Heading to Motor City Comic Con 2017

Since 2007, the Motor City Comic Con has been a yearly staple on my calendar. In just under two weeks, I will be back at the MCCC, immersing myself in a cornucopia of pop culture.

Every year, the MCCC packs the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi (MI) with celebrities, artists, vendors and more. In turn, thousands of attendees pack the Suburban Collection Showplace for the three day event.

While I never miss the MCCC, each year I look at the guest list to see if there is any one celebrity which makes the 5 hour trip worth it. Every year, there are several celebrities, who by themselves, would be enough to get me there. Together, they make a power-packed guest line up. This year is no exception.

This year, for me, any one of actress Barbara Eden, musician Marky Ramone or actor Anthony Michael Hall would be enough to get me to attend. The even better news is that they all will be there. I have not met any of them and I am excited to add them to my collection.

Of course, the celebrity list only starts with them. Wrestlers Sting, Lita (Amy Dumas) and Vader will be there. Actors Wil Wheaton, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Sean Astin LeVar Burton, Michael Rooker, Mena Suvari, Lou Ferrigno, Jason David Frank and many others will be appearing.

Artist Alley, filled with artists, writers and creators of all sorts, is another area I thoroughly enjoy. Over the years, I have made quite a few friends “in the Alley” and every year I make new friends there. As usual, I am looking to reconnecting with Sara Richard, Dirk Manning, Chris Burnham, Sean Forney and more. These talented folks are very fan-friendly. Many do sketches on site and I can just watch them create beautiful pictures all day. I’ve had several of these artists do commissions for me and those proudly hang in my home.

To be honest, I don’t spend much time in the vendor area, but I have purchased the occasional odd Aquaman item there. The vendors are plentiful and they sell fun stuff, but I am more interested in the celebrities and creators.

Another fun aspect of MCCC is people watching. Specifically, I always look for any Aquaman fans. Aquaman is not a favorite among cosplayers, but I usually see one or two in the crowd and I always get a picture with any Aquaman I see.

Aside from my Aquaman obsession, I know I will see plenty of cool costumes. You can always count on folks dressed as The Joker, Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Batman, characters from Star Wars and so many more. Some of the costumes are very intense and creative. Some are simple. All are fun and all costumed folks have fun, as do all of us people-watchers.

The Suburban Collection Showplace is conveniently located in Novi. There are plenty of great restaurant and bar options nearby and I have tried many of them. Each year it gets harder to make food decisions because of the number of excellent choices.

In the many years I have attended the MCCC, there was only one real issue. One year, the parking was a bit chaotic. Since then, measures have been taken to ease the flow of traffic and the parking situation.

If I have painted a picture of a fantastic experience, it is simply because the MCCC is a fantastic experience. My job in presenting it is quite easy. I just report what I have seen over the last decade. I can’t wait to see what fun unfolds this year!