(Top image: Photo by Keith Survell / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Firstly, let it be noted that in this day and age, there is nothing at all derogatory about the term “nerd.” If anything, it is now chic to be geek. Having said that, if you’re a nerd and you reside in the state of Utah, there’s nothing cooler than Salt Lake Comic Con.
In just a couple of short years, Salt Lake Comic Con has become one of the fastest growing comics-based conventions in the country, and for good reason. Aside from numerous fan-friendly panels, events, art displays, and merchandise, this beloved Con is known for bringing out the talent, and the 2015 convention—which will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center from Sept. 24-26—will be no different.
This year’s lineup will include a wide range of artists, authors, and filmmakers. For those of you who frequent this column, it should come as absolutely no surprise that the hook for yours truly will be the film-related events.
Five noteworthy storytellers at this year’s Salt Lake Comic Con:
ANTHONY DANIELS
That’s right! C3PO himself will be at Salt Lake Comic Con! Anthony Daniels has played the beloved droid in every “Star Wars” film to date. This includes the highly anticipated December release “The Force Awakens.” Any chance that Daniels might dish on “Episode VII?” For that matter, might he bring along some footage from the next chapter in the enduring sci-fi saga? Extremely doubtful. No matter, though. To simply see this man in person and to have a chance to listen to him tell stories about what it’s like to be a part of George Lucas’ magical cinematic universe will be more than enough to satisfy this “Star Wars” fan.
CHRIS EVANS
Most known for his picture perfect portrayal of Captain America, the charismatic Chris Evans is expected to be a huge draw at Salt Lake Comic Con this year. While his lengthy tenure as Caps is to be respected, it should also be noted that Evans has been a part of many other noteworthy film projects, including “Fantastic Four” and the exceptional futuristic actioneer “Snowpiercer.” Will Evans have anything to share in regard to “Captain America: Civil War” and “The Avengers: Infinity War”? It’s highly doubtful that he’ll get through an entire hour-long panel without a plethora of questions being asked about his upcoming adventures as Captain America, but as is the case with Anthony Daniels and a little film called “The Force Awakens,” I’m thinking Marvel will be keeping Evans on a pretty tight leash. And that’s fine with me, because quite frankly, I’m every bit as interested in hearing stories about the “Snowpiercer” shoot. [Side note: Sebastian Stan, Hayley Atwell, and Anthony Mackie will be present at Salt Lake Comic Con too, so perhaps if we’re really lucky, we’ll see them all on stage together.]
ANTHONY MACKIE
As previously stated, Chris Evans isn’t the only popular Marvel actor appearing at Salt Lake Comic Con this year. Anthony Mackie, aka Falcon, will also be on hand. In addition to his appearances in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Ant-Man,” Mackie also made a long lasting impression as a soldier in Kathryn Bigelow’s masterfully executed “The Hurt Locker.” He’s also starring alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen in this year’s irreverent holiday comedy “The Night Before.” I’ve been fortunate enough to see Mackie speak at Cons before, and he’s incredibly energetic.
LINDA BLAIR
I can sum up the pure cinematic joy that is Linda Blair in two unforgettable words: “The Exorcist.” Blair portrayed possessed Regan in William Friedkin’s iconic adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s famed novel when she was just a child. Her performance in this iconic film left an indelible impression on my horror-loving brain. Actually, it’s almost unfair to call “The Exorcist” a horror film because it’s so much more. I’ve never had an opportunity to meet Blair or see her talk in person, so to say that I’m extremely excited about this panel would be a gross understatement. There are some urban legends in regard to “The Exorcist” shoot that I’m hoping she’ll shed some light on. And if attendees are truly lucky, perhaps Blair will even talk about her experiences working with Leslie Nielsen on the underappreciated “Exorcist” parody, “Repossessed.”
SEAN ASTIN
Most nerds know Sean Astin all too well. He was Mikey in “The Goonies” and Samwise in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. If you haven’t seen either of these movies, then I question your place in nerdom. As memorable as Astin is in those aforementioned films, I consider his role as Daniel E. Ruettiger in David Anspaugh’s fantastic underdog sports film “Rudy” an absolute career highlight. Somehow, I can’t help but feel that this guy is going to need more than an hour to cover his entire career. Given what is sure to be an onslaught of “Lord of the Rings” and “Goonies” questions, there’s not going to be a whole lot of time left for him to discuss “Rudy,” “Toy Soldiers,” “Encino Man,” “War of the Roses,” and “50 First Dates.” Still, this should be an insightful panel with a true fan favorite.
The Salt Lake Comic Con line-up is positively stacked with your favorite genre talent: Scott Wilson (“The Walking Dead”), Denis O’Hare (“True Blood” and “American Horror Story”), Walter Koenig (“Star Trek”), Kristen Bauer (“True Blood”), Ian Somerhalder (“Lost” and “The Vampire Diaries”), Marinia Sirtis (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”).
In addition to talent, there will be several insightful panels dedicated to “The Force Awakens,” Disney, “The Hobbit,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” James Dashner, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” H.P. Lovecraft, “Transformers,” Industrial Light and Magic, “Dr. Who,” DC, Marvel, “The Muppets,” George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg just to name a handful.
Salt Lake Comic Con will also offer up a screening of the buzzed about documentary “The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened,” as well as a sneak peek at the new “Back to the Future” documentary, “Back in Time.”
And if music is your thing, The Aquabats and Neon Trees will be on hand for the festivities.
Of course, no Comic Con would be complete without cosplay and a massive showroom dedicated to the arts, and Salt Lake will offer both in epic fashion.
For all details on Salt Lake Comic Con, click here.
