Con News: Kids Day is June 2nd Wizard World Philadelphia

Sunday, June 2, Is Kids Day At Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 30 – June 2

Balloon Art, Arts & Crafts, 'Creepy Crawler Bugs,' Green Ranger Power Hour, Baseball Book Event,'Kid-Friendly' Booths, Passport Program, Costume Contest Lead Special Children's Programming; Kids Under 10 Free With Paid Adult

NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA, May 23, 2013 – Move over, mom and dad!  Sunday, June 2, is Kids Day at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, with an array of programming, kid-friendly celebrities, creators and exhibitors designed especially for children, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.  From the impossibly cute Kids Costume Contest to the positively “icky” Creepy Crawler Bug Display, children of all ages will enjoy a variety of activities all day long.  Kids 10 and under are free all weekend with a paid adult (two children admitted per paid adult).

As kids arrive on Sunday, they will receive an official “Wizard World Kids Day Passport” and sheet detailing all of the places they can visit to have the passport stamped.  Those include artists like Terry Huddleston and Sara Richard, fan groups like the New York Jedi and Delaware Valley LEGO Users Group, exhibitors like 3 Girls Creations and J&J Collectibles, and celebrities like “The Green Power Ranger” Jason David Frank.  Awesome!

Some of the highlights of the day include:

• Balloon Art, Arts & Crafts and “Creepy Crawler Bug Display” hosted by the Rutgers Univ. Department of Entomology all day at Wizard World Kids Booth #3000
• Junior Saber Training at the Cosplay Stage.  Show off those moves! (11 a.m. and 3 p.m.)
• Author Jon Lindenblatt and artist Brian Kong discuss Trolley Dodgers, Pinstriped Yankees, and Wearing Red Sox: How MLB Teams Got Their Names, a children's baseball book, with artwork to color (11 a.m.)
• Doodle! Scribble! Draw! A fun drawing game combining Jeopardy!, Pictionary and “Whose Line is it Anyway?" The challenge is on. (1 p.m.)
• Kick it at the Green Ranger Power Hour with Frank – a special hour-long karate class (2 p.m.)
• Kids Costume Contest (3 p.m.), hosted by Wizard World's own superhero, “The Defuser” Jarrett Crippen

“Torchwood” and Zero Dark Thirty star John Barrowman, “Serenity” and Firefly standouts Summer Glau and Gina Torres, Eisner Award Hall of Famer Stan Lee and WWE® Superstars John Cena® and Daniel Bryan® are at the top of a standout roster of celebrity guests scheduled to appear at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 30 – June 2.  It is the third in the 2013 series produced by Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) and will also feature a top-drawer collection of well-known artists and writers and a variety of activities, exhibitors and special attractions.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.  Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con show hours are Thursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, May 31, noon – 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more on the 2013 Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, visit http://www.wizardworld.com/home-pa.html.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

***** SAVE THE 2013-14 DATES *****
May 30 - June 2 – Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con
June 28-30 – Wizard World Comic Con NYC Experience
August 8-11 – Wizard World Chicago Comic Con
September 20-22 – Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
October 18-20 – Wizard World Nashville Comic Con
November 22-24 – Wizard World Austin Comic Con
January 24-26, 2014 – Wizard World Portland Comic Con
February 7-9, 2014 – Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con
April 4-6, 2014 – Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con

Con News: Full Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con Schedule

Stan Lee, William Shatner, 'Charmed' and 'Firefly' Reunion Q&As, Comics Panels, Evening Parties, Movies Fuel Largest Programming Schedule At Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 30 – June 2

Henry Winkler, Manu Bennett, James Marsters, Ray Park Among Stars Conducting Q&As; Marvel Sessions Lead Four Days Packed With Comic-Themed Programming At Pennsylvania Convention Center

NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA, May 21, 2013 – Interactive Q&A sessions featuring celebrities Stan Lee, William Shatner, Henry Winkler, John Barrowman, Manu Bennett and stars of “Charmed” and “Firefly,” a full slate of comics-themed panels, evening parties and movie screenings are some of the highlights of a comprehensive schedule of programming at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 30 – June 2 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Standout programming at the event includes:
· Q&As with Lee, Shatner, Winkler, Barrowman, Bennett, James Marsters, Ray Park, Michael Rooker and other stars
· Reunions of “Firefly” headliners Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau, Jewel Staite and Gina Torres; the “Charmed” trio of Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause; and the pairing of two “Supermans” in Dean Cain and Brandon Routh; and the tag-team of WWE® Superstar Daniel Bryan® and WWE® Hall Of Famer Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat™
· Two Marvel Comics panels, “Breaking Into Comics The Marvel Way” and “From Now! To Infinity”
· Evening parties on Thursday, May 30 (Con Bro Chill concert for VIP badgeholders, Trocadero Theatre), Friday, May 31 (Super Art Fight, Tavern on Broad) and Saturday, June 1 (After Party, Field House)
· Screenings of Weekend at Bernie's with Andrew McCarthy (Friday 7 p.m., Terrace Ballroom) and Police Academy with Steve Guttenberg (Saturday 7 p.m., Room 108) sponsored by The Awesome Fest, and Skull World (Thursday, 6 p.m., Room 111)
· Dozens of comics-themed panels with industry leaders with advice on how to break into the field, get work seen, etc., plus portfolio reviews by Marvel and Zenescope
· Costume contests for adults (Saturday) and Kids (Sunday)
· Kids Day (Sunday) with an array of panels and events designed especially for children

Thursday, May 30
4:00 – 4:45pm One Small Step For Fans: Browncoats In Space (Room 109)
4:00 – 4:45pm Creating A Web-Series In Today’s Market Place: Simply, Crest (Room 111)
5:00 – 5:45pm Getting Your Comic Books Signed And Protecting Your Investment (Room 109)
5:00 – 5:45pm Drawing Cult-Classics To Fairytales To Old School Comic Books (Room 111)
6:00 – 6:45pm Creativity That Lasts (Room 109)
6:00 – 8:00pm Skull World Screening (Room 111)
7:00 – 7:45pm The Return Of Audio Drama (Room 109)
8:00 – 10:30pm Con Bro Chill VIP Concert – VIP Badge Holders Only – All Ages (Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St.)

Friday, May 31
1:00 – 1:45pm Gam3r: Be As Famous As The Games You Play (Room 108)
1:00 – 1:45pm Writing Captivating Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Comics & Novels (Room 109)
1:00 – 1:45pm Teen Manga: New Era G (Room 111)
1:00 – 3:00pm Sci-Fi Speed Dating (Room 112)
1:00 – 1:45pm Linda Blair Q&A (Room 113)
1:00 – 1:30pm Alliance Larp Combat Demo (Cosplay Stage)
1:00 – 2:45pm Zenescope Portfolio Review (Booth 417)
2:00 – 2:45pm Hollywood And Comics (Room 108)
2:00 – 2:45pm How We Got Here (Room 109)
2:00 – 2:45pm Wanna Make Your Own Toy? (Room 111)
2:00 – 2:45pm Wibbly Wobbly Time: A Doctor Who Panel (Room 113)
2:00 – 2:30pm Imperial Klingon Forces Photo Ops (Cosplay Stage)
2:30 – 3:00pm Spawn Photo Ops (Cosplay Stage)
3:00 – 3:45pm Kevin Sorbo Q&A (Room 108)
3:00 – 3:45pm Pen And Ink: Making An Old Style New Again (Room 109)
3:00 – 3:45pm Stan Lee Meet And Greet – Paid Event (Room 110)
3:00 – 3:45pm Creating Characters That Readers Love To Hate (Room 111)
3:00 – 3:45pm Basic Costuming, Fx Makeup & Armor-Like Creation (Room 113)
3:00 – 3:30pm Rob Prior: Two Handed Art Demo (Cosplay Stage)
4:00 – 4:45pm The Fun Side Of Comics And Graphic Novels (Room 108)
4:00 – 4:45pm Jason David Frank Meet And Greet – Paid Event (Room 110)
4:00 – 4:45pm Topps In 2013: The Year Of Sci-Fi (Room 111)
4:00 – 4:45pm Ray Park Q&A (Room 113)
4:00 – 5:00pm Superhero Photoshoot (Cosplay Stage)
5:00 – 6:00pm Marvel: Breaking Into Comics The Marvel Way (Room 108)
5:00 – 6:30pm Webcomics Bootcamp (Room 109)
5:00 – 5:45pm Animation In Today’s Industry (Room 111)
5:00 – 7:00pm Sci-Fi Speed Dating (Room 112)
5:00 – 5:45pm James Marsters Q&A (Room 113)
5:00 – 5:45pm Michael Rooker Q&A (Terrace Ballroom)
6:00 – 6:45pm Movie And Puppet Improv With Deleted Scenes! (Room 108)
6:00 – 6:45pm Flashfall/The Joe Files Cosplay And Fanfilms Panel (Room 111)
6:00 – 6:45pm Stan “the Man” Lee Q&A (Terrace Ballroom)
6:00 – 7:00pm Barbizon Models Fashion Show (Cosplay Stage)
7:00 – 9:00pm 80’s Night With Andrew McCarthy: Presented By Awesomefest (Terrace Ballroom)
8:30 –11:00pm Wizard World Presents Super Art Fight – 21 And Over (Tavern On Broad, 200 S Broad St)

Saturday, June 1
11:00 – 11:45am Vampire Lore And Other Urban Myths And Legends With Dr. Rebecca Housel (Room 108)
11:00 – 11:45am Cheap And Dirty Cosplay: Lessons From Shewolf Cosplays (Room 109)
11:00 – 11:45am Jason David Frank Meet And Greet – Paid Event (Room 110)
11:00 – 11:45am Curtis Sliwa Q&A (Room 111)
11:00 – 11:45am Philly Geek: What To Do In Philadelphia Area Fandom The Other 363 Days Of The Year! (Room 113)
11:00 – 12:00pm Star Trek Photo Ops W/ USS Sovereign NCC-75000 And The Imperial Klingon Forces (Cosplay Stage)
12:00 – 12:45pm Grimm Fairy Tales Animated (Room 108)
12:00 – 12:45pm Storytelling With Michael Golden: Taking It To The Next Level (Room 109)
12:00 – 12:45pm The Next Evolution Of Zombie: Romper Zombie! (Room 111)
12:00 – 12:45pm Kris Holden-Ried Q&A (Room 113)
12:00 – 12:45pm Zenescope Portfolio Review (Booth 417)
12:30 – 1:15pm William Shatner Q&A (Terrace Ballroom)
1:00 – 1:45pm Costumes + Playing = Cosplay! So What Does That Actually Mean? (Room 108)
1:00 – 1:45pm Creator Spotlight: Doug Sneyd (Room 109)
1:00 – 1:45pm Stan Lee Meet And Greet – Paid Event (Room 110)
1:00 – 1:45pm Building Fantasy Worlds (Room 111)
1:00 – 3:00pm Sci-Fi Speed Dating (Room 112)
1:00 – 1:45pm Henry Winkler Q&A (Room 113)
1:30 – 2:15pm Charmed Reunion With Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs & Brian Krause (Terrace Ballroom
1:00 – 2:00pm Saber Academy Lightsaber Fight Demo (Cosplay Stage)
2:00 – 2:45pm Lauren Holly Q&A (Room 108)
2:00 – 2:45pm Getting Your Comic Books Signed And Protecting Your Investment - Part Ii (Room 109)
2:00 – 3:30pm Marvel Portfolio Review
2:00 – 2:45pm Hip-Hop & Comics: Cultures Combining (Room 111)
2:00 – 2:45pm Superhero Battle Royale (Room 113)
2:00 – 3:00pm Dragonsong Forge Swordsmanship Demo (Cosplay Stage)
2:30 – 3:15pm Buffyfest! With James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter And Juliet Landau (Terrace Ballroom)
3:00 – 3:45pm Aaron & Shawn Ashmore Q&A (Room 108)
3:00 – 3:45pm Wonder Women For The 21st Century (Room 109)
3:00 – 3:45pm Head Smash, The Biggest Graphic Novel Release Of 2013! With Creator Vlad Yudin And Producer Edwin Mejia (Room 111)
3:00 – 3:45pm WWE® Superstar Daniel Bryan® And Wwe® Hall Of Famer Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat™ Q&A (Room 113)
3:00 – 4:30pm Marvel vs DC Photoshoot (Cosplay Stage)
3:45 – 4:30pm The Walking Dead With Norman Reedus, Michael Rooker And Jon Bernthal (Terrace Ballroom)
4:00 – 5:00pm Marvel: From Now! To Infinity (Room 108)
4:00 – 5:30pm Artist Alley 101 With Interrobang Studios (Room 109)
4:00 – 4:45pm U Cre-8 Comics Presents: Character Crafters (Room 111)
4:00 – 4:45pm Giancarlo Esposito Q&A (Room 113)
4:30 – 5:00pm Rob Prior: Two Handed Art Demo (Cosplay Stage)
5:00 – 5:45pm Kickstarting Your Own Project (Room 108)
5:00 – 5:45pm Id Comics Studios - How To Be A Functioning Studio (Room 111)
5:00 – 7:00pm Sci-Fi Speed Dating (Room 112)
5:00 – 5:45pm Jason David Frank: Power Ranger Q&A (Room 113)
5:00 – 5:45pm Firefly With Adam Baldwin, Summer Glau, Jewel Staite, & Gina Torres (Terrace Ballroom)
5:00 – 5:30pm Alliance Larp Combat Demo (Cosplay Stage)
5:30 – 6:00pm Imperial Klingon Forces Photo Ops (Cosplay Stage)
6:00 – 6:45pm An Evening With Steve Guttenberg (Room 108)
6:00 – 6:45pm My Grandmother Wants To Fly Jets (Room 109)
6:00 – 6:45pm Dr. How/Torchwood Cosplay And Fanfilms Panel (Room 111)
6:00 – 6:45pm Artists United (Room 113)
6:00 – 7:00pm Barbizon Models Fashion Show (Cosplay Stage)
7:00 – 9:00pm Police Academy Screening Sponsored By Awesomefest (Room 108)
7:00 – 7:45pm How I Switched From Print To Webcomics And Why (Room 109)
7:00pm – 9:00pm Wizard World Adult Costume Contest (Terrace Ballroom)
9:00pm – 2:00am Official Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con After Party - 21 And Over (Field House, 1150 Filbert St.)

Sunday, June 2
11:00 – 11:45am From The Microscope To The Big Screen: Creepy Crawlies In Pop Culture (Room 109)
11:00 – 11:45am Why Do They Call Them That? How Mlb Teams Got Their Names And Other Fun Facts (Room 111)
11:00 – 1:00pm LGBT Sci-Fi Speed Dating (Room 112)
11:00 – 11:45am John Barrowman Q&A (Room 113)
11:00 – 12:00pm Junior Saber Training (Cosplay Stage)
12:00 – 12:45pm Compelling Storytelling (Room 109)
12:00 – 12:45pm Jason David Frank Meet And Greet – Paid Event (Room 110)
12:00 – 12:45pm Digital Age (Room 111)
12:00 – 12:45pm Manu Bennett Q&A (Room 113)
12:00 – 12:30pm 66 Batman & Batgirl Photo Ops (Cosplay Stage)
1:00 – 1:45pm Independent Writing And Publishing (Room 109)
1:00 – 1:45pm Doodle! Scribble! Draw! (Room 111)
1:00 – 1:45pm What’s Better Then Superman? Supermen! With Dean Cain & Brandon Routh (Room 113)
1:00 – 2:00pm Whovian/Torchwood Photoshoot (Cosplay Stage)
2:00 – 2:45pm The Geek Culture: We’ve Taken Our First Step Into A Larger World (Room 109)
2:00 – 3:30pm Marvel Portfolio Review
2:00 – 4:00pm Super Art Fight (Room 111)
2:00 – 3:00pm The Green Power Ranger Power Hour (Room 113)
3:00 – 3:45pm Wizard World Kids Costume Contest (Room 113)
3:00 – 4:00pm Junior Saber Training (Cosplay Stage)

*Seating for panels is strictly limited and available on a first served basis. Wizard World does not clear all panel rooms unless attendees are seated in a section that is marked with a sign at the end of the row reading: Row will be cleared at the end of each panel.

Terrace Ballroom will cleared after each panel.

Unless noted, programming events take place in the designated General Programming Rooms at Pennsylvania Convention Center.  Most are included as part of standard Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con admission; VIP tickets or additional costs may apply to ensure access to select activities, as noted.

A full list of Wizard World Philadelphia programming is below; further details on each at http://www.wizardworld.com/programming-pa.html (subjects, guests, times and rooms subject to change):

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.  Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con show hours are Thursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, May 31, noon – 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more on the 2013 Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, visit http://www.wizardworld.com/home-pa.html.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

***** SAVE THE 2013-14 DATES *****
May 30 - June 2 – Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con
June 28-30 – Wizard World Comic Con NYC Experience
August 8-11 – Wizard World Chicago Comic Con
September 20-22 – Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
October 18-20 – Wizard World Nashville Comic Con
November 22-24 – Wizard World Austin Comic Con
January 24-26, 2014 – Wizard World Portland Comic Con
February 7-9, 2014 – Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con
April 4-6, 2014 – Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con

Comics/Con News: Tedesco Bleeds Variant Cover For Kirkman's "The Walking Dead" # 1 Debuts in Philly

Eisner Award Nominee Julian Totino Tedesco's Variant Cover of Robert Kirkman's ''The Walking Dead #1'' Debuts at  Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con Skybound and Wizard World's Third Limited Edition Cover in the Wizard World Series Free to Full-Price Attendees

Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY -- May 17, 2013 -- Argentine artist Julian Totino Tedesco will draw the third in a series of exclusive Wizard World variant covers of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead#1 comic for Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 30 - June 2, it was announced today by Wizard World and Skybound, Kirkman's imprint at Image Comics.  The covers proved to be extremely popular at Portland Comic Con in February and St. Louis Comic Con in March, celebrating the groundbreaking, Eisner Award-winning comic book series. Tedesco will be on hand at the Pennsylvania Convention Center throughout the event to sign copies of the limited-edition comic, produced in extremely limited quantities and available to fans only while supplies last.  The first two covers were illustrated by Michael Golden (Portland) and Arthur Suydam (St. Louis).  A different superstar artist will draw the variant cover art for each of the five remaining scheduled Wizard World shows this year.  Neal Adams is drawing the cover for the NYC Experience (June 28-30), and more cover artists will be announced shortly. Independent third-party comic book grading service CGC, a leader in the industry, will accept TWD #1 variant and Signature Series (must have a CGC witness) submissions at its Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con exhibitor booth. Norman Reedus ("Daryl Dixon"), Michael Rooker ("Merle Dixon") and Jon Bernthal ("Shane Walsh"), stars of the AMC series based upon The Walking Dead, will attend Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con.  Comics legend Stan Lee, "Firefly" and Serenity headliners Gina Torres and Summer Glau, John Barrowman of "Torchwood" and WWE® Superstar John Cena® are among the other top celebrity guests scheduled to appear.  They will be joined by a top-drawer collection of well-known artists and a variety of activities, exhibitors and special attractions in the third event on Wizard World's 2013 calendar and one of its flagship shows. The Walking Dead graphic novels accounted for seven of the 10 bestselling titles of the year and were #1 overall for both 2011 and 2012. Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (OTC.BB: WIZD), will bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Admission is free for kids 10 and under, and Sunday, June 2, is "Kids Day," an array of programming specially designed for children. Event hours are Thursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, May 31, noon - 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m About Robert Kirkman: Robert Kirkman's success and passionate advocacy for creator-owned comics led him to become the first person invited to become a partner at Image Comics since the company's inception twenty years ago. Kirkman is the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur and Thief of Thieves. In 2010, Kirkman formed his own Image imprint, Skybound, which publishes his own work and Witch Doctor, Invincible Universe and Clone.  Kirkman has earned the respect of the comic, writing and television communities and topped the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels in 2011 and 2012. In April 2012, he took the top five spots on both the hardcover and paperback lists. He's the creator/executive producer and writer of the hit Emmy®-winning television show, AMC's The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 122 countries and 37 languages. Your destinations for all news and merchandise from Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles are www.Skybound.com and www.TheWalkingDead.com. About Skybound: Skybound is the home of Robert Kirkman's creator-owned work including his Eisner Award-winning comic book series, The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur, Thief of Thieves and Clone as well as Witch Doctor and Invincible Universe. Since its inception, Skybound has created television shows, merchandise and a wide spectrum of platforms, games (The Walking Dead: Assault iOS app), and entertainment events (The Walking Dead Escape). Skybound's successes include the comic behind the hit Emmy®-winning television show, AMC's The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 122 countries and 37 languages. Skybound/Kirkman frequently top the hardcover and paperback bestseller lists. Your destinations for all news and merchandise from Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles are www.Skybound.com and www.TheWalkingDead.com. About Wizard World: Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.  The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com. ***** SAVE THE 2013-14 DATES ***** May 30 - June 2 - Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con June 28-30 - Wizard World New York City Experience August 8-11 - Wizard World Chicago Comic Con September 20-22 - Wizard World Ohio Comic Con October 18-20 - Wizard World Nashville Comic Con November 22-24 - Wizard World Austin Comic Con January 24-26, 2014 - Wizard World Portland Comic Con February 7-9, 2014 - Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con April 4-6, 2014 - Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con

Con News: MARVEL to Conduct Panels & Portfolio Reviews at Wizard World Philly

Marvel To Conduct Programming Panels, Portfolio Reviews At  Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, May 31 - June 2 Character-Based Entertainment Leader Brings 'Breaking Into Comics The Marvel Way' And 'From NOW To Infinity' To Pennsylvania Convention Center; Talent Scout C.B. Cebulski, Others To Review Attendees' Work

NEW YORK and PHILADELPHIA, May 16, 2013 - Marvel Entertainment will host two programming panels and conduct two portfolio reviews at the 2013 Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con Friday, May 31, through Sunday, June 2 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The panels are entitled "MARVEL: Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way," set for Friday at 5 p.m.  Saturday's panel, "MARVEL: From NOW! to Infinity," will take place from 4-5 p.m.  Additionally, Marvel will be accepting portfolios on Friday and Saturday, and talent scout C.B. Cebulski and others will conduct reviews on Saturday and Sunday from 2-3:30 p.m. in Room 110. "We are excited to bring an industry leader like Marvel to Wizard World shows," said John Macaluso, Wizard World CEO.  "Many of our fans have a close connection with the movies, comics and characters Marvel produces, and these two panels and review sessions are excellent additions to an already packed lineup for Philadelphia Comic Con attendees." Eisner Award Hall of Famer Stan Lee, co-creator of many of those characters, is among the headliners at Philadelphia Comic Con, which will be held May 30 - June 2.  "Torchwood" and Zero Dark Thirty star John Barrowman,"Serenity" and Firefly standouts Gina Torres and Summer Glau, William Shatner ("Star Trek," "Boston Legal"),"The Walking Dead" trio of Michael Rooker, Norman Reedus and Jon Bernthal, Manu Bennett ("Arrow," The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) are among the top celebrities at the event.  Barry Kitson ("Amazing Spider-Man"), Phil Noto ("Uncanny X-Force"), Khoi Pham ("Scarlet Spider"), Julian Totino Tedesco ("Thunderbolts") and Leinil Yu ("Indestructible Hulk") lead a top-drawer collection of well-known artists and writers, many with Marvel connections, attending the show. The first panel, "Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way," features Kitson, Noto, Tedesco, Yu and Cebulski helping aspiring artists find out the answers on how to get their foot in the door and make their job MARVEL. Then, "From NOW! to Infinity" highlights the current slate of Marvel NOW! titles and the forthcoming summer mega-event Infinity,  with editors Tom Brennan and Jake Thomas, Noto, Pham, Yu, Cebulski and other Marvel guests taking questions on what's to come in the Marvel Universe.  Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.  Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con show hours areThursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, May 31, noon - 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.,Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more on the 2013 Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con, visit http://www.wizardworld.com/home-pa.html. About Marvel: Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. About Wizard World: Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD) produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests. The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com. ***** SAVE THE 2013-14 DATES ***** May 30 - June 2 - Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con June 28-30 - Wizard World New York City Experience August 8-11 - Wizard World Chicago Comic Con September 20-22 - Wizard World Ohio Comic Con October 18-20 - Wizard World Nashville Comic Con November 22-24 - Wizard World Austin Comic Con January 24-26, 2014 - Wizard World Portland Comic Con February 7-9, 2014 - Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con April 4-6, 2014 - Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con

Comic News: Wizard World Inc Appoints New Chairman of the Board

Here is the official press release from WW Inc from earlier today:

Wizard World, Inc. appoints John Macaluso to Chairman of the Board

NEW YORK, October 23, 2012 – The Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD) board of directors elected John Macaluso chairman of the board, effective October 10, 2012, succeeding Michael Mathews who is stepping down from the board to pursue his passion of early stage technology ventures.  Macaluso will continue to serve as the company's Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Macaluso has overseen Wizard World's impressive growth in its pop culture Comic Cons in 2012, including enjoying its most highly-attended and successful events in Philadelphia, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio.  Macaluso has shifted the company away from the prior management’s singular focus of being the purveyors of the new next thing towards a more fan-centric and balanced approach of delivering a great experience for all constituents – the talent, the sponsors and the attendees.  With this shift in strategy and business practices, Wizard World is experiencing growth in all areas of its business, from attendance, to viewership of wizardworld.com, to sponsorship sales and activations, and merchandise sales.  

This broader vision has also helped Wizard World create a number of “once in a lifetime experiences” for attendees, including meet and greets with first gathering of the Captains in all five iterations of the “Star Trek” franchise, as well as the first U.S. reunion of the cast of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”  Wizard World comic cons are now attracting the next generation of global film stars such as Marvel’s The Avengers headliners while continuing to secure industry legends like Stan Lee and William Shatner, and industry favorites like Will Wheaton, Eliza Dushku, Scott Bakula, Gillian Anderson and WWE® Superstar CM Punk®.

John Maatta, COO of the CW Network and a director of Wizard World, Inc. stated “As CEO, John has worked tirelessly to instill best practices in the company’s operations, and we look forward to having his leadership and vision at the board level.” 

 So now Wizard World Inc has a new Chairman. What does this mean for future Wizard World events? Time will tell but if this last year is any indication, they will get better and better.