Comicpalooza 2019 Brings Legendary Comic Book Creators to Texas this Weekend!

It’s Comicpalooza week here in Houston, Texas, and The Blot cannot wait to attend my favorite local con. While they always have amazing celebrities and vendors, the Comicpalooza guests I look forward to the most are the comic book creators they bring in from around the globe! This year Comicpalooza has really outdone themselves with some truly legendary creators like Chris Claremont, the author of the modern X-Men we know and love, Neal Adams, and the man who killed Superman (and created Booster Gold) Dan Jurgens!

The list of Comicpalooza 2019 guests includes artists such as Jae Lee, Graham Nolan, Bob Layton, Tyler Kirkham, Mark Texeira, Buzz, Ben Templesmith, Chris Mooneyham, Isaac Goodhart, Ramon Villalobos, Leslie Hung, Jamal Igle, and so many more! But that’s not all, CP2019 also features writers like Gerry Conway, Matt Hawkins, Chelsea Cain, Magdalene Visaggio, Andy Schmidt, and Lilah Sturges.

Comicpalooza 2019 takes place May 10-12 at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Weekend passes, single day passes and VIP passes are currently available online at Comicpalooza.com.

The Cast of Amazon’s The Tick Comes to Houston for Comicpalooza 2019!

Spoon! The Tick has returned to save the city with season 2 of the hit live action television series available now on Amazon Prime. Fans of the wacky comic book character can meet the show’s fantastic cast next month at Comicpalooza 2019! Texas’ preeminent pop culture convention will be hosting five cast members of The Tick: Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick), Griffin Newman (Arthur), Yara Martinez (Miss Lint), Brendan Hines (Superian) and Scott Speiser (Overkill).

Fans of The Tick can purchase a The Tick Speed Pass, which includes 3 Day Admission to Comicpalooza 2019, 30 minute early admittance to the Exhibit Hall, and priority line jump for all autographs, photo ops and panel sessions related to the cast of The Tick (autographs and photo ops must be purchased separately). You can also purchase a The Tick group photo opportunity with all five cast members!

Comicpalooza 2019 takes place May 10-12 at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Weekend Passes and 1-Day Passes are currently available online at Comicpalooza.com.

The Flash’s Grant Gustin Runs To Houston For Comicpalooza 2019!

Comicpalooza, Texas’ preeminent comic con, has announced its next featured guest – Grant Gustin, the star of the hit The CW television show The Flash! For the past five seasons, Gustin has played Barry Allen aka DC Comics’ Fastest Man Alive on all of The CW’s popular Arrowverse shows (Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl). But that’s not all! Comicpalooza is also bringing to town television’s original Flash from the ‘90s, John Wesley Shipp, who now plays Barry Allen’s father on the current Flash TV series. Is that enough speed for ya!?!

For all The Flash fans out there – you can speed straight to the priority line of these two amazing actors with Comicpalooza’s Speed Force Speed Pass. This special 3 day pass incudes priority access for Grant Gustin and John Wesley Shipp photo ops, autograph signings and seating for a very special panel. Grant will only be at Comicpalooza on Saturday, May 11th, so this is an excellent way to ensure you meet this talented actor.

Comicpalooza 2019 takes place May 10-12 at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Weekend Passes and 1-Day Passes are currently available online at Comicpalooza.com. You can also pre-order autograph tickets and photo ops with these two awesome actors, but you’d better act fast!

Winter is Coming to Houston: Game of Thrones Star Emilia Clarke Headlines Comicpalooza 2019!

Our friends at Comicpalooza dropped some huge news this week – Game of Thrones’ star Emilia Clarke is headlining Houston pop culture extravaganza this year! But that’s not all… The Mother of Dragons is being joined by the Queen’s personal Advisor Missandei, actress Nathalie Emanuel. Winter truly is coming to Houston this May thanks to Comicpalooza!

Emilia Clarke has taken over the world of popular culture the past few years with roles such as Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story as Qi’ra and Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys. But it’s her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones these past seven seasons that has made her such a fan favorite all around the globe. Both GoT stars will be at Comicpalooza on Saturday and Sunday only.

Comicpalooza 2019 takes place May 10-12 at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Weekend Passes and 1-Day Passes are currently available online at Comicpalooza.com. You can also pre-order autograph tickets and photo ops with these two amazing actresses, but you’d better act fast! Clarke’s individual autograph tickets for Saturday and Sunday are already sold out.

Comicpalooza – Texas’ Largest Pop Culture Festival – Begins Its 10th Anniversary Celebration Today!

It’s official, Comicpalooza has taken over Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center for its annual celebration of all things pop culture! This year is especially exciting as the Texas pop culture festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Attendees will be able to explore more than 1,000 hours of action-packed programming and entertainment across the 1.2 million square-feet of convention space.

For those of you not familiar with Comicpalooza, it’s a three-day, multi-format show comprised of interactive panel sessions, an expansive exhibition hall and special events. Notable highlights for Comicpalooza 2018 include:

• A premier guest lineup, featuring leading actors Tom Holland, John Cusack, Krysten Ritter, Charlie Cox, Michael Chiklis, Jeri Ryan, Brent Spiner, Ruth E. Carter, Edward James Olmos, Walton Goggins, Orlando Jones, Tricia Helfer, Ray Park and Ross Marquand. The roster also includes famed comic book creators Scottie Young, Mark Waid, Michael Golden, Paul Pope and more.


• The Comicpalooza Cosplay Contest presented by BBVA Compass invites attendees to display their unique, hand-crafted costumes and props of popular characters found in movies, TV shows, comic books, cartoons, as well as video and card games. The Crossplay Contest, drag cosplay, is an adult-only show on Friday, May 25 while kids can showcase their alter egos in the Kid’s Cosplay Contest on Sunday, May 27.


• A distinguished literature lineup that includes authors Joe R. Lansdale, Seanan McGuire, Mat Johnson, Martha Wells, among others. Attendees will have the chance to participate in panels, fan roundtables, read and critique sessions, as well as writing workshops.


• The Comicpalooza Film Festival showcases original works submitted by filmmakers from around the world and reviewed by a panel of judges. Attendees will have a chance to view the selected finalists throughout the three-day event as part of their admission. This year, the festival will also feature the drive-in classic, Night of the Living Dead, on Saturday night.


• The Maker’s Space presented by BBVA Compass is driven by STEM, presenting new technology like robotics and 3D printing for the creative and curious to explore.


• New programming additions include from the Overwatch League, the Official Houston Outlaws Watch Party on Friday night, as well as live entertainment that spans ice sculpting, magicians, dancers and music throughout the weekend.

“This year’s tenth anniversary event is the best in Comicpalooza’s history. The extraordinary lineup, diverse programming, and support from community partners makes it fun for anyone who enjoys pop culture. I knew when I sold my remaining shares of Comicpalooza that it would be in good hands, with a long and bright future,” said John Simons, founder of Comicpalooza.

This year, Comicpalooza will partner with Adult Swim, the number one-rated network among young adults on basic cable for the past decade, as part of its ongoing efforts to bring fresh, pop culture content to viewers. During Comicpalooza, Adult Swim will be screening trailers for the new season of its hit anime series, “FLCL,” which tells the story of a guitar-swinging heroine battling against a massively powerful industrial corporation and the 12-year-old boy caught in the middle. Now, more than 15 years since its original launch in Japan, Adult Swim and Production IG will premiere two seasons on Toonami, Adult Swim’s popular anime block, beginning Saturday, June 2 at 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The new seasons will bring together members of the original anime team, as well as a new generation of creators.

In the spirit of Comicpalooza, downtown Houston will also host free, public events that include a Friday night screening of The Dark Knight at Discovery Green and Saturday night’s Comicpalooza’s After Party on the Avenida presented by Saint Arnold that will feature a live performance by Austin’s Ghostland Observatory.

Celebrate the Release of Solo: A Star Wars Story by Meeting Chewbacca, Peter Mayhew, at Houston's Comicpalooza X!

It’s no coincidence that Comicpalooza X is taking place in Houston, Texas the same weekend that Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters across the US! To commemorate Solo’s opening weekend, Comicpalooza has unveiled a very, very special guest: Peter Mayhew aka Chewbacca! Now fans can see Solo: A Star Wars Story on Thursday night and head straight to Comicpalooza 2018 on Friday to meet this Star Wars icon. What a fantastic last minute addition to an already stacked Comicpalooza 10th Anniversary Event!

So get your best Wookiee roar ready for Peter Mayhew as he comes to Houston for Comicpalooza X! Peter Mayhew, the original Chewbacca, started his Star Wars career in 1977 as the faithful 200 year-old Wookiee in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and continued to reprise the role for decades in both the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy, as well as the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series and in The Force Awakens.

Comicpalooza 2018 takes place May 25-27 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. VIP passes and weekend passes, along with photo ops and autograph tickets, are all available now at Comicpalooza.com! Fans can purchase their Peter Mayhew photo ops now here!

The Cast of LOST Comes to Houston for Comicpalooza X!

Comicpalooza, Texas' largest entertainment and pop culture convention, will be hosting a mini LOST cast reunion when the Houston comic con takes place in three weeks (May 25-27). The Blot knew Comicpalooza had big things in store for their 10th anniversary, but even I wasn’t prepared for this news! If you’ve been reading The Blot Says for a long time then you know what a diehard LOST fan I am. So of course I’m beyond excited to learn that LOST’s Michael Emerson, Henry Ian Cusick, Nestor Carbonell, MC Gainey, and Francois Chau will all be in Houston to meet fans, take photos and sign autographs.

Shockingly, through all of The Blot’s many comic con adventures of the past 15+ years, I’ve never actually met any of the hit ABC television show’s core cast members. That changes this month when Ben Linus, Desmond Hume, Richard Alpert, Mr. Friendly and Dr. Pierre Chang come to Texas. It’s practically a who’s who of the Dharma Initiative! And for all you diehard LOSTies out there, there’s even a LOST group photo option that you can purchase here. For $200 you can take a group photo with all five actors from the iconic series.

Comicpalooza 2018 takes place May 25-27 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. VIP passes and weekend passes, along with photo ops and autograph tickets, are all available now at Comicpalooza.com!

Celebrate Comicpalooza’s 10th Anniversary with Spider-Man’s Tom Holland!

Comicpalooza, Texas’ preeminent comic-con, celebrates its 10th anniversary in less than a month, and they are definitely going all out this year! For starters, they’re bringing Marvel’s very own Spider-Man, Tom Holland, to Houston to headline Comicpalooza X!!! What better way to celebrate your 10th anniversary than having one of the new faces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe headline your convention.

But that’s not all the Marvel goodness taking place at Comicpalooza X! They’ve also got two stars of the Netflix corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe appearing, Daredevil’s Charlie Cox and Jessica Jones’ Krysten Ritter. That’s three huge Marvel stars at one show! Comicpalooza 2018 takes place May 25-27 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. VIP passes and weekend passes, along with photo ops and autograph tickets, are all available now at Comicpalooza.com! Be there or be square!

Chuck Norris - The Man, The Myth, The Legend - Is Coming To Comicpalooza! His 1st Con in 40+ years!

This weekend in Houston, Texas, legendary actor and martial artist Chuck Norris will be attending his first comic con in over 40 years as the headliner of Comicpalooza 2017! This is his very first con appearance in Texas ever, so you know all the Walker, Texas Ranger fans from around the state will be lining up to take a picture or get an autograph from this living legend. The Man, The Myth, The Legend will only be at Comicpalooza on Saturday, May 13th, so be sure to clear your calendar now!

Chuck Norris keeps a diary – it’s called the Guinness Book of World Records! When Chuck Norris steps on LEGOs, the LEGOs scream! There will be a Chuck Norris Q&A Panel in the General Assembly room of the George R Brown on Saturday at 11am CST. Mr. Norris will also be available for photo ops that day for $125 and autographs for $95. Weekend passes, single day tickets and VIP passes to Comicpalooza 2015 are all still available through the Comicpalooza online store.

The Defenders & Marvel’s Netflix Universe Headline Houston’s Comicpalooza 2017!

This weekend Texas’ preeminent comic-con, Comicpalooza, will be taking over the city of Houston! Along with an awesome (and varied) guest list of celebrity actors and comic book creators, Comicpalooza has put together an insane line-up of guests from Marvel’s Netflix Television Universe! This includes three of the four members of The Defenders: Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Mike Colter (Luke Cage) and Finn Jones (Iron Fist). Also appearing at the show is Jon Bernthal (aka The Punisher), Jessica Henwick (Colleen Wing), Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson) and Geoffrey Cantor (Mitchell Ellison). How insane is that!?!

But that’s not all… Comicpalooza is also featuring two key members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Avengers’ Anthony Mackie (Falcon) and from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s Pom Klementieff (Mantis)! Marvel fans will definitely not want to miss out on this insane pop culture extravaganza taking place at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Weekend passes, single day tickets and VIP passes – including a Defenders Speed Pass – to Comicpalooza 2015 are all still available through the Comicpalooza online store.

Con Report: Comicpalooza 2016 Celebrates All Walks of Pop Culture

The Blot could not believe the electricity in the air when I arrived at Comicpalooza 2016 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. In many ways, this year’s later date in June did wonders for the show. You could tell school was out with high attendance early on Friday. By the time I arrived at the convention just before noon, the halls were already jammed packed with children of all ages in awesome anime and super hero costumes. That’s the great part about “Texas' Largest Comic and Pop Culture Event”. It has done an amazing job appealing to so many different genres and fandoms.

Without a doubt you could feel the excitement all weekend long for the Aliens 30th Anniversary Cast Reunion. I spoke with diehard Alien fans from around the globe who had flown to Houston for this once in a lifetime event. By the time the Aliens Q&A panel and signings began on Saturday Comicpalooza had been invaded by an insane amount of Colonial Maries, Xenomorph and Ripley cosplayers. It was awesome! The lines to meet Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton and Paul Reiser were equally insane. You would not believe all of the epic Aliens memorabilia brought to the convention floor to be signed.

But it wasn’t just the Aliens cast reunion that brought excitement to the convention floor. You definitely couldn’t tell Charlie Hunnam had just been in Houston for a con earlier this month. Sons of Anarchy fans flocked to his booth all weekend long, making his corner of Comicpalooza one of the places to be this year. Other huge draws were Kate Beckinsale, Norman Reedus and the equally exciting Boondock Saints reunion. Comicpalooza was definitely all about celebrity signings and photo ops this year!

The Blot is always excited to meet the professional comic book guests Comicpalooza brings to Houston this year. I had great conversations with Adam Kubert, John Ostrander, Mike Zeck, Val Mayerik and Andy Belanger. Mayerik (the co-creator of Howard the Duck) was a real thrill to speak with as he has not been seen on the comic con scene in a number of years. But it was a huge honor to get to talk with comic book legend Ostrander, the creator of the modern day Suicide Squad. Ostrander’s work was a huge influence on me and you can see today how that book has not only influenced the current era of DC Comics, but also the DC movie universe with the upcoming live action Suicide Squad film.

It felt like Comicpalooza’s dealers section has also grown tremendously this year. The Blot was really excited to finally meet Alvin and Cheri Ong of Furry Feline Creatives. These extremely popular plush and resin figure creators recently relocated to Texas and were making their very first Comicpalooza appearance. While we’ve been covering their releases for years, this was the first time I’ve been able to see their work in person, and boy was I blown away!

While the list of professional comic book guests seemed lighter than in years past, The Blot was thrilled to see a huge increase at comic book vendors in the dealers section. You could really see a larger emphasis on comic books at this comic con, and I hope this trend continues!

This was definitely the first time in my seven years of attending/covering Comicpalooza that I felt like I just couldn’t do everything I actually wanted to do. The show has grown so much that there’s finally just too much to do it all. But that’s a great problem to have! This is one of the few conventions that continues to grow and improve year after year, and The Blot’s really proud it’s in my own backyard. The commitment the City of Houston has made to Comicpalooza is a great sign that it will! If you’re looking for a great convention to attend next year, make plans now to attend Comicpalooza 2017 on May 12-14.

The Cast of Aliens Invade Comicpalooza 2016 To Celebrate the Film’s 30th Anniversary!

Comicpalooza, Texas’ largest comic and pop culture convention, will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of James Cameron’s blockbuster hit movie Aliens by welcoming Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Jenette Goldstein, Mark Rolston and William Hope to Houston for Comicpalooza 2016 June 17th-19th! This marks the first time ever the Aliens cast has reunited in the United States, making Comicpalooza 2016 a truly once in a life time experience for fans of the iconic sci-fi franchise Alien. As John Simons, founder of Comicpalooza explained, “Last year someone asked me how we were going to top Comicpalooza 2015. This is our game changer.”

While traditionally scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, Comicpalooza 2016 will be held on June 17th-19th in Houston, Texas at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Weekend passes, single day tickets and even VIP passes for the event, along with tickets for autographs and photo ops, are on sale now here and here. Join The Blot this Thursday, June 2nd, from 7-8pm CST at the official Comicpalooza Twitter party where you can win FREE passes to Texas’ largest pop culture extravaganza!!!‪

Comicpalooza also welcomes other notable guests including actors Kate Beckinsale (Underworld), Lennie James (The Walking Dead), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), Walter Koenig (Star Trek) and David Prowse (Darth Vader), WWE Hall of Fame members Rik Flair and Arn Anderson, as well as comic book greats Adam Kubert, John Ostrander and Mike Zeck. Be sure to follow Comicpalooza on Twitter here for more details!

Houston FanFair Debuts with The Flash’s Jesse L. Martin's 1st US Convention Appearance

The Blot just got this exciting press release that I just had to pass along! Comicpalooza, the largest pop-culture con in Texas, is putting on a fan appreciation event on September 19-20 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Houston FanFair is a more intimate event than Comicpalooza, and is designed as a great entry-level event to bring friends who have never experienced a con before.

Guests scheduled to appear at Houston FanFair include Jesse L. Martin in his very first US convention appearance (Detective Joe West from The Flash), Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Grey DeLisle (Grammy and Emmy Award-winning popular voice actress) and Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/ Angel).

In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of SyFy's Battlestar Galactica, coming to Houston FanFair are series regulars Aaron Douglas (Chief Gaylen Tyrol), Kandyse Mcclure (Anastasia Dulles), Tahmoh Penikitt (Lt. Karl "Helo" Agathon) and Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh). Stay tuned for additional guest announcements.

Tickets to Comicpalooza’s inaugural Houston FanFair are just $25 for both days! How can you beat that!?! For tickets, signing and photo ops information and additional convention information, please visit www.comicpalooza.com.

Con Report: Comicpalooza 2015 Takes Things To The Next Level!

From the moment The Blot walked into Comicpalooza 2015 I was honesty blown away! I can honestly say Comicpalooza hit the big leagues this year and become one of the best pop culture conventions, not just in Texas, but in the country. With over 40,000 attendees over the four day Memorial Day weekend, this was hands down the best Comicpalooza I’ve attended since I first started going to the show 6 years ago. It is truly amazing how far this comic-con has come in just the past few years.

Comicpalooza 2015 took over the entire first floor of Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, the largest in Houston, and it did so without the Dealer’s Room looking sparse and over expanded. Such growth has clearly been driven by their focus on bringing in some of the biggest celebrity names from all corners of the pop culture landscape, including television, movies, comic books, professional wrestling, rock and roll, cosplay and anime. When you have names at the top of your guest list like Stan Lee, Jeremy Renner, Rosario Dawson, Cobie Smulders, Sting, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Kevin Eastman and the cast of Gotham (just to name a few), you’d be hard pressed not to draw impressive crowds.

What’s even more impressive is how Comicpalooza’s organizers have worked diligently to continue to improve the convention. To be honest, I heard (and witnessed) a lot of negative feedback about the organization of last year’s event. It was clear the show had grown significantly without making sure it had the necessary infrastructure in place. While something like this might have killed a smaller show, it was clear Comicpalooza took that criticism to heart and made sure to address those issues in a meaningful way this year. For instance, the celebrity photo-ops and autograph area was much better organized this year, the lines were shorter and all in all there was better communication – which is really the key for any successful con. I for one was very glad to see all of CP’s growing pains disappear!

I think the single biggest takeaway I have from Comicpalooza this year is that every single artist and vendor I spoke with told me how happy they were with the convention. Literally everyone told me they were super busy, had sold a ton of art/merchandise, and would definitely be making plans to attend Comicpalooza again next year. That’s really the biggest complement a comic-con like this can get. Not only does it mean they continue to stack the event with top notch guests, but with word of mouth like this even more big name celebrities, artists and vendors will want to come to Houston.

Personally, I had a fantastic time at Comicpalooza 2015! I just wish I could have spent even more time there than I already did. There were so many panels, meet-ups, performances and events throughout the weekend it’s literally impossible to do it all. No matter what corner of the pop culture universe you are a fan of there is definitely something at Comicpalooza for you! So go ahead and start planning your trip to Houston now for next Memorial Day Weekend, because you won’t be sorry!

Comicpalooza 2015 Brings Iconic Stars of the Comic Book Industry to Texas this Weekend!

While many pop culture conventions around the country have started to ignore the comic book industry, Houston’s very own Comicpalooza still realizes you can’t be a comic-con without comics! For this weekend’s event, Comicpalooza has invited some truly iconic comic book artists and writers as featured guests of Texas’ largest pop culture convention. Along with legendary creator Stan “The Man” Lee, Comicpalooza welcomes superstar creators Walt and Louise Simonson, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kevin Eastman, and Bone creator Jeff Smith! As if that wasn’t enough, Comicpalooza is also bringing in two of The Blot’s all-time favorite comic book writers, Peter David and J.M. DeMatteis!

But that’s not all! This weekend will also feature legendary comic book artists like Simon Bisley, co-creator of the New Mutants, Bob McLeod, and Greg Horn. Throw in some fantastic indie creators like Katie Cook, Joe Eisma, Janet Lee, Paul Maybury and Thom Zahler, and you’ve got one of the best (and diverse) comic-con line-ups in the southwest. The Blot can’t wait to meet all these super talented creators, and many more, this weekend at Comicpalooza 2015!

Weekend passes, single day tickets and VIP passes to Comicpalooza 2015 are all still available through the Comicpalooza online store. Readers of The Blot Says can use the coupon code “HoustonNerdsUnite2015” during checkout and receive $5 off the purchase of 4 day passes, or $3 off the purchase of a 1 day pass!

WWE Fans: Comicpalooza 2015 is Bringing the Biggest Names in Professional Wrestling to Houston!

Every year Comicpalooza focuses on two or three areas of pop culture and really brings in some heavy hitting guests. While the past two years they’ve hosted some phenomenal professional wrestling stars, this year Comicpalooza turned it up another notch! And that’s saying a lot considering last year’s guests included former world champions and WWE Hall of Famers, Brett “Hitman Hart and Kevin Nash!

For Comicpalooza 2015, Houston’s premiere comic-con is hosting some of the biggest names in WWE’s history, including a number of surefire hall of famers and multiple world champions! This year’s guest list includes “The Icon” Sting, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Booker T and Sharmell, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Ron Simmons, “The ECW Original” Tommy Dreamer, and The Godfather. That’s nine HUGE guests and it’s not even a wrestling show. I might even go so far as to say this is the best professional wrestling guest line-up of any comic-con this year!

With a WWE line-up like this, how can you not attend Comicpalooza 2015 if you live in Texas or the surrounding area!?! Weekend passes, single day tickets and VIP passes to Comicpalooza 2015 are all still available through the Comicpalooza online store. Readers of The Blot Says can use the coupon code “HoustonNerdsUnite2015” during checkout and receive $5 off the purchase of 4 day passes, or $3 off the purchase of a 1 day pass!

Star Wars’ Chewbacca, Peter Mayhew, comes to Houston's Comicpalooza 2015!

It’s Star Wars Day, so what better time to announce one of the star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be in attendance at Houston’s Comicpalooza 2015. Ever since The Blot first started attending Comicpalooza they’ve always made sure to have at least one awesome Star Wars guest, and this year it’s none other the much beloved Peter Mayhew! After starring as Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the 7’4” actor will be reprising his role as the Wookiee co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon this winter in Episode VII. The Blot can’t wait to meet this iconic Star Wars actor while covering the convention later this month!!!

Comicpalooza 2015 takes place this Memorial Day Weekend (May 22-25) at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Weekend passes, single day tickets and VIP passes to Comicpalooza are all still available through the Comicpalooza online store. Readers of The Blot Says can use the coupon code “HoustonNerdsUnite2015” during checkout and receive $5 off the purchase of 4 day passes, or $3 off the purchase of a 1 day pass.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Invades Houston’s Comicpalooza 2015!

For the third straight year The Blot will be heading to Houston’s Comicpalooza to cover the ever-expanding pop culture extravaganza! While Texas’ preeminent comic-con has definitely expanded beyond just comic books, its biggest guests this year are all associated with Marvel Comics in some way. If you live anywhere in or around Texas this is one comic convention you will not want to miss! Comicpalooza 2015 is once again headlined by the patriarch of the Marvel super hero universe, Stan “The Man” Lee, and he’s bringing with him three huge stars from the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

The most exciting name on this year’s Comicpalooza guest list is Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner! I’ve been told this is the very first comic con appearance (outside of SDCC) for the Avengers: Age of Ultron star, so this will be fans’ first opportunity to take pictures with and get autographs from the MCU’s Hawkeye. The Blot’s personal favorite guest this year is Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother!!!) who has appeared in The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Avengers: Age of Ultron as SHIELD agent Maria Hill. But that’s not all! Comicpalooza is also bringing in Agent Carter herself, Hayley Atwell!

That’s three huge stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe at one convention with Stan Lee. How can you miss out on a convention with this kind of guest list!?! Weekend passes, single day tickets and VIP passes to Comicpalooza 2015 are all still available through the Comicpalooza online store. Readers of The Blot Says can use the coupon code “HoustonNerdsUnite2015” during checkout and receive $5 off the purchase of 4 day passes, or $3 off the purchase of a 1 day pass!

Con Report: Comicpalooza 2014

Last Memorial Day The Blot attended my fifth Comicpalooza, and without a doubt it was the best one yet! I was blown away from the minute I walked in the doors on Friday. I’m honestly a little concerned because I don’t know how Comicpalooza can top this one. Their guest list this year was A+ and they continued to add big name guests the week of the show.

Without a doubt the stars of the weekend were Stan Lee and the cast of Marvel’s Agents of SHILED, with Doctor Who’s John Barrowman and the four Doctors a close second. All weekend long there was a mob of people waiting in line to meet and greet these geek icons. I couldn’t believe the autograph lines Friday at lunch time, a time when cons are usually a little slow. It was really interesting to note how many Arrow fans were in line to meet Barrowman. Now that he’s a series regular on Arrow it’ll be interesting to see if he’s still the Doctor Who/Torchwood guy or if Malcolm Merlyn is taking over!

It felt like there was a great emphasis on panels this year and the fans responded with long lines and packed halls! Another few years like this and Comicpalooza may be able to start competing with the nation’s top comic-cons. While the con definitely had some growing pains – the use of their new app as the only program seemed to be a huge flop – all in all the weekend solidified Comicpalooza as the preeminent comic-con in the state of Texas.

Beyond the rows of B and C-list celebrities, was one of the great comic-centric shows I’ve been to in a long time. The Blot ended up spending most of my time talking to some of the amazing talent Comicpalooza brought in like Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Don Rosa, Kevin Maguire, Aaron Lopresti and Nick Pitarra. I even learned one of my favorite inkers, Doug Hazelwood, lived in Texas! Who know? There’s nothing better than listening to their stories of life in the industry, especially Adams and Steranko. I’d heard stories of their showmanship, and neither icons disappointed.

Although I wasn’t able to take advantage of Comicpalooza expanding to four days, on Sunday I got to meet one of my childhood heroes, Bret “Hitman” Hart! The Blot’s always wanted to meet The HItman, and I was blown away by how nice and humble the seven time world champion is still today. I’m sure I sounded like an idiot as I geeked out meeting him, but what can you do!?!

All in all Comicpalooza 2014 was a really great experience. I just wish I’d had more time at the convention! There was so much I didn’t have time to do and see. I wasn’t even able to make it through my list of people to see and interview. I guess I’ll just have to make up for it next year!

The Blot’s Heading to Comicpalooza 2014!

We’re just a week away from Comicpalooza 2014, Texas’ international comic-con, and The Blot can’t wait! I’ve been attending Texas’ best pop culture extravaganza the past four years, and every year this show out does itself. It’s literally gotten bigger each year…bigger named guests, bigger attendance and bigger overall convention space! Comicpalooza is even expanding this year to four whole days! It’s really impressive what this small little comic convention has become, and 2014 is shaping up to be a banner year for Comicpalooza. Plus, The Blot will be there all weekend covering the event!

What really sets this show apart from other conventions is its amazing line up of actors, artists and sports entertainers. This year Comicpalooza is hosting some of my all time favorite comic book artists, including Jim Steranko, Mike Mignola, Kevin Maguire, Aaron Lopresti and Greg Capullo! I love the mix of old school icons like Steranko, Neal Adams and Disney’s Don Rosa, mixed in with up and coming all-stars like David Petersen, Shane Davis, Nick Pitarra and Paul Maybury. Mix in indie legend James O’Barr and there’s literally something for everyone at this show!

It’s not a true comic-con these days without a long list of Hollywood stars from comic book adaptations, sci-fi shows and cult classic movies. As I highlighted in The Blot’s Top 5 Celebrity Guests at Comicpalooza 2014 post, this year Comicpalooza is bringing in the cast of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Elizabeth Henstridge and J. August Richards), four Doctors from Doctor Who (Fifth Doctor Peter Davison, Sixth Doctor Colin Baker, Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy and Eight Doctor Paul McGann), Captain Jack Harkness himself John Barrowman, and Billy Dee Williams a.k.a. Star Wars’ Lando Clarissian!

Comicpalooza is also bringing in the cast of AMC’s Comic Book Men, a number of actors from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Power Rangers, as well as Cary Elwes, Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols, Lou Ferrigno, Rose McGowan, BSG's Tricia Helfer and so many more! There are even professional wrestling stars like Bret “Hitman” Hart and Kevin Nash! How can you not want to check out this event!?!

Comicpalooza 2014 takes place in Houston, Texas on Memorial Day weekend (May 23-26). Tickets (both weekend passes and individual day passes) are still available, so head over to the Comicpalooza online store and pick yours up today! The Blot hopes to see you there…