This year, the Illinois Comic Convention was once again held at the Peoria Civics Center. It was this weekend, November 22nd & 23rd from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM on Saturday and 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Sunday. Visitors were able to observe and purchase various things related to comic books, cartoons & anime, games, movies, and other pop culture. Run by VXV Events, the Comic Con hosted various vendors with different items for sale such as props & jewelry, comics & books, artwork & posters, toys & figurines, and other references to pop culture such as signs and character icons. Artists and creative builders showcased their works both for display and for purchase as fans roamed around engaging in conversations about their shared interests both with vendors and other attendees.
On Saturday, a Cosplay Contest was held, where attendees who were dressed up in costume could show off their look. In many cases, people in cosplay had built or designed their own costume, so the contest was also to show off their creative skills in that sense. The primary judge of the contest was a professional cosplay influencer who goes by Little Red Fox. Appearances were made by such characters as Hollow Knight, Dr. Doom, The Mandalorian, Superman, and even a mother and baby dressed as Lois and Stewie Griffin. It was very clear that people put in a lot of work (and money) to get some very impressive costumes, and it was very clear that the people in cosplay were very excited to show off to everyone at the contest.
This year’s Comic Con had some very special guest stars attending with their own panels. Big names appeared such as Billy West (Bugs Bunny, Shaggy, The Red M&M, Philip Fry, etc.), Matt Ryan (John Constantine), Steve Cardenas & Karan Ashley (Red & Yellow Power Rangers), Khary Payton (Cyborg, King Ezekiel), as well as the cast of Death Note, which included Brian Drummod, Brad Swaile, Alessandro Juliani, and more. Attendees were able to meet these celebrities and get autographs & photographs and ask questions. Another special guest attending was Steve Burns from Blue’s Clues. Steve was a big hit and made it known that he was donating all of the proceeds that went to him from autographs, photos, and other things all to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. An interesting fact about actors and voice actors (especially true for voice actors) is that they never play just one character. These guests have a large portfolio of characters that they’ve played, some more famous than others. Looking at these names, especially ones like Billy West, one could most definitely find at least one character that they’ve seen before without knowing the voice behind it. It was very neat to be talking to a guy who had been behind some of the most iconic characters in cartoon history.
The convention drew in a pretty good number of people of all ages. Kids and adults alike all gathered to enjoy their interests alongside hundreds of other people with the same love for comics, anime, games, and more. There’s not a guarantee that the Illinois Comic Con will be at the Civics Center again next year, but it is always one of their top location choices. So if you’re interested in any sort of media and pop culture, I highly recommend spending a day at Comic Con, whether it’s the annual Illinois Comic Con or not.
