Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con

[Ryanfromindiana]

So do any of you guys go to this con? It is pretty close to me and I am considering checking this one out. Can I get a show of hands of any freaks that might be going to this one? There are alot of you that I'd like to meet in person and a few I would like to sneak up on and give a Kirk-chop to. :emperor

 

[The Josh]

I thought about it cause the guys at Sandtroopers are going to have a booth to help promote the site. However, the dates are just too close to school starting.

 

[PosterBoyKelly]

I'll be there Friday. I USED to live in Chicago and went nearly every year. It's a good time, get some discount trades and it's pretty huge. It's big downfall is it's right after SDCC and companies don't put their all into it and because of that it seems a little weak. But there's fun to be had anyway. I planned a visit to my families (stratigically) that weekend. Since I can't afford SDCC this will be a nice replacement.

 

[jml969]

Yeah- I plan to be there. It will be my first time. I really wanted to go to SDCC but the timing didn't work out this time. I figure I'll go next year to SDCC (been there 2x so far)

 

[bwayne]

I used to go before it was bought by Wizard. Since then, the admission price has risen to much for my liking. It was cool though.

 

[Ryanfromindiana]

2 freaks thus far! C'mon Josh!!!!!! There's gotta be more freaks going !!!!!!

 

[The Josh]

2 freaks thus far! C'mon Josh!!!!!! There's gotta be more freaks going !!!!!!

I'd love to really. I can't afford to go right after SDCC and I'll be working on my classroom.

 

[waterfold]

I'll be there. When WB announced that The Dark Knight was going to be at Wizard World instead of SDCC, I booked a flight to Chicago and canceled my SDCC reservations. Wizard World will be much cheaper for me and hopefully the TDK stuff will be worth it!! Besides, Chicago is one of my favorite places in the world.

 

[PosterBoyKelly]

Yeah- I plan to be there. It will be my first time. I really wanted to go to SDCC but the timing didn't work out this time. I figure I'll go next year to SDCC (been there 2x so far)

I went to WW every year since I was 16 (which meant a year or 2 prior to it being Wizard owned) and always vowed to go to SDCC. SDCC is bigger, but not a whole lot. It's "bigger" on a scale of guests, exclusives, announcements things like that. Physically, not much (but it is) bigger. WW Is fun, also you'll be in Chicago EAT EAT EAT! SD Has NOTHING on Chicago food!

ALSO Info for anyone who needs it, and fi you wanna know where to eat, like REALLY eat not some trendy crap fest (Portillos, etc.), hit me up!

https://www.wizarduniverse.com/conventions/chicago.cfm

 

[The Josh]

I can't imagine WWC is anyplace close to as big as SDCC even before everyone left. SDCC drew 125k thousand people last year for the entire event. Though, I personally think that number is too low cause I swear on Saturday there was that many in the Hall. I'm sure it's a cool event but you'd have to go to SDCC to understand it's not a close race.

 

[CAhobbit]

I can't imagine WWC is anyplace close to as big as SDCC even before everyone left. SDCC drew 125k thousand people last year for the entire event. Though, I personally think that number is too low cause I swear on Saturday there was that many in the Hall. I'm sure it's a cool event but you'd have to go to SDCC to understand it's not a close race.

Saturday (from what I heard from some organizers) drew about 75,000 last year (hence they didn't allow any more people to register after 11am or noon that day). Crazy. I think Friday they shut people out as well.

All I know is that Comic-Con San Diego has outgrown the San Diego convention center now. It's really amazing considering how small that convention started as. Heck when I went to it the fist time (back in the summer of 2002) it was not nearly as crazy as it's become over the last 5 years since then. Hall H wasn't even being used for anything back in 2002.

 

[PosterBoyKelly]

It's pretty big, second to SDCC I think. I'm not so much talking amount of people big but physically as large (booths/dealers.) I'm not saying SDCC isn't HUGE though.

I guess, thinking back on it, it's not as big as I remember (WWC.) My vission on it is skewed, I went to WWC 1st for years, and compared to any other convention (minus SDCC) it's HUGE. So when I went to SDCC I wasn't blown down by size as much as atmosphere. I remember thinking "this is IT?" cause I imagined SDCC about twice the size it ended up being (causer everyone said WWC was NOTHING compared, BS.) But it's a nice runner up to SDCC if you live in the MW and can't make it out to Cali.

ANOTHER quick observation: SDCC has more stuff crammed in a large space, WWC has a large space too but a little more spread BUT at SDCC think about how many dealer booths are the SAME DAMN THING! Half off trades and old SW figures type. Yeah, WWC has them too but not as many and I think that's another reason I wasn't' as blown down by SDCC (loved it, wanna go again, just not amazed) was that every other dealer was half off trades and bargain "Kingdom Come" toys.

 

[The Josh]

Yeah, I remember walking around with WetaNut and Bob at one point hearing that they had to stop selling tickets. Just inasne. SDCC is just so freaking huge and awesome that it's hard to understand if ya never been before.

Someday, I'd like to make it to WWC just to see it and compare.

 

[PosterBoyKelly]

Yeah, I remember walking around with WetaNut and Bob at one point hearing that they had to stop selling tickets. Just inasne. SDCC is just so freaking huge and awesome that it's hard to understand if ya never been before.

Someday, I'd like to make it to WWC just to see it and compare.

If you've been to SDCC first, it'll totally look smaller. But the other way around, SDCC doesn't seem as big as you always imagine since you were kinda primed on another large scale con. like WWC vs. small Holiday Inn based conventions. best part of WWC is that you're in Chicago and Chi-town has the BEST FOOD ON EARTH!

 

[The Josh]

That's probably true. I've been to the Indy 500 9 times and then I've gone to the event here in the KC area a couple. The event here just isn't as cool having been 2 Indy.

 

[Ryanfromindiana]

More people!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kenbenobi]

I used to go before it was bought by Wizard. Since then, the admission price has risen to much for my liking. It was cool though.

Same here. It used to be much larger and better. But now Wizard has thinned out the crowd by having 12 different Wizard Worlds, so now no one needs to fly into Chicago anymore. I went last year for the first time since Wizard bought it out. It was worth it for the dealers room alone, but otherwise there isn't a whole lot going on. They get very few guests, thus have few panels. This year I heard they will have a Dark Knight preview though. It could be worth it for that...

EDIT: I only went for 1 day last year, and it was enough. I would be bored going for all 3 days. In San Diego, there is NEVER boredom!!!
But seeing as Wizard World Chicago is drivable for me, I will likely go again this year, for one day...

 

[Kenbenobi]

All I know is that Comic-Con San Diego has outgrown the San Diego convention center now. It's really amazing considering how small that convention started as. Heck when I went to it the fist time (back in the summer of 2002) it was not nearly as crazy as it's become over the last 5 years since then. Hall H wasn't even being used for anything back in 2002.

That's for sure. I started going in 1998. It was easy to get celebrity autographs then (most for FREE), and it was easy to walk around without ridiculous crowds. Now I dread Saturdays. I plan on finding myself a nice seat in Hall H and just staying there more of the day. I don't want to fight the crowds. I'll get the exhibit hall out of the way on preview night and Thursday, when crowds are lower...

 

[Kuzeh]

I don't post very often, I'm sort of a lurker...
I live 10 minutes away from the convention center, so this would be my 5th time there!! wohooo!! :chew