The Great Philadelphia Comic Con returned to The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center from April 12-14, 2019 with yet another impressive list of artists, celebrities, vendors, and cosplayers.
This year’s celebrity headliners included Alice Cooper, Nick Frost, the voices of Red Dead Redemption II, the cast of The Expanse, Star Wars actors Paul Blake & Christopher Patrick Nolan, and even Charles Martinet & Kenny James – the voices of Mario & Bowser!
Fans were lining up all day to meet their favorite celebrities, where they could choose from a variety of headshots or stills to be signed, or even an item of their own! Photo ops were also available all weekend long with Wolf Studios Photography or, in some cases, table selfies were possible too!
GPCC is known for showcasing some of the best artists in the industry. This year, spotlight creators included Neal Adams, Bob Camp, Buzz, Billy Tucci, Scott Hanna, Larry Hama, Chris Campana… and a whole Artist Alley of others!
In the Artist Alley, fans can browse the extensive gallery of prints, books, and originals by the many artists present at the show. Most artists had spots open on their list of commissions, where they can create an original piece just for you! These can be sketch cards, blank comic book covers, or even poster size artwork.
Local artist Will Torres had a stunning display of originals, sketch covers, and his creator-own comic books Mister Venture and Killborg:
And Disney’s Joe Caramagna had various Marvel and Disney comic books to be signed in exchange for a donation to the charity Ronald McDonald House:
But when attendees weren’t busy meeting the stars of the show, they were probably looking for stellar deals of their own. With aisles and aisles of exhibitors, you could walk away with some memorable merchandise like comic books, LEGO, or even prop replicas!
The Master Replicas Group has had a recent resurgence and at their booth they were selling 2001: A Space Odyssey replicas and dinosaur fossil replicas:
There were also tons of toys for sale! Everybody’s favorite Funko Pops were scattered across multiple vendors, ranging from standard releases to chase variants:
And vendor Sportinmortin’s was dealing up great buys with his retro toys like Transformers and action figures:
But one of the best parts of GPCC is, of course, the comics! Pennsylvania publisher Zenescope Entertainment was present with variant covers, convention exclusives, and their new bishoujo-style Sela statue. And though there was no DC or Marvel specific booth, plenty of vendors featured walls and walls of vintage and modern comic books – from rare older X-Men issues to the most recent incentive Detective Comics #1000 variants.
You might find yourself going through the 50 cent / $1 boxes all the way until closing time!
Or keep your eyes peeled and you might find a hidden gem, like at Sword of Truth Comics, who had a slew of collectible issues as well as high grade CGC slabbed books:
Once again, Great Philadelphia Comic Con maximized the space at the Expo Center, hosting multiple panels with their featured guests, a video game area, and even housed famous vehicles like a VW Ghostbusters car, 1960’s Batmobile, and Batcycle:
There was even a great kids section run by IncrediCon and Dawn Griffin… tons of art & activities for the whole family!
And speaking of families, The Franklin Institute had a promotion for their latest exhibit, Marvel: Universe Of Super Heroes (open now in Philadelphia)!
Last but not least, what’s a comic con without some cosplay?
This year I spotted some jaw-dropping costumes based on some of this past year’s greatest superhero movies: Avengers Infinity War, Shazam, and even the new Hellboy (to name a few)!
And with their own cosplay contest, GPCC flaunted countless cosplayers from all fandoms! Be sure to check out the video below and the full Facebook photo gallery for even more!
All in all, The Great Philadelphia Comic Con brought all sorts of geek fun back to Philly!
Each section of the con was well-organized and offered a lot of variety. So whether you’re looking to meet one of your favorite celebrities, getting a comic book signed, or just trying to score a deal with a vendor, The Great Philadelphia Comic Con is a one stop destination!
For more information on The Great Philadelphia Comic Con, be sure to visit their website or Facebook page… and stay tuned for their 2020 show announcement!
LesDudis 