Are you ready for some Cosplay?
By Bob Bogard
Comic Con Palm Springs will return to the Palm Springs Convention Center August 25-27, 2017 and will feature an array of artists and celebrities, fun programming, colorful costumes, and musical entertainment. Headline celebrities will include Stan Lee, Marvel Comics founder, Rob Lefeild, artist/creator of Deadpool and Cable, and actress Dana Gaier (voice of “Edith” in Despicable Me). The three-day event offers a special VIP dinner with Stan Lee, more than XX merchandise exhibitors and a special concert performance by Lynda Carter. The inaugural event last year attracted more than 15,000 attendees, and this year it is expected to attract nearly 25,000.
The event will start on Friday, August 25 with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Stan Lee, Palm Springs Mayor Robert Moon, and other surprise guests. When the doors officially open, attendees will be able to peruse the aisles of exhibitors who will offer rare and vintage collectable materials and interact with dozens of celebrities and comic artists who will offer autographs and pose for photographs.
One of the highlights of the three-day event will be a one-night-only special musical performance by Lynda Carter, known for her role of Wonder Woman in the 1970’s series. Ms. Carter is an accomplished singer who has performed to rave reviews for sold-out crowds around the world. In addition to her lengthy acting career, Ms. Carter has had the distinction of producing and starring in five highly rated network televisions specials and has appeared onstage with Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, Bob Hope, George Benson, and Ben Vereen. Her performance on Saturday, August 26 at 8 p.m. will take place in a custom-built intimate theater in the Palm Springs Convention Center. The 90-minute show will feature her distinctive versions of jazz, blues, country and pop songs from her popular “The Other Side of Trouble” tour. This will be the very first time the actress and singer will attend and perform at any Comic Con event. Tickets for this special performance range from $35 – $85, with the option to purchase VIP Warrior Princess tickets for $400 or the Ultimate Backstage VIP experience, priced at $1,200. All tickets are sold at comicconpalmsprings.com
“We are so excited that Comic Con Palm Springs continues to grow in popularity,” said Founder/Executive Producer Christopher Spellman. “The fans have made it clear that there is a demand for the kind of Comic Con programming we are able to provide, and that they want it in Palm Springs. We are thrilled to work with comic luminaries like Stan Lee and Rob Lefeild and enable our attendees to have direct contact with these icons during the show.”
Stan Lee is known to millions as the man whose superheroes propelled Marvel to its preeminent position in the comic book industry. 20 larger-than-life Marvel statues modeled after Stan Lee’s most well known characters will greet event attendees in the convention center lobby. Over the decades, Lee has accumulated a wide variety of vintage comic book related materials. This extensive personal collection of Stan Lee’s Marvel memorabilia will be on display for free to all attendees of the event. Called “Stan Lee’s Museum,” the collection showcases hundreds of prized and historic memorabilia, including some of Lee’s personal items and fan favorites including a Wolverine collectible statue, Daredevil’s mask, Thor’s Hammer, a collection of Tony Stark’s Iron Man marks and even original Star Wars artwork (in 1975 George Lucas asked Stan Lee to publish a comic about the Star Wars characters).
The show organizers will stage a Zombie Walk on August 26 at 7pm at the Palm Springs Convention Center, offer a Zombie-themed café, a Zombie Maze (put on by Palm Springs Escape Room), a Zombie late night movie, a Zombie party at the Hard Rock hotel and an appearance by actor Khary Payton, who plays a major role in the popular AMC Zombie-themed television show Walking Dead.
Additional celebrities to appear at the event include Skottie Young (artist and author for Marvel Entertainment), J. Scott Campbell (artist of Danger Girl and Spiderman), Tom Kenny (voice of SpongeBob Squarepants), actor Corbin Bernson (featured in Psych, LA Law, Major League and Star Trek the Next Generation), and many more.
Cosplay will also a huge part of the weekend for many Comic Con Palm Springs attendees, and you can expect to see many people dressed as Wonder Woman, the Joker, and some of their favorite Game of Thrones characters. Separate costume contests for adults and children will be held on site at the event.
Comic Con Palm Springs tickets are on sale now. A standard Three-Day membership is $60 ($70 at door), and a Three-Day VIP membership is $125 ($135 at door). Attendees may also select to attend individual days. A Friday-only membership is $35 ($45 at door), a Saturday-only membership is $47 ($57 at door), and a Sunday-only membership is $35 ($45 at door). Kids 12 and under free and there are special Heroes memberships for all active military, police, fire, and EMS personnel.
About Comic Con Palm Springs
Comic Con Palm Springs brings together some of the most passionate and talented people from the world of comic books and entertainment to produce an exciting new show in one of the most famous and fun cities in the world. Comic Con Palm Springs organizers work with top-tier talent and exhibitors to make Comic Con Palm Springs something special for every attendee. For more information, call (760) 359-8372 or go to info@comicconpalmsprings.com.
