BOXBORO, MASS. — Thanksgiving weekend is about more than Black Friday sales and leftover turkey — a longstanding tradition is the NorthEast Comic Con & Collectibles Extravaganza, which will boast over 100 exhibitors, thousands of rare collectibles for holiday shopping and a jam-packed lineup of entertainment and celebrity guests.
The holiday weekend shopping, entertainment and autograph event for fans, collectors, nerds and the people who love them will take place November 26-28 at the Boxboro Regency Hotel and Conference Center. Comic con devotees and the pop culture fandom will gather here, usually costumed as their favorite character from comic books, movies or TV.
NorthEast ComicCon & Collectibles Extravaganza producer, and 13-season pop culture appraiser on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, Gary Sohmers seeks to always be a gracious host producing shows that are guaranteed to not be boring, with free parking to boot. “This show is really for collectors and fans of all generations. From the Baby Boomers to the current OK Boomers, the beloved toys and pop culture memories of your youth, Batman through Star Wars to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, from Marvel and DC Comics comic books to nostalgia and memorabilia of the 1950s and 1960s, including vinyl records, trading cards and everything in between,” Sohmers said.
A highlight of the convention will be the shopping experience. Unlike the supply chain woes that are plaguing traditional stores, shoppers can find rare, vintage and specialty collectibles that you can’t find at the mall from Star Wars and other movie memorabilia to autographs and video games, along with those hard to find Marvel, DC, Funko and other current favorites.
Entertainment is always diverse here with something for everyone from celebrity guests to live music, magic and comedy. The roster of featured guests for this show in particular highlights representation, including actor/performer Michael Winslow, who has been dubbed The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects; local legend voice actor Billy West from Futurama and Ren & Stimpy; 80-year old actor/singer Francois Clemmons, who made television history in his appearance as Officer Clemmons on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood; 12-year old deaf actress Kaylee Hottle, who charmed audiences in the 2021 blockbuster film, Godzilla vs. Kong, and much more.
“This (NorthEast ComicCon) event is a pop culture experience, offering fans a chance to meet icons of television, film, comics and pop culture — and learn at Careers in the Creative Arts panels and presentations,” Sohmers added. The show has long embraced promoting the varied careers in the creative arts as artists, authors, creators and actors talk with young fans with advise that the next generation hasn’t heard about career choices.
“Having a great selection of vendors offering thousands of pop culture and comic collectibles for holiday shopping and investments, we also make the weekend all about fun with meet-and-greets and photo ops with our celebrity guests as well as karaoke with the celebrity talent on the main stage, live concerts, Dinner-And-A-Show with magic, comedy and music along and so much more,” he said.
Continuing the tradition of mixing Comics with our comics, NEComicCon will present its 2021 ComicsCon StandUp Comedy Battle Royale, with preliminaries Friday Nov. 26 and Saturday Nov. 27,and the finals on Sunday, Nov. 28, for laughs, fame, glory and prize money all included in ComicCon admission! Who will slay the competition and leave the audience in stitches to become the last surviving comic, taking home a $500 cash prize? Anyone can enter!
