Call it Halloween for adults, a chance to totally geek out and dress up as your favorite childhood superhero and pose for selfies with comic book legends without fear of being mocked.
Welcome to Tucson Comic-Con, a three-day pop culture convention at the Tucson Convention Center this weekend where you can take a selfie with the Green Lantern and the guy who created the superhero character, or wander through a maze of vendors selling everything from classic comic books to steampunk handcrafted jewelry. The event kicks off Friday, Nov. 2, and continues through Sunday, Nov. 4.
“There’s a giant gaming area for people who like to play board games such as Dungeons & Dragons, or vintage arcade games for free,” said Francisca Pulido, who with her comic-book creator husband Brian co-owns and organizes Tucson Comic-Con with founder Mike Olivares and his wife, Teresita.
Live-action role-players engage in a medieval foam battle with the Tucson Amtgard: Obsidian Gate group during last year’s Tucson Comic-Con at the Tucson Convention Center. Thousands of pop culture fans turned out for art exhibitors, panel discussions, cosplay and celebrity appearances.
Tucson Comic-Con, founded in 2008, began as a single-day event attended by 500 fans but has grown to attract more than 10,000 fans.
We asked Francisca Pulido, Teresita Olivares and comic book writer/editor David Mariotte — who has been attending comic-cons since he was a kid growing up in Douglas with his comic-book creating father Jeffrey J. Mariotte (“Empty Rooms,” “The Devil’s Bait,” “Season of the Wolf”) — for tips on how to navigate the 11th annual Tucson Comic-Con to get the most of your experience. Here’s their advice:
- First and most importantly, bring water and comfy shoes. “Most of the comic-con you will be on your feet. It’s a long day,” David Mariotte said.
- Spend time exploring the exhibit hall where you’ll find most of the vendors and the creatives, the folks who publish, sell and create the comics.
- Catch a panel discussion or two. Creative pros, from the authors to the designers and producers, will discuss their craft and offer their tips on what inspires them to create some of the biggest names in comic books. Expect to see Kirk Thatcher, who worked on Jim Hensen’s “Muppets” and “Dinosaurs”; and the legendary Dennis O’Neil, whose credits include “Batman,” “Green Lantern,” “Wonder Woman,” “Ironman” and “Daredevil,” among those on the panel discussions.
- “It’s an honor to have such a comic book legend at our event,” Brian Pulido said in a written statement. “You would be hard pressed to find a comic book creator not influenced by Dennis O’Neil.”
- Do your research in advance. Find out who will be there so you can decide whom you want to meet. The complete lineup of comic book creators, writers and editors is listed at tucsoncomic-con.com (You’ll find Mariotte in the line to meet Sina Grace, who writes “Iceman” for Marvel Comic, and hanging around his dad’s booth. Other special guests to this year’s comic-con include WWF wrestler Jake “The Snake” Roberts, voice actress Rachel Lillis (“Pokemon,” “Jigglypuff”), animatronic designer Tim Rose (“Star Wars,” “Muppets,” “Dark Crystal”) and comic book author James A. Owen (“The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica,” “The Meditations,” trilogy).
A jawa looks for help locating some droids of particular interest during the event last year. Experts recommend doing advance research to make it easier to see people/characters you want to see.
George Chac releases a cloud of vapor from a re-purposed e-cigarette system to accent his Sith Juggernaut costume at the ninth annual Tucson Comic-Con at the Tucson Convention Center in 2016. The 2018 festival is this weekend.
Janet Landry poses in her Harley Quinn costume during the 10th annual Tucson Comic-Con last year. The event started in 2008 and attracted 500 fans, but now more than 10,000 attend.
