RI Comic Con 2015: Bring on the Weird!

Ryan Fox

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, it’s not Christmas. But if you’re a comic book fanboy, sci-fi nerd, or just a fan of people watching, it is pretty darned close. That’s right folks, it’s time for the 2015 Rhode Island Comic Con at the Rhode Island Convention Center - November 6-8. Because of last year’s big turnout for Comic Con, you get -- not one, not two, but -- three days to let your inner comic book fan to let loose.

​Now I know there are those who a familiar with the RI Comic Con but there are some of you out there that RI Comic Con 2015 will be your first Con that you would be attending. If this is your first Con and  you don’t know what to do, below are just some of the following things to look forward to at this year’s Comic Con.

Vehicle Display

​What the? What do cars have to do with RI Comic Con? They’re not exactly your parent’s old Chevy Nova or Ford Pinto. You will get to see such classic vehicles like Herbie the Love Bug and  Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine. Additionally, this year you’ll see the Batmobile and Batpod from the Dark Knight Trilogy, Black Beauty from the Green Hornet, a S.H.I.E.L.D vehicle from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and much more.

​Cosplay

Ah yes. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable things about Comic Con. It’s perhaps one of the few times where you can dress up as your favorite character and not be judged. Well okay…you will be judged but not like that. Rather, cosplayers can enter into a Costume Contest where the winner can walk away with $5,000 and become immortalized in Comic Con lore. So, break out that Batman costume you wore on Halloween and wear it with pride. You are among fellow cosplaying fans. Just make sure you follow proper dress codes. After all, there will be a younger audience in attendance.

Gaming Events

Say you’re not into dressing up, checking out vehicles, trying to get autographs, or a fan of artwork. Don’t worry. You can check out the many gaming tournaments throughout the entire event. For you video game lovers, GameStop will be hosting different video game tournaments (i.e. Call of Duty, Halo, Super Smash Brothers) on Saturday and Sunday. Also, you better assemble your best deck for the Magic the Gathering as well as Pokémon the Trading Card Game tournaments being held at the same time.

​Adult Venues

Sorry, let me clarify. What I mean by Adult Venues, I mean stuff for the older crowds. For those who fall into the 18+ crowd, there are things specifically designed for you. On both Friday and Saturday night, there’s the RI Comic Con AfterParty, each with different themes (Video Game Party theme on Friday and 80's Theme on Saturday).

Party goers will be able to sink karaoke, enjoy drinks, and even get a chance to hang out with a celebrity guest. Also if you’re down on your luck in dating, you can try out RI Comic Con’s Speed Dating. Be careful with your time though, otherwise it’ll be run out faster than QuickSilver and The Flash in a foot race.

Finally, for those couples who want to live out a comic book wedding or have their favorite characters permanently pair up with each other, you can actually be married during the convention. Just be sure to have all the proper paperwork though otherwise you won’t be able to have your Spider-Man/Mary Jane wedding fantasy come true.

Special Guests

Carrie Fisher

Peter Cullen

Harry Winkler

Ted DiBiase

If there is one thing that RI Comic Con goers always look forward to it’s this: “Who is going to be at this year’s Comic Con?” This year, headlining the guest lists are some bigtime Hollywood names such as Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher, Ron Pearlman (Sons of Anarchy, Hellboy, Blacklist), and Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones, and the upcoming 2016 Aquaman film). 

For the older crowd, you’ll be hit with a big time blast from the past with the likes of Henry Winkler, aka the Fonz from Happy Days, Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), and the original Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno.

If you’re into cartoons, you’ll definitely be in for a big time treat, as legendary voice actors Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Robotnik), Frank Welker (Megatron, Fred), Kevin Conroy (Batman), and Charles Martinet (Mario) will be there. Not to mention Will Friedle (Terry McGinnis from Batman Beyond), Tom Kenney (Heffer, SpongeBob Squarepants, Ice King), the lovely EG Daily (Tommy Pickles), and many more will be in attendance.

But if you’re not into movie stars or voice actors but a fan of some old school wrestling, then you’re in for a treat. Attending will be Roy Farris, aka The Honky Tonk Man, WWE Hall of Famer, Ted DiBiase, aka The Million Dollar Man, and Sean Waltman, aka X-Pac, as well as many others.

I would love to talk more about RI Comic Con but I don’t want to spoil it for ya. So get your calendars and get your tickets now. Otherwise in the words of the Soup Nazi, no comic con for you!

(For more information, checkout the official RI Comic Con website)