C2E2 2015 Was a Pop Culture Explosion of Greatness

I spent the weekend having a blast at C2E2 (Chicagoland Comic and Entertainment Expo ) 2015 Thousands of fans, hundreds of vendors and dozens of celebrities helped make this C2E2 the biggest and best yet.

As usual, C2E2 brings in a virtual All-Star lineup of wrestlers. Old school stars like Sgt. Slaughter, Jerry “the King” Lawler and Road Warrior Animal are icons. Others like Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, Tommy Dreamer, Rikishi, Al Snow, Alberto Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez, Ken Kennedy and Tommy Dreamer are all future Hall of Famers. It would be very difficult to assemble a larger, better group of wrestlers at a non-wrestling event.

The Artist Alley was full of talented, friendly creators of all sorts. They were all there to sell stuff or make new fans, but they all seem to genuinely like interacting with people. I reconnected with some of my favorites, like best-selling author James Finn Garner, award-winning Parodist Paul Erickson, illustrator extraordinaire Sara Richard and writer-author Dirk Manning. They are as friendly as they are talented.

I also met plenty of great creators for the first time. I talked to illustrators including Meredith Finch (Wonder Woman), Tom Richmond (Mad), Dan Parent (Archie) and many more. I watched them sketch their characters into life, while also doing commissions for fans.

WWE star-turned MMA fighter CM Punk was one of the most popular attractions. Punk also has some experience in the comic book world. I’m happy to report he seemed relaxed and happy all weekend and his hometown Chicago audience showered him with love.

I also ventured to the vendor area where you could find virtually anything pop culture-related. As my friends know, I love Aquaman, but it isn’t easy finding Aquaman stuff. I found plenty of Aquaman merchandise, including ear rings, coasters and many beautiful prints. My wallet was lighter, but my bag was full of Aquaman goodies.

Another interesting element of C2E2 is you never know who you will see. Actress Monique Dupree was on hand, as well as wrestling promoter (and #SuperFriend) David Herro. Resistance Pro wrestler Eric St. Vaughn actually joined my Johngy’s Beat crew for a day, too. I met fitness experts Jessica Gousha and Tommy Else, too.

Those are the normal unexpected people. I also saw a zombie Rowdy Roddy Piper, a group of six versions of Spiderman, Beeker, a guy in a CM Punk-inspired body suit and much more. I also saw way to many Jokers (and none of them as the cool old school Cesar Romero Joker).

C2E2 was a spectacular in every sense. I must also commend the event staff at C2E2 for making sure everything ran smoothly. Despite the crowds, there was plenty of room. The lines were long at times (because the various attractions were so popular), but they moved quickly. I have nothing but praise for the event start to finish.