Highlights from C2E2 2022!
This past weekend, I attended my tenth C2E2, which stands for Chicago Comic Entertainment Expo. Because of the pandemic, the con was not back at its full potential yet. Hopefully, when it is back in March, it will be back to how it used to be. While the con was smaller than in previous years, it was still a ton of fun. So here are some highlights from the weekend.
Friday
Friday is always the least crowded day, so it is the best day to shop. There were no panels or anything I wanted to see this day, so it was just a day of walking around and shopping. I got my favorite purchase of the weekend— a Max Rebo geeky tiki! I also did a lot of people-watching, which is always a fun thing to do at a con. Later, I met Claudia Gray, the author of many Star Wars books. I got her to sign my copy of The High Republic: Fallen Star and Leia: Princess of Alderaan. She was a total sweetheart!
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Saturday
There were two panels I was looking forward to today. The first one was the Billy Dee Williams Spotlight panel. The panel started with the moderator coming out on stage and calling a kid up on stage. This kid was going to have the honor to play sabacc (well their version of sabacc), on stage against Billy Dee Williams. He explained how the game worked (the two of clubs was needed to win), and then Billy Dee Williams came out on stage, and they started playing. The game was going well until Billy put down a joker, which is not a card that is in the game. Turns out, Billy had the winning card in his pocket. This checked out as Lando was always known to cheat. After cards, it was Q&A time. Williams talked about how he approached a role as a black man in science fiction with the idea that he is a “full spectrum of colors, and we always move from dark to light.” He also stated that he would want to work with director Orson Wells if he was still alive.
When the perennial question of favorite lightsaber color came up, he went through a list of all the colors before settling on green. He added that being involved in the Star Wars franchise was a “major step in his career,” but he has also done some other “really wonderful movies as well.” He went on to joke that “Star Wars is like an annuity.”
This panel was really fun, and Billy gave some straightforward and honest answers, which was nice to see.
Next up was the Inquisitors panel with Moses Ingram and Rupert Friend, with a special guest joining later. Friend called Obi-Wan Kenobi “a reunion for Hayden and Ewan, but it’s been a while since they did it, so they’re a little creaky.” He then joked about how he and Ingram were the “fresh meat.” Concerning his role as Grand Inquisitor, Friend admitted that he did not watch Rebels prior to getting the role. He also decided not to follow Jason Isaacs’ interpretation of the character and made him a whole new character.
Ingram said her favorite scene to film was when Darth Vader held Reva against the table in Fortress Inquisitorius. While she never used Reva’s voice around family and friends, she admitted to sometimes using it when disciplining her dog.
Both Friend and Ingram enjoyed working with The Volume (the LED immersive soundstage). They pointed out that you do not really see the full power of the technology unless you are behind the camera.
Then, we had a surprise visit from Vivien Lyra Blair aka Little Leia. This 10- year-old girl is truly the embodiment of Leia. She essentially took over the rest of the panel. She said when she found out that she got the role she had to keep it a secret, but told a few “close family and friends.”
While the trio said they have no idea about Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2, this panel was also a ton of fun, and I am glad I was able to see it in person.
Sunday
I only went to the con a few hours this day for one purpose: to meet Moses Ingram. I waited in line for about 30 minutes, and it was worth it. She was extremely nice, and I got to tell her that she is very welcome in the Star Wars family, and that I was sorry for the hate she received. She was super grateful. Meeting her was a amazing experience.
Even though it was smaller than in previous years, C2E2 was still a great experience. This was another successful convention, and I can’t wait until March for the next one!
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