Thousands of comic book & pop culture fans filled the streets of Providence, RI for the 8th annual Rhode Island Comic Con from November 1-3. With over 200 comic book creators & celebrities under the roofs of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Rhode Island Convention Center, and the Omni Hotel, the weekend was absolutely packed with programming, meet & greets, and an all around great time!
Here are some of the highlights from Rhode Island Comic Con 2019 – and be sure to scroll through for our video recap as well as the full photo gallery!
This year’s celebrity headliners included Chevy Chase, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Englund, and William Shatner… but that’s just the tip of the iceberg! RICC 2019 also had some amazing rare appearances by Charlie Brown voice actor Peter Robbins, Nichelle Nichols, as well as the final convention appearance of Sesame Street legend Caroll Spinney.
And as per usual, there were themed areas throughout the convention like an anime hall with voice actors from Dragon Ball and My Hero Academia, a wrestling section on the main floor, and even a Star Wars wing featuring the actors who portrayed the Bounty Hunters in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back – Bill Hargreaves (IG-88), John Morton (Boba Fett), Chris Parsons (4-LOM), and Catherine Munroe (Zuckuss):
Most guests were available all weekend for meet & greets, autographs, and selfies (or professionally taken photos taken by Epic Photo Ops). But with over a hundred celebrities to choose from, it’s best to walk in with a game plan so that you’re ready for the weekend!
Plus, you’ll want to spend your time wisely with all the great artists & vendors at the con as well! We’re talking about Funko Pops, action figures, statues, video games, LEGOs, and of course comic books, too!
There were so many fantastic comic book vendors specializing in cheap back issues, first appearances & other key issues, and even slabbed books by CGC & CBCS (who were both in attendance to offer grading & witnessed signature series services).
But part of what makes Rhode Island Comic Con so unique is the incredible selection of interesting exhibitors! Anything from exotic jerky to comic con-themed tattoos, and everything in between!
Fine arts sculptor Lawrence Elig (above) was displaying his beautiful “Terrorcast” busts featuring many pop culture icons, 3D Printing by Muckychris introduced his new wood engraved products in addition to his existing line of 3D printed statues, and Plantcycled returned to RICC with their Pokémon pokéball terrariums.
This year, Nate Jones Design brought along his eye-catching prints which incorporate well-known quotes into the portraits of famous pop culture characters. Nate puts a lot of thought into his designs, which is done in several stages on a few different editing programs:
But what we love about the RICC exhibitor hall is that the vendors are intertwined with the Artist Alley! That means you can find that special comic book at a particular vendor and walk an aisle or two over to the very artist who worked on that issue!
And the Artist Alley this time around was no joke! Some of the featured creators were Neal Adams, Rick Leonardi, Mike Zeck, Joe Rubinstein, Graham Nolan, and Danny Fingeroth whose new book, A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story Of Stan Lee, was for sale a few days early only at RICC:
Artist Alley is the place for you if you want to talk to creators about your favorite stories & art. We were even able to get a few comics signed, and sketched on, too!
Below is Craig Rousseau who drew a Spider Sense remarque (a quick sketch along the margins) on a Toys R Us exclusive Homecoming comic:
(We also got a quick sketch by fan favorites Chris Campana & Ian Chase Nichols on their exclusive variant cover of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2 #1.)
Other fans will often opt for a full sketch opportunity by commissioning their favorite artist for an original 9×12, 11×17, or even a comic blank sketch cover! Just another way for you to walk out of Rhode Island Comic Con with something unique & personalized!
And as if all of that weren’t enough, there were tons of fan experiences that are bound to make your trip to RICC even more memorable:
Whether it’s riding on a life-size Night Fury from How To Train Your Dragon or getting up close & personal with a working R2-D2 from Star Wars, Rhode Island Comic Con seems to have a little bit of every fandom represented!
The 501st Legion area on the fifth floor of the convention center is always a fun time with professional Star Wars cosplayers who costume for charity. These are Lucasfilm-sanctioned regional cosplayers who build screen-accurate costumes! But whether it’s professional or not, there are a lot of great cosplayers roaming the con floor. And while you can see more in the full photo gallery, here’s one that can’t be ignored – a tiny Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors:
And with a kids section on the fifth floor complete with giveaways, magic shows, temporary tattoos and more, Rhode Island Comic Con is absolutely ready for fans of all ages!
So brace yourselves for next year’s Rhode Island Comic Con from November 6-8, 2020! The biggest show in the smallest state is a force to be reckoned with! We can’t wait to see what’s planned for next year’s con and hope you’ll be there too!
For more information on Rhode Island Comic Con, visit their official site or Facebook page.
LesDudis 