Return of the Jedi

SoCal’s Comic Con Revolution, a sci-fi/fantasy/comic books convention based in the Inland Empire city of Ontario, California, first sprang into existence back in 2017 as a tiny convention with scant attendance.  But over the past seven years, I’ve watched this little convention grow in size and stature, while still offering a lower cost, family-friendlier alternative to bigger, pricier SoCal conventions, such as WonderCon in Anaheim, or the motherlode of such conventions, San Diego Comic Con. Kids under 13 get in free, with daily teen-adult admission ticket prices ranging from $35-40, as well as savings offered on early preordered weekend passes and Groupons.

This year, the main focus of the convention was on animated Star Wars, with reunion panels for “The Clone Wars” (2008-2021) and my personal favorite, “Star Wars: Rebels” (2014-2018); as well as a reunion for another current Disney property, Marvel’s “X-Men” animated series (1992-1997).  On hand for autographs, photo ops and/or panels were voice actors Ashley Eckstein (the original “Ahsoka Tano”), Steve Blum (“Zeb Orrelios”), Matt Lanter (“Anakin Skywalker”), Taylor Gray (“Ezra Bridger”), Vanessa Marshall (“Hera”), Dee Bradley Baker (a virtual legend in animation voice talent) and more.  

Attendees needed additional (free) wristbands to guarantee a seat at the Sunday reunion panels for the Star Wars and X-Men cartoon casts, but crowd management at Comic Con Revolution 2024 was exceptionally smooth this year, with none of the usual long and often stalled lines one sees at such conventions.

Star Cars

As usual with Comic Con Revolution, the convention actually begins outside the Ontario Convention Center; just beyond the ticket lines and security checkpoints, there rests a collection of fan-made replica vechicles from such movies and TV shows as “Jurassic Park,” “Herbie the Love Bug,” “Knight Rider,” “Transformers,” “Back to the Future,” “From Dusk Till Dawn” and more, including a Disneyland Star Tours-inspired customized minivan, because the Force was strong at this convention…

“We can pay you two thousand now…”

This year, the convention’s main Exhibit Hall—normally filled corner-to-corner with vendor booths—made a large chunk of room for extra autographing areas.  Understandable, since the casts of the various Star Wars and X-Men cartoons were the main focus of this year’s Comic Con Revolution.  Returning from last year’s event was the Western Science Center, a paleontological museum based in the city of Hemet, California. There were also the usual collections of toys, comic books and other unique collectibles. The Exhibit Hall, aka the Dealer Hall, or Vendor Room, is where creativity and commerce meet.

Despite the room made for autographing, there were still a number of interesting booths, including many for comic books (the original focus of such Comic Cons, if I remember correctly…) along with booths for toys, collectibles and even chocolate (Chocolate Moonshine Co), from which my wife insisted that I buy a sampler tray of their goodies. Across the aisle from the Exhibit Hall was Artists’ Alley, offering many handmade paintings, crafts and other wares unique to their creators’ imaginations. Artists Alley occupied every inch of its larger space, which was used for autographs at earlier Comic Con Revolutions.

If you plan to buy, there are bargains to be found, but bear in mind that quote from “The Right Stuff” by Tom Wolfe; “No bucks, no Buck Rogers.” Make sure you have ample funds, and choose wisely.

“The Emperor is coming here?”

While Sunday’s animated Star Wars and X-Men cast reunion panels were the big draw of the convention, I didn’t personally attend those panels, as I decided to use my time a bit more strategically. Instead, I chose to meet some of the actors at their autograph booths, and I walked away with two autographs on my cherished hardback copy of “The Art of Star Wars Rebels” (by Dan Wallace); one from Taylor Gray (“Ezra Bridger”) and the other from Vanessa Marshall (“Hera Syndulla”).  

I’d also hoped to get the autograph of voice actor Steve Blum (“Zeb Orrelios” of “Rebels,” as well as “Wolverine” from the “X-Men” cartoon), but practicality and budget were factors, so I took a few candids of him as I waited for the other two autographs. Autographs at the event could run anywhere from $30-$80 (or more), depending on what what is being signed, as well as the celebrity and/or their management (with additional costs for photos ops in most cases).  No one ever said autograph collecting was cheap, right?  A piece of sound advice I’ve learned in a quarter century of convention-going is to pick your champions carefully, and always treat them with simple respect and kindness; it goes a long way.

My wife and I also had a nice meet-and-greet with actress Adrianne Palicki (“The Orville,” “John Wick,” “Agents of SHIELD”).  Adrianne Palicki and her comic book-author older brother, Eric, were also at the convention for a greatchat together, which my wife an I attended, and very much enjoyed. The sibling duo had collaborated on a comic book called “No Angel,” which was available for sale at the convention as well. The dynamic Palicki duo fielded many questions from the audience, and Adrianne (who typically goes by “Annie”) told an adorable little girl that she knew she wanted to be an actress after performing in a school play.  She told another excited young fan that her favorite food was tacos. The actress also took my question about the challenges of working with visual FX (it’s all about keeping stray hairs out of the green screen), and others.

Palicki also spoke very candidly about her heartbreak when her NBC pilot for “Wonder Woman” wasn’t picked up. She admitted the pilot was made by creatives who didn’t have the right take on the character; making it seem more “Ally McBeal” than DC Comics. She also discussed how her height (5′ 11″) sometimes made it difficult to cast her opposite shorter leading men (she tactfully gave no names). One thing Palicki didn’t comment on was whether or not she’d return for a possible Disney+ “Orville” continuation, though in print, she’s said she would not.  Together, Adrianne and Eric were hilarious—discussing their drinking tolerances and occasional sibling rough-housing.  This was one of only two panels I attended over the weekend, but it was terrific. 

“Your skills are complete!”  

Another panel my wife and I attended was on crafting your own cosplays, and was given by cosplayers Hazel (on Instagram @das_hazel) and Shahriyar Mustafiz (on Instagram @mustfizshah).

The two cosplayers offered sage advice on avoiding rookie mistakes (always use cloth scissors for cloth only; nothing else!), as well as remembering that your first attempts at creating a cosplay are probably not going to come out exactly as envisioned. Learn to accept that the art of cosplay evolves, and it is supposed to be enjoyable, too. Words of wisdom…

Fan Groups out in Force!

Down at the far northwest corner end of the Dealer Hall, there are booths of fan groups, with their own dedicated cosplayers. Some of these groups participate in local charity ventures, such as visiting children’s hospitals to cheer up fans in need. Other groups simply partake in the joys of perfecting their cosplay craft for its own sake, as well as networking with other like-minded fans in their communities.

“I can’t see a thing in this helmet!” 

Of course, my favorite part of any sci-fi/fantasy/horror/comics convention is the cosplay. It is a genuine treat for me to see fans (both local and out-of-state) putting on their best, and strutting their stuff for the cameras. The sheer creativity that goes into these often homemade, screen-ready costumes is amazing. As seen above, my wife and I wore our Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru costumes from 1977’s “Star Wars” (a mix of off-the-rack and homemade components), and we posed for a few photos (always a pleasure), but I was just as interested in chronicling other creations as well.

Summing It Up

While the turnout seemed slightly smaller this year than at past events, Comic Con Revolution 2024 had a much smoother crowd control as well, with no long, hot lines outside the building, and much more rapid security screening. 

There were fewer Exhibit Hall booths, with some of that space diverted to accommodate more autographing room for the “Star Wars” and “X-Men” cartoon series casts. Conversely, the home-crafted wares in the Artists’ Alley room seemed more robust than ever. From what I gathered, those much-anticipated, wristband-entry reunion panels on Sunday had very healthy turnouts, so it all worked out in the end.

Once again, the best parts of the convention (for me) were the cosplayers and fan spirit that filled the venue.  While there weren’t quite as many cosplayers as I’m used to seeing, there were some incredible creations, such as the “IG-11” bounty-hunter droid cosplayer (how she was able to walk and see in that thing still astounds me).  If this event were only about the cosplayers, that’d be reason enough for me to attend.  The rest is just a nice bonus. 

All 94 of my Comic Con Revolution pictures can be found here in this link to my Flickr album: Comic Con Revolution, May 18-19th, 2024 at Flickr.com. Enjoy!

Until next year, vive la révolution!  And may the Force be with you.