It’s official, Comicpalooza has taken over Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center for its annual celebration of all things pop culture! This year is especially exciting as the Texas pop culture festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Attendees will be able to explore more than 1,000 hours of action-packed programming and entertainment across the 1.2 million square-feet of convention space.
For those of you not familiar with Comicpalooza, it’s a three-day, multi-format show comprised of interactive panel sessions, an expansive exhibition hall and special events. Notable highlights for Comicpalooza 2018 include:
- A premier guest lineup, featuring leading actors Tom Holland, John Cusack, Krysten Ritter, Charlie Cox, Michael Chiklis, Jeri Ryan, Brent Spiner, Ruth E. Carter, Edward James Olmos, Walton Goggins, Orlando Jones, Tricia Helfer, Ray Park and Ross Marquand. The roster also includes famed comic book creators Scottie Young, Mark Waid, Michael Golden, Paul Pope and more.
- The Comicpalooza Cosplay Contest presented by BBVA Compass invites attendees to display their unique, hand-crafted costumes and props of popular characters found in movies, TV shows, comic books, cartoons, as well as video and card games. The Crossplay Contest, drag cosplay, is an adult-only show on Friday, May 25 while kids can showcase their alter egos in the Kid’s Cosplay Contest on Sunday, May 27.
- A distinguished literature lineup that includes authors Joe R. Lansdale, Seanan McGuire, Mat Johnson, Martha Wells, among others. Attendees will have the chance to participate in panels, fan roundtables, read and critique sessions, as well as writing workshops.
- The Comicpalooza Film Festival showcases original works submitted by filmmakers from around the world and reviewed by a panel of judges. Attendees will have a chance to view the selected finalists throughout the three-day event as part of their admission. This year, the festival will also feature the drive-in classic, Night of the Living Dead, on Saturday night.
- The Maker’s Space presented by BBVA Compass is driven by STEM, presenting new technology like robotics and 3D printing for the creative and curious to explore.
- New programming additions include from the Overwatch League, the Official Houston Outlaws Watch Party on Friday night, as well as live entertainment that spans ice sculpting, magicians, dancers and music throughout the weekend.
This year, Comicpalooza will partner with Adult Swim, the number one-rated network among young adults on basic cable for the past decade, as part of its ongoing efforts to bring fresh, pop culture content to viewers. During Comicpalooza, Adult Swim will be screening trailers for the new season of its hit anime series, “FLCL,” which tells the story of a guitar-swinging heroine battling against a massively powerful industrial corporation and the 12-year-old boy caught in the middle. Now, more than 15 years since its original launch in Japan, Adult Swim and Production IG will premiere two seasons on Toonami, Adult Swim’s popular anime block, beginning Saturday, June 2 at 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The new seasons will bring together members of the original anime team, as well as a new generation of creators.
In the spirit of Comicpalooza, downtown Houston will also host free, public events that include a Friday night screening of The Dark Knight at Discovery Green and Saturday night’s Comicpalooza’s After Party on the Avenida presented by Saint Arnold that will feature a live performance by Austin’s Ghostland Observatory.