Having covered a variety of events throughout southeast and mid-Michigan, I must say that each have their own distinct flavor. In fact, that’s one reason why I don’t get tired of the better shows in the area. And now that Michigan Comic Convention (formerly Michigan Comic Con) has returned for a second go-round, I hope to make this an annual summer tradition of mine.
Much like last year, it all went down in the Cobo Center in Downtown Detroit, only there was much more to take in on the showroom floor. As I’d hoped, the number of vendors had seemingly doubled, thereby causing me to spend more cash than I’ll confess in this article. It was also cool to see Disney/Marvel Studios set up a table handing out free posters and other goodies, which, as you may have figured, were scooped up by lucky attendees in short order.
Suffice it to say, a respectable amount of comic creators had booths set up. It was pretty hard to miss legendary artist Neal Adams’ niche that he carved out, and I’m glad to say that I had the privilege of interviewing him. We talked about some of his upcoming work in the industry and his opinion regarding some of the comic book-based movies and TV shows out there right now, so stay tuned to We Got This Covered for that exciting stuff.
In addition to the quintessential Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow artist just mentioned, the likes of Gene Ha, Ron Lim, Joe Rubinstein, Greg Horn, and many other great talents were also onsite. Big thanks go to Jason Moore (Batman: Haunted Gotham, The Dead) for the awesome sketch cover depicting the likeness of Michael Keaton’s Caped Crusader.
Of course, an event of this kind wouldn’t be complete without its share of celebrity guests. For this writer, the biggest reward came in the form of meeting Batman Forever and Top Gun star Val Kilmer, though I’m sure the Harry Potter lovers in attendance won’t soon forget their meeting with Matthew Lewis. And if those fellas weren’t enough, several Power Rangers actors were there in full effect, not to mention the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles voice cast.
Before I get out of here, I’d like to point out how the arcade was a welcome addition to the con floor. In short, the organizers made sure to supply a hearty helping of video games and pinball machines to occupy those looking to make their weekend experience a little more robust in between attending panels and such. Getting to play Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 transported me back to a simpler time known as the 1990’s, as I dealt out pain with the help of my old buddy, Sub-Zero.
Regardless of whether you were at 2019’s Michigan Comic Convention or not, we invite to browse the gallery found above. In it, you’ll be able to glimpse photos of our favorite cosplayers, as well as some of the guests and sights previously mentioned. If this at all looks appealing to you, then I suggest you plan on attending 2020’s show once that rolls around. You won’t regret it.
