SARATOGA SPRINGS – After its premiere success in April, Chase Con Expo is back, and this time for an entire weekend. The Saratoga Springs City Center will be hosting this unique pop culture convention on October 24 and 25. Without a doubt, there will be comics (and some of the best comic artists) at the expo, but there is so much to do and see that the description of “comic convention” just doesn’t seem to cover everything Chase Con has to offer.
“This is my universe,” said Chase Con Expo founder and organizer, Samuel Chase. “It has everything I love in a convention: movies, TV, comics and more. It’s everything pop culture.”
For those who love entertainment in all its forms, there is something at the expo for every interest. Here are just some of the weekend’s highlights to look forward to:
Guest Stars
-Bonnie Piesse – An Australian actress and singer/songwriter, Piesse is most known for her role as Beru Lars in Star Wars Epsisode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
-Steve Lavigne – a comic book illustrator best known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His artwork is seen on the majority of TMNT licensed merchandise. He is the inspiration for the character Michelangelo, according to TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman. Other notable comic artists include Michael Oppenheimer, Kevin Conrad, Bill Anderson, Dan Nakrosis and more.
-Brian Myers, former WWE superstar known as Curt Hawkins – Myers, who now fights for TNA Impact Wrestling, will be making a special one-day only appearance on Sunday, October 25, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-Jim Martin – a puppet performer, producer and director for over 35 years, Martin has performed on children’s television shows such as Captain Kangaroo, Eureka’s Castle, The Puzzle Place and Sesame Street. He went on to direct Between the Lions on PBS, Bear in the Big Blue House on Disney and has won 5 Emmys for his directing work on Sesame Street.
-Rika Muranaka – theme composer and producer of some of Konami’s most successful and award-winning game titles, including Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid and its sequels.
-Damien “E/Love” Matthias – multiplatinum award-winning writer, producer and director who has sold over 35 million records. He has co-produced and performed with LL Cool J, and has helped launch the careers of Tupac Shakur and John Forte.
-The 1967 Chevy Impala from the show “Supernatural” will be on display.
Cosplay
-5 famous cosplayers will be in attendance at Chase Con including Saraphina Cosplay, L’Homme Du Soleil, UndiesOfWondy, Kathrine Zan and Chelsea Von Chastity. The latter three will be judging this year’s cosplay contests.
-The adult cosplay contest will take place on Saturday, with the youth contest on Sunday. Guests are invited to dress in their favorite cosplay costumes to try to place in categories such as adult beginner, adult advanced, best overall group cosplay, best in show, best in performance and best craftsmanship.
-Cosfights, which will demonstrate an introduction to stage combat, basic techniques and fight choreography, will be performed by Coach Moses and Tico Flores Kyle.
Gaming
-Gaming tournaments hosted by Dirty Goblin Games will take place throughout the weekend. Magic the Gathering, Warhammer 40K and Yu-Gi-Oh are just some of the table game tournaments offered.
-Super Smash Bros. tournaments will be hosted by Nicholas Warchocki of Arc Way Gaming and give gamers the chance to take home trophies by playing either Melee or Wii-U versions of the game.
“We try to do the best show we possibly can,” said Chase. “It’s a medium sized convention so we can give more to our fans. It’s not as crowded and congested, so you can see more. And the City Center is really nice and laid out well.”
Merchandise and art vendors are a big part of Chase Con Expo. Tables will be set up throughout the City Center selling books, comics, artwork, toys and games and much more. Franklin Community Center will have a table where guests can bring in food and goods for donation, as well as a raffle; all proceeds go toward the community center.
For those who are used to the pricey tickets of most conventions, the admission to Chase Con Expo will come as a nice surprise. One-day passes are $15 and two-day passes are $25. Group admission packs are also available. VIP passes range from $50 to $100 and include early admission to the expo to get an advantageous sneak peek, as well as a gift bag of merchandise.
“I want to see it succeed. I like seeing people happy, that’s something I really enjoyed about the first [convention]. I got great positive feedback,” Chase continued. With over 2,500 guests attending the one-day expo in April, Chase is estimating that this weekend’s Chase Con will bring in over 3,000.
A pre-party and a post-party at Bailey’s Cafe will bookend Chase Con weekend on Friday and Sunday night. Both parties begin at 5 p.m. and go until 9 p.m. Over a dozen guest stars appearing at Chase Con will be at the parties, which will also include prizes and giveaways. VIP ticket holders get into the parties for free.
Chase Con Expo begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and ends at 7 p.m. On Sunday, doors open at 9:30, with activities going until 5 p.m.
For tickets and more information, visit ChaseCon.org.
