By Logan Fairchild
After 33 years of fan service, the Motor City Comic Con (MC3) continues pulling in big names and crowds to the mitten state.
Initially founded in 1989 by comics retailer Michael Goldman, MC3 returned this year from Oct. 14 through 16 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
Some guests included Alice Cooper, Matt Smith, Karen Gillian, Arthur Darvill, Alex Kingston, Cassandra Peterson, and original Hocus Pocus stars Omri Katz, James Marsden, and Vinessa Shaw. As well as a whole host of comic writers and artists.
You could meet your favorite guests on one end by waiting in the autograph line at their table or purchasing a photo op with them.
You wouldn’t get long in the photo session. Two small studios sectioned off by curtains were at the end of your wait. The event was well organized, so the lines moved quickly and on time. But you were given 30 seconds with your celebrity icon before being rushed out and down the photo pickup line.
Autographs would give you a better chance to chat with a guest, but depending on who you wanted to see, the wait could be longer, and you better carry cash. Otherwise, you may have to trek the entire show floor in search of the one lonely ATM.
On the opposite end of the showroom was Artist Alley, boasting over a hundred artists promoting and selling their art to like-minded individuals.
A more extensive litany of merchandise tables held the most concentrated mass of congoers in the middle. You’re immediately welcomed with a massive cave of officially licensed t-shirts that make up only one of the booths. You could easily spend the whole day perusing this section alone.
But the event wasn’t just shopping and celebrity meet and greets. The con also featured panels, cosplay contests, an anime screening room, a hangout spot for kids, a Hocus Pocus movie screening with the stars, and a showcase of film cars that you could pose next to. There was also “An Evening with” the Doctor Who stars on Sunday for an extra cost.
Some of the panels and other special events included: portfolio reviews with the Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Design, sketch duels against three artists commanded by the audience, an SFX makeup demo, and a celebrity panel for every guest.
There was even a section of tables and concessions for you to sit down and enjoy when you needed a break, which was much needed after you spent hours wading through the packed crowds.
No longer just for comic book nerds – horror, music, video games, anime, and sci-fi have all got their claws in the comic con universe now. MC3 provides an excellent outlet for Michiganders who may never be able to make it to a larger convention.
