable and for the amount of panels, guests, and booths you really get your money's worth. If you have smaller children I would advise not attending Saturday but instead using that day to do some sightseeing, as Saturday is the most crowded day and it can be overwhelming if you have a stroller or a smaller child. Sunday was definitely for families as kids 12 and under got in for free, so that's a great day to bring kiddos out to cosplay and have fun. In terms of food there aren't really any closeby options outside of the overpriced/unhealthy concession stands within the expo, but you are permitted to bring your own food and drink which I advise to save on cash for sure. We will definitely make this a yearly family trip for sure. read more

Oh, how fun. We love people-watching, and this is a great place to do it. The convention prices for food/drink and the filthy bathrooms aside, this is a really good time. read more