After Gen Con ditched Milwaukee for Indianapolis in 2003, there has been a general void of a major annual comic con style event in Wisconsin. Sure, there have been gatherings of artists and dealers like the Milwaukee Comic Con (which took place at Serb Hall last month) and anime themed events like Anime Milwaukee (Feb. 13-15, Wisconsin Center). But there’s been no celebrity powered event to draw fans to meet stars of the science fiction, fantasy, horror, and superhero genres. The Wizard World con franchise has taken off and now has cons in 25 cities, including Minneapolis and Chicago (and one was recently announced for Feb.6-8 in Madison). Other franchises and independent cons have sprung up, but nothing for Brew City.
Until now. Suddenly, Milwaukee is home to two different comic cons, spaced less than a month apart.
First up is Fantasticon, which will take place Oct. 24-26 at the Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel. The Con is banking on providing a smaller, intimate experience for fans to attend panel presentations (full disclosure—I’m hosting one myself on Real Life Superheroes Oct. 25), gaming tournaments, parties, and a chance to meet some stars. John Barrowman of “Doctor Who,” “Torchwood” and “Arrow” fame is the guest of honor. Other guests include Caity Lotz, who plays Black Canary on “Arrow,” and cast members from “The Flash” and “Continuum.”
Fantasticon’s organizer, Mike Bollow, of Phanatic Entertainment, developed an interest in cons at a young age. He says he was about eight years old when his family attended a sci-fi convention in Chicago. There young Bollow was amazed when he saw actor Walter Koening aka Pavel Chekov, navigator of the Enterprise on “Star Trek,” step off an elevator.
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“I’ve been in love with conventions ever since,” Bollow says.
Meanwhile…
Less than a month later Awesome Con will also be debuting in Milwaukee. A young franchise that started in 2011, Awesome Conventions also hosts cons in Indianapolis and Washington DC. Awesome Con Milwaukee takes place Nov. 21-23 at the Wisconsin Center.
“Milwaukee, as a city, is very similar to how Washington DC was when we started planning the first Awesome Con,” says Ben Penrod, president of the franchise. “Milwaukee has basically been completely overlooked as a venue for a large scale comic-con, which is crazy, because Milwaukee is known around the entire country for fandom.”
Some of the big names Awesome Con has gathered include Jason Momoa (“Game of Thrones”), David Morrissey (“Walking Dead”), John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings), and cast members from “Battlestar Galactica” and “Lost,” among others.
“There’s also going to be a number of very cool panels, Q & As, and other special events like speed dating, Super Art Fight, and the costume contests, which are always amazing,” Penrod adds.
Both con coordinators agree that despite the close proximity, the two events are different animals. “We have a lot of support from local people and businesses, everyone we’ve talked to in Milwaukee is super excited and on board,” Bollow says. “It is, as our logo says, ‘Milwaukee’s comic con.’ There isn’t going to be a Fantasticon St. Louis or a Fantasticon Philadelphia. All of the energy is 100 percent Milwaukee.”
“I think both cons will be successful, because we aren't really competing,” Penrod reflects, adding that his con will be on a larger scale. On his competing con, he says, “I think they are probably a lot like our con was when we first started up. It's going to be small, but there will be some passionate fans there.”
Both Bollow and Penrod predict success and confidently stated that their respective cons will become Milwaukee institutions. Penrod is enthused to add Milwaukee to the Awesome Con line up, and Bollow says that plans for expanding Fantasticon for next year are already underway.
You can find more info about the cons at their websites, Fantasticon and Awesome Con Milwaukee
