Image Meet and Greet presents
NORTHEAST COMIC CON AND COLLECTIBLES EXTRAVAGANZA
December 5 & 6, 2015 at Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington Mass.
WILMINGTON, Mass. (October 6, 2015) – Pop culture fans will be converging at one of the largest celebrations of Pop Culture in New England, the Northeast Comic Con and Collectibles Extravaganza. This holiday event takes place December 5th and 6th, 2015 at the Shriners Auditorium in Wilmington, Mass. (99 Fordham Road). Show hours are 10a-6p on Saturday and 10a-5p until Sunday.
This year’s event highlights include a holiday shopping experience for nerds and the people who love them, voice actor workshops and script readings, free-play video game arcade and tournaments, children’s activities, celebrity autograph signings, panel sessions, plus 150 vendors of vintage and modern toys, comic books, collectibles, art, jewelry, fashion and popular cultural artifacts. In between holiday shopping, guests of all ages will enjoy live music and entertainment unlike any other.
This year’s celebrity guests range from local heroes to international superstars, including NECC panelist and guest John Wesley Shipp, best known for his role as Barry Allen on CBS’ “The Flash” 1990-91 and then as Barry Allen’s father Henry in the new “The Flash” TV series on the CW Network. Shipp’s other memorable roles include Dawson’s father Mitch Leery on the drama “Dawson’s Creek” from 1998-2001, and roles in daytime soap operas including Kelly Nelson on “Guiding Light” and Douglas Cummings on “As the World Turns” which earned him his first Daytime Emmy.
Special Guest of Honor will be actress Annie Potts making her very first ever Fan Convention appearance. Best known for her role as Janine Melnitz in “Ghostbusters” as well as her role in all the “Toy Story” films as the voice of Little Bo Peep, and as Mary Jo Shively on “Designing Women” from 1986-1993, along with a variety of television series including “The Fosters,” “Joan of Arcadia,” “Any Day Now,” “Dangerous Minds,” “Over the Top,” and “Love & War.” Ms Potts will be signing autographs (for a fee) and offering professional photo ops. Also appearing will be a full-size replica of the Ghostbusters ECTO-1.
Comic Guest of Honor George Pérez is a Marvel and DC comic legend. He is a writer and illustrator of comic book legendary titles including The Avengers, Teen Titans, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Wonder Woman and Superman reboots. George will be signing comics he worked on absolutely Free, with a limit of only 6 at a time (yes, you can get back in line again) and doing quick sketches for fans for only $40. Other great comic and animation artists appearing include Zombie King Arthur Suydam, Disney legend Philo Barnhart (“Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast”), Joe St. Pierre (Spiderman), Joe Caramagna (Guardians of the Galaxy), Alex Simmons (Archie) and Rusty Gilligan (Heavy Metal) among many others. Comic book collectors will also want to get there early to get one of the very limited edition, Marvel Lucasfilm Star Wars Force Awakens comic book with a unique to NECC variant cover art.
Very special guest will be musician, philosopher, writer and performer Andrew WK making his first ever fan convention appearance Saturday Dec. 5 only, doing a panel about NECC mission statement helping the next generation with “Careers in the Creative Arts,” signing autographs for Free and performing at the official After Party at the Shriners.
Family fun includes meeting the cast members of the classic “A Christmas Story” film including Zach Ward, Scott Schwartz, Ian Petrella and Yano Anaya, along with Caseen Gaines, author of the definitive book on the film. Plus Santa Claus will be appearing with the cast in a recreated set from the film for photo ops or your holiday card photo.
“Lost in Space” is celebrating its 50th anniversary at NECC, and NECC will feature original cast members Marta Kristen (“Judy”) and Mark Goddard (“Don West”), along with full-size replicas of “Robot” and the family’s “Chariot” vehicle.
Other celebrity guests include Nakia Burrise and Catherine Sutherland of the “Power Rangers,” Kadrolsha Ona, the “Queen of the Paranormal,” puppeteers Bill Diamond (Fraggle Rock,” “Little Shop of Horrors”) and Noel MacNeal (“The Muppets,” “Bear in the Big Blue House”) and the voice actors of “Sonic The Hedgehog” and “Sonic Boom,” Mike Pollock, Cindy Robinson and Bill Freiberger.
Whether they visit to see future career opportunities or just enjoy imaginative play, kids are welcomed to the NECC in our K!DZ area, with creative events, education and attractions just for young fans. Learn how to sketch or show off your skills, learn puppetry, how video games are created and careers in technology, including higher education opportunities from ITT Tech Institute.
Kids of all ages will enjoy free video game play and tournaments with prizes in the Game Underground Game Arena. The incredible Starship Horizons Bridge Simulator gives everyone an opportunity to act as crew on an interplanetary spaceship on a mission with play included in admission. And for all Doctor Who fans, a full size TARDIS will delight and offer photo ops for cosplayers. Professional parade, theater and Cosplay mask maker Eric Bornstein teaches his art to all ages in workshops and stage presentations. Young actors can also meet “A Christmas Story” child actors and learn about their experience as child actors in the entertainment industry.
According to seasoned show producer Gary Sohmers, “This holiday Comic Con features the largest selection of quality vintage pop culture collectibles and memorabilia, along with unique celebrity experiences in a more personal, intimate setting than larger overcrowded fan conventions. “Whether attending to explore careers in the creative arts, meet celebrities and experience panels and workshops, or just stroll and holiday shop, Northeast Comic Con has something for everyone: the collector, video game junkie, cosplayer, illustrator, anime fan, or sci-fi geek.” Sohmers is CEO of Image Meet and Greet, a seasoned pop culture expert and producer of fan events and conventions is also well known for his 13 season role as an appraiser of pop culture, collectibles and toys on the PBS TV program “Antiques Roadshow” and appearances on WBZ radio and his own “Calling All Collectors” radio programs.
It isn’t a Comic Con without cosplay, and Northeast Comic Con invites costumed guests to the Cosplay Stage to show off their imaginative attire in a variety of fun contests and games. NECC’s signature cosplay events are focused on Creativity, with prizes and bragging rights in 3 categories … Create-A-Hero, Create-A-Villain and Create-A-Character contests each day for creative cosplay with a back story. A complete list of safety guidelines for cosplay and prop weapons is online at www.NEComicCon.net.
For budding actors seeking a career as a “voice” in cartoons, video games, film, anime, and TV/radio, the Voice Actors Workshop is a unique opportunity to learn from industry 3 successful voice actors. The workshops are only open to only ten people each day to enable a quality learning experience on Saturday and Sunday, and will feature the talent of the “Sonic Boom” TV program and the “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise: Mike Pollock, Cindy Robins, and Bill Freiberger. These seasoned actors will talk about the process, technology, and industry tips, and then participants may interact with the talent in a lively Script Read on stage at Northeast Comic Con. This separately ticketed career workshop includes early admission to NECC, front row seats for the script read, a special badge, and autographs for only $99 per day.
For guests seeking a holiday photo with Santa in cosplay attire but don’t want to go to the mall dressed to impress, a Santa photo station with a green screen backdrop offering a wide range of imaginative photos for purchase just in time for the 2016 holiday season, or just as a keepsake.
The Shriner’s Auditorium Fez Room restaurant/bar will feature food and beverages, live entertainment, and pop culture trivia contests. On Saturday night, December 5th, the Fez Room will be transformed into the 7th Annual Rock & Soul Holiday Concert After Party Hard, a separate ticketed ($35) event starting at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 5th that includes free NECC admission on Sunday Dec. 6th. The party will feature comedians and food and beverage, and a concert from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. and only 200 tickets are available. Featured performers include Andrew WK in a special solo show, Danny Klein’s Full House (J. Geils Band bassist) Charlie Farren (Farrenheit, Joe Perry Project), Tsunami of Sound, The Lights Out and others to be announced.
With free parking and special hotel packages, Northeast Comic Con ticket prices are among the lowest in the industry. Saturday adult advance tickets are only $25 ($30 at the door) and Sunday adult advance tickets are $18 ($25 at the door). Adult weekend passes are only $30 in advance ($40 at the door). Children under 7 are free with a paid adult, and kids 7 to 13 admissions purchased in advance are only $10 per day or $15 for a weekend pass ($15 and $20 at the door). Advance Superfan VIP tickets are $300 and include early bird entry on both days, priority seating and front of line for autographs, many photo ops and autographs, along with one of the limited edition exclusive Marvel Lucasfilm Star Wars Phantom Variant Comic Book and admission to the Rock & Soul After Party.
And please bring a gently used coat to donate to the Caring Partners Coats for Kids Drive and save $5 off your ticket if purchased at the box office.
For VIP packages and tickets: https://register.growtix.com/e/northeast_comic_con_winter_2015. For media and sponsorship inquiries, contact Julie Dennehy, Dennehy PR, Julie@dennehypr.com, 508-479-9848.