Mayor Daley Commends Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo Organizers

Looks like 'hizzoner' Mayor Daley has taken notice of the upcoming Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo that will be held at the McCormick Center in April.  The question I have is, when's the last time 'Da Mayor' has ever read a comic book?  And is he a Marvel or a DC guy?  These are questions that someone on the City Hall beat really should pose to him. Heh.:


Norwalk, CT, March 3, 2010:  Officials at C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo), which is set to debut April 16 - 18, 2010 at McCormick Place in Chicago, have announced that over 250 artists have now been confirmed to appear in its Artist Alley.  Convention organizers also note that there will be a total of 175 panels and screenings at C2E2 featuring top guests from every field of creative endeavor in the pop culture world.  Additionally, there will be 200 exhibitors at the convention, creating an unparalleled business opportunity for all participants.  In a recent announcement (December 4, 2009), Diamond Comic Distributors announced that they will hold their Diamond Retailer Summit in Chicago in conjunction with C2E2.

"We are working furiously on all fronts and our debut in Chicago will be enormous," notes Lance Fensterman, Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2.  "Our Artist Alley now looks like it will be almost as big as New York Comic Con and the guests who we have already announced are among the top names in the pop culture universe.  In addition, we are creating a first class business environment where our most important customers will be meeting with their most important customers.  From the moment we first started thinking about building a massive pop culture event in Chicago, we knew we had to combine business with entertainment, and this is exactly what we have done."

Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago states: "Comic books, with their innovative art work and creative storytelling, are reaching larger and larger audiences every year.  Some of the most compelling new art in America is being made by the people represented here at C2E2.  I commend the organizers for bringing this exciting Expo to our city and wish you all a memorable event."

Show officials note that top exhibitors will be participating in C2E2 including: Aspen, Dark Horse, Image, Nintendo, Oni Press, Quirk Books, Random House, and Tonner.  Both DC and Marvel will have 2500 square foot booths.  "We are generating enthusiasm and attention for pop culture in the Midwest," Fensterman concludes.  "We are hearing about ancillary events that will be taking place in Chicago during C2E2 which are building on our own major show and presence.  This is exactly what we had hoped for ... a huge celebration that satisfies the fans and brings attention to our customers as well as their artists and creators."

As noted, the C2E2 Artist Alley will boast more than 250 artists.  Among some of the top artists who will be appearing in the C2E2 Artist Alley are Mark Bagley, Art Baltazar, Terry and Rachel Dodson, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Jim Valentino.  These artists join many other creators participating in C2E2 including Keystone Guest of Honor Alex Ross as well as 75 other Guests of Honor and Featured Guests.

Organizers for C2E2 note that tickets for the show are selling fast and so all fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance!  For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit www.C2E2.com or check out the show's official blog, MediumAtLarge at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2.

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:

The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF).  New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events.  In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC.  C2E2, which will debut April 16 - 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo.  Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.