Held in Houston, Texas, Comicpalooza is a multi-genre, comic book, science fiction, anime, gaming and pop culture convention. According to organisers, Comicpalooza is Texas' largest pop culture festival. Held annually, the festival is organised by John Simons, the creator of the event along with Startling Events, LLC. The event also hosts the annual Comicpalooza Fandom Awards.
The three-day festival presents more than 1,000 hours of dynamic programming and entertainment, featuring a diverse assortment of events, gaming and panels, including an interactive Maker's Space, cosplay contests, a live art auction, a film festival, specialty retailers and more.
The organisers said on the the festival's website that they are glad to have guests that are living legends, industry icons, creative geniuses, space cowboys, and scientific margels.
Comicpalooza is a big show with something for everyone, or at least it seems that way. Currently, Comicpalooza has three different types of tickets: General Admission, Speed Passes, and VIP. Ticket price increases are announced at different times leading up to the show. Buy early and save!
Comicpalooza is a big show and there's lots to do. If you're new to it all, it may be overwhelming and we can help ease any concerns with the helpful hacks and best practices below. Buy Before You Arrive. No one likes long lines. Purchase your pass before you come to the show, either online or via the app, and enjoy cost savings. If you wait until event weekend, you will have to pay door prices but you'll only have to stop by will call to pick up your pass.
Looking back in history: The first Comicpalooza was held on July 19, 2008 in the lobby of the Alamo Drafthouse Theater in Katy, Texas. It wasn't a comic convention; it was a simple signing event set to coincide with the release of “The Dark Knight.” Comicpalooza was conceived as a means of helping local comic creators reach the media and the public. The event drew 500 people with no advertising or promotion. It was apparent that Houston was ready for a major comic convention.
The following year Comicpalooza was re-imagined as a two-day comic book festival set in a local mall, again with a strong emphasis on promoting creators, connecting with the media, and fostering new growth in the fan base. Comicpalooza featured guests like David Mack, Terry Moore, Steve Scott, Tom Hodges, Mat Johnson, Andy Kuhn, Dirk Strangely and others, and added events like special screenings, Q&A sessions, and the charity live art benefit. The event was so successful, it drew more fans than any other Houston comic convention had in 15 years.
In 2010 Comicpalooza re-invented yet again, this time hosted at the George R. Brown Convention Center as a multi-format convention celebrating not just comics, but also sci-fi and fantasy, horror, steam punk, movies, film, and gaming of all types.
The show has become one of the largest conventions in Houston offering its over 50,000 annual attendees diverse programming and 1.1 million square feet of space featuring exhibits, panel discussions, cosplay, literature, anime, gaming and much more.
2018 marked the festival's 10th anniversary, and to celebrated, they want back to their roots. “Comicpalooza started in a theater during the movie premier of The Dark Knight and to commemorate our 10th anniversary, Discovery Green, across the Avenida from the George R Brown Convention Center, showed the movie opening night of the show.”
Comicpalooza is always innovating, and 2018 was no exception. “New this year for gamers was a watch play for the Houston Outlaws where the Overwatch team battled the San Francisco Shock on the night of May 25th. Saturday night, we partied on the plaza at the After Party on the Avenida with special guests Ghostland Observatory, while inside guests wandered through a Live Art action as artists created original pieces before our eyes.”
Although Comicpalooza hosts new activities and guests to spice things up, it relies on returning events to keep the essence of the festival. “Returning events included the Crossplay competition on Friday night, the popular Cosplay competition on Sunday afternoon. A literature festival filled with authors, workshops, and round table discussions; comic book guests, publishers, and retailers; a film festival that feature underground films as well as the drive-in classic, Night of the Living Dead; entertainment that included ice sculpting with power tools, dance, songs, and laughs. And, there was so much more.”
If you are planning on attending, here are some of the most frequently asked questions:
How do I buy an autograph/photo op? The normal method is to just walk up to the guest's table and purchase an autograph. It is recommended to bring cash, since guests do not accept credit cards. “For photo ops, you go to the photo op booth and make your purchase there.”
How much do autographs/photo ops cost? There is so set price for these, and instead they vary from guest to guest, agent to agent. Sometimes agents provide the cost ahead of time, and in this case, it will be posted on the event's website. The rates, however, can change at the last minute and might not even be set by the agent until the guest arrives at the con. All prices will be posted at each guest's table.
How does pre-purchasing work, and what does it guarantee? “Pre-purchasing works by going online through the website and purchasing an item. It guarantees a professional photo op or autograph with that guest, unless the guest cancels. If that happens, you get the value refunded or transferred to another guest's autograph or professional photo-op. The transfer must be for the same type of purchase: professional photo ops for professional photo ops, autographs for autographs.”