Fans of All Ages Filled Chicago’s McCormick Place for a Weekend of Headlining Guests like “Stranger Things” Star Maya Hawke, “Hannibal” Co-Stars Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy, and “Ted Lasso” Stars Phil Dunster and Cristo Fernandez, Plus Iconic Comic Creators, Top Exhibitors  

APRIL 28, 2024- That’s a wrap! Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) concluded its jam-packed weekend-long celebration of fandom, as 85,000 fans  made their way through McCormick Place from April 26 through April 28 for the Midwest’s largest pop culture convention to see their favorite celebrities and comic creators.  Rounding out their 15th year, this weekend’s C2E2 is projected to have generated an estimated economic impact of $39 million for Chicago, according to the city's official tourism bureau Choose Chicago. 

At this year’s C2E2, fans got their fill of award-winning comic artists, anime creators, and their favorite TV and film stars, all while celebrating pop culture.  Among the stand-out guests at this year’s show, highlights included major reunions from big-name casts like Hannibal co-stars Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen, who reunited for the first time at a convention state-side, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes to celebrate 30 Years of Clerks, Ted Lasso stars Phil Dunster and Cristo Fernandez, Alien co-stars Tom Skerritt and Veronica Cartwright, and One Tree Hill’s James Lafferty and Chad Michael Murray, providing a major dose of nostalgia.  Stranger Things star Maya Hawke made her con debut and shared her love for working on Stranger Things and talked about her  upcoming album, Chaos Angel, while panel rooms filled for additional appearances by Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd, Glee star Darren Criss, and the cast of Rick & Morty, Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer, Harry Belden, and Ian Cardoni, and literary favorite and author of The Final Empire and The Way of Kings, Brandon Sanderson.  
 

The show floor stayed busy with con-goers looking to dive into the latest merch representing their comic and entertainment favorites, through rows of top-notch exhibitors like Bandai, Funko, Citizen Watch, Anderson’s Bookshop, and more.  Nearly 500 Artist Alley participants took the show floor by storm, featuring the works of Chicago celebrities like Jill Thompson, Gene Ha, and Tim Seeley, along with superstars like Chip Zdarsky (Batman, Sex Criminals), Alyssa Wong (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Deadpool) and Jesse Lonergan (Hedra).
 

“It’s truly incredible to see how C2E2 has grown in its 15 years of celebrating pop culture right in the heart of Chicago,” said Kristina Rogers, VP of ReedPop US Comics Portfolio and Star Wars Celebration.  “The Chicago fanbase is so passionate and we’re honored to continue bringing them a lineup of favorite celebs, incredible comic creators, and so much more, while offering them a chance to spend the weekend engaging with the fandoms they love alongside thousands of others who share the same passions.”  
 

Unique and awe-inspiring cosplay took center stage at the Cosplay Central Crown Championships, one of the biggest masters-level competitions for cosplay, where cosplayers from around the world competed for the crown with their intricate creations. This year, finalists came from Australia, South Africa, across Europe, and USA.   The event, which was emceed by one of the biggest names in cosplay, Yaya Han, drew scores of fans to watch as judges Dessi-Desu, Sameer Tikka Masala, and 2023 Global Finals winner Nerds Gone Wild Cosplay, selected Matthew from the United Kingdom as the winner for his cosplay of Leather Armor Hunter from Monster Hunter: World.   
 

This year’s C2E2 took place at McCormick Place in Chicago from April 26 through April 28.  You can check out highlights of C2E2 news at C2E2.com, and their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, in addition to pop culture news site, Popverse.  

About ReedPop
ReedPop is a boutique group within RX – one of the world’s leading event organizers. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events globally and a full-service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPop currently features events in North America, Europe and Asia, including New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, and Unplugged, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Star Wars Celebration, MCM Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), MagicCon, and more. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPop owns and operates the pop culture news site, Popverse, which is the exclusive home for livestreams from all of ReedPop's major comic cons. The staff at ReedPop are a fan-based group of professionals uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion. (www.reedpop.com)