Highlights From C2E2 2023

Conventions

Apr 23

Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo or C2E2 as it's called is a yearly comic and entertainment convention in Chicago. It tends to take place in the Spring, but the last two years it was a bit different due to the pandemic. This year it was on a cold Chicago weekend at the end of March. This was my 11th year at this con and it's always been one of my favorites.

Friday

This day is always the least crowded as not many people are willing to take off work. It's the perfect day to shop and get the lay of the land. Everyone at the con is extremely talented, and it's hard not to buy everything. Artist Alley is one of the most dangerous places for my wallet and has some of the best artists around. I got to see some of my favorites, Lauren Walsh who does a lot of art for Critical Role, and Karen Hallion who has done a ton of Star Wars art. The FamilyHQ is where the 501st is located and they always have a cool setup, to take pictures in.

One of my favorite parts of the convention is hearing R2-D2 screams in the distance. I was planning on getting two autographs this day, one for Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano, and Sam Witwer, the voice of Darth Maul in The Clone Wars. However, I only got Sam Witwer’s auto, and Ashley’s line took about over 2 hours to get through. I had a great conversation with Sam Witwer about Darth Maul and how the character was brought back and how well it was done.

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Saturday

Another long day of waiting in lines. I walked around the convention floor again, to check out some of the booths I missed on Friday. I impulsively bought a Clone Wars photo op, and the picture turned out great. I also met John Jackson Miller, who wrote the Kenobi Legends book, and A New Dawn, which is a prequel to Star Wars: Rebels and some others as well. He was super nice and I didn’t expect to meet him, but so glad I did. It was then time to wait for Meng'Er Zhang, who plays Xi Xialing in Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings. She didn't have a long line, but it was nice to see people wanting to meet her. She is super sweet and it was her first time in Chicago.

She was bummed she couldn't do the architecture boat tour because it was too cold. She was super sweet and said that she'll be back. It was then time to wait for Tenoch Huerta, who played the role of Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His line was insane, but I only waited 2 ½ hours for my auto and it was definitely worth it. Even though the experience went fast, I was able to say how great he was as Namor and then joked saying he probably gets that all the time. He laughed and said that it was always good to hear again and that it can help boost an actor's ego.

Sunday

Sunday was a surprise for me, as I decided to go that morning. I had one mission: to get a photo op with Tenoch Huerta, which I did. I also had some time to walk around and grab any last-minute goodies. After my photo op, I bolted to the panel room and waited. I left a little early from the panel but got to see the majority. While waiting they interviewed an adorable child named Jackson, who I guess was the star of the Chris Evans panel earlier.

Then it was time for Tenoch Huerta. He got a standing ovation when he walked in, as it was his first con in the States. Some highlights he discussed were about representation, and how the production company he wants to create would have more of that. He's also so happy that he gets to represent so many people that look like him. When asked how his life has changed he said it hasn't changed all that much, besides people paying to take a photo with him. He also discussed how Narcos: Mexico gave him recognition in the States and Hollywood, and how it helped him to eventually get the role of Namor. He admitted to looking at all the Namor memes and kept making jokes about them too. Someone also told him to tell Kevin Feige to make a Namor and Moon Knight crossover movie as it would make $5 billion, which it would. As I was leaving, he started talking about learning Maya and how difficult it was. The entire panel was super interesting. Hopefully, he enjoyed his first con in the States and I am so happy I got to experience it in Chicago.

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