Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo 2012 Preview!

This weekend kicks off one the biggest comic book conventions in the country, as C2E2 (or Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo for those unfamiliar with the more comic book fan term for the event) gets underway beginning this Friday, April 13th at the North Building at McCormick Place.  The festivities open to the general public on Friday at 1:00PM and will conclude for everyone on Sunday the 15th at 5:00PM.  As always, this year’s show has no shortage of interesting panels, comic book talent, and big celebrity guests.  If you’re planning on going this year, or if you want to just get all the details on the list of guests and great things going on, keep reading!  I’m here to give you as much of a guide as possible to this year’s show!Comic Book GuestsOnce again, C2E2 will NOT disappoint in regards to who will be there from the wide world of comics.  There’s a pretty big list of attendees this year, some of the biggest being noted writer Gail Simone, writer and artist George Perez, mega writer for DC Geoff Johns, Dan Slott, he of the MANY Marvel books over the years, as well as Batman architect Scott Snyder.  Wait!  There’s even more!!!  All around good guy Mark Waid will be there, as well as Bill Willingham, creator of the massively successful Vertigo title Fables.  Two of Marvel’s most influential men will also attend, with Alex Alonso, Marvel’s Editor in Chief, and Joe Quesada, Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer, making appearances alongside Jeph Loeb, representing Marvel’s television division.  Also present, living legends Neal Adams and Joe Kubert will be on hand to greet and meet fans of their work.  Jason Aaron and J. Michael Straczynski will be there to discuss and meet fans of not only their previous work, but two new projects, Avengers vs. X-Men and Before Watchmen,respectively.  There will be plenty of others, so fear not!  Plenty of talent is on the schedule!Literary and Entertainment GuestsTwo of the very high-profile names making an appearance at this year’s convention include mega-bestselling authors Anne Rice (Interview With the Vampire) and Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, which have been turned into the hit TV series True Blood.  Other guests cover a wide range of animation, film, television, and other mediums.  Guests such as Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), John Barrowman (Torchwood, Doctor Who), Nicholas Brendon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) , Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings), Val Kilmer (The Doors, The Saint, Batman Forever) and John Cusak just to name a few.  Two series regulars from The Walking Dead, Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan, will also be on hand to enjoy the fans and the atmosphere.  Every celebrity will have a different schedule and may only be available for certain days of the convention, so be sure, if you are attending, to check accordingly and be sure to be aware of any last minute cancellations.  These, sadly, do happen, so hopefully you won’t miss your chance to catch one or more of your favorites this weekend!Panels and Special Events There will be a host of panels this year, with an array of times and topics.  Several panels will focus on the emerging role of comic books in the classroom and ways that teachers can utilize the medium to impact student learning. Other panels will focus on comic book and graphic novel collecting, and some will even talk about the nuts and bolts of working in the comic book industry.  Certain comic book companies, such as Aspen, will have panels as well, and there will be a Spider-Man panel from Marvel on Saturday.  Other events include a Humans vs. Zombies mini game on multiple days, a focus on cosplay and the nuts and bolts behind that process, and a question and answer session with Neal Adams.  There will also be a special panel on censorship and comic books, another timely issue.  Marvel will have a special, Sunday only panel focusing on their Ultimate universe, and be sure to check out the Star Wars Imperial Academy panel as well on Sunday!  A special auction will be taking place, with items, costumes, posters, set pieces and more from the film Captain America: The First Avenger up for sale this weekend.  Charity events will also take place, along with a sporting round of Quidditch!  Yes, the Harry Potter game makes a triumphant return to the C2E2 grounds this coming weekend!  There are tons and tons more going on this weekend, so check here for more information.