'Lord of the Rings,' 'Justice League,' Sebastian Stan Q&A's, Cosplay, Creative Panels Head Programming at Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia; Most Included With Any Admission

PHILADELPHIA, May 11, 2018 (Newswire.com) - Group Q&A sessions with the stars of Lord of the Rings (Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and Billy Boyd), and Justice League (Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher), Stephen Amell (“Arrow,” “The Flash”), Sebastian Stan (Captain America franchise), Henry Winkler (“Happy Days,” Here Comes the Boom), three superstar “Women of Pop Culture” (Pom Klementieff of Guardians of the Galaxy, Holly Marie Combs of “Charmed,” “Picket Fences” and Charisma Carpenter of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “Angel”), anime, video games, cosplayer and comics creator sessions, adult and kids costume contests and more highlight the programming offerings at Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia, May 17-20 at Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City Philadelphia. Most programming is included as part of the standard event admission and is in addition to the live entertainment options (dancing, music, etc.) all weekend.

Some highlights of the more than 120 hours of panels scheduled include:

●      Interactive Q&As with Winkler (Friday, 3 p.m.), Amell (Friday, 5 p.m.), Stan (Saturday, 11:15 a.m.), Matt Ryan (“Constantine,” Saturday, 1 p.m.), Jewel Staite (“Firefly,” Saturday, 1:30 p.m.), Joe Flanigan ("Stargate: Atlantis," Saturday, 3 p.m.), Sean Bean (“Game of Thrones,” Saturday, 4 p.m.) and Michael Rosenbaum (“Smallville,” Sunday, noon)

●      Group sessions with the the casts of Lord of the Rings (Wood, Astin and Boyd, Saturday, 5:15 p.m.) and Justice League (Miller and Fisher, Saturday, 2:45 p.m.), and “Women of Pop Culture” (Klementieff, Combs and Carpenter, Saturday, 12:15 p.m.)

●      Disney Trivia panel with Walt Before Mickey star Thomas Ian Nicholas (Friday, 4 p.m.)

●      Creator-themed hours featuring industry superstars Greg Capullo (“Batman,” “Metal”), Jonathan Glapion (“Dark Knights Metal,” “Batgirl”), Mostafa Moussa (" Superman," "Fantastic Four"), Steve Geiger (“Punisher,” “Spider-Man”), Josh C. Lyman (“Voltron Force United and Drawn,” “ACEO PSC”), Mike Watson (Freestyle Komics, UpperDeck), Victor Dandridge (“The Samaritan”), Dr. Travis Langley, Dr. Lynn Zubernis and more.

●      Voice Actors panel featuring “Overwatch” stars Lucie Pohl (“Mercy”), Chris Parson (“Junkrat”), Gaku Space (“Genji”) and Jen Cohn (“Pharah”) (Sunday, 11:30 a.m.)

●      Anime actors panel with Arryn Zech and Jen Brown (Saturday, 4 p.m.), as well as an Anime VIP only Meet-and-greet with Zech and Brown (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.)

●      Fan-based panels on subjects ranging from RPGs, YouTube 101, Marvel vs. DC, mob culture to pop culture, self-publishing, “Supernatural,” Comics in the Classroom, manga, Dungeons & Dragons improv, Superheroes and more.

●      “The Last Nerd Standing” audience participation game show (Thursday, 5:30 p.m.), “Use Your Words” (Friday, 1 p.m., Saturday, 2 p.m.), “Game the Gamer” (Saturday, 5 p.m.)

●      Kids programming all four days, including story time, face painting, puppet shows, dance parties, magic, learn to draw, (and Kids 10 and under are free every day with paid adult)

●      World-famous Wizard World Comic Con Adult Costume Contest, Saturday at 7 p.m. and Kids Costume Contests on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

●      Cosplay with special guests Princess Morgan, Riddle, Knightmage, Captain K and more, throughout the weekend.

●      Cosplay and Industry Workshops (Heroic Posing, Worbla, Sculpting, Molding/Casting, Improv, Foam Building, Wiz-Art, Body Painting, Canvas Cosplay Patterning), require additional ticket.

Unless noted, programming events take place in the designated General Programming Rooms or show floor stages at the convention center. VIP tickets or additional costs may apply to ensure access to select activities, as noted.

A full list of Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia programming is available at http://wizardworld.com/programming-entertainment/Philadelphia (subjects, guests, times and rooms subject to change).

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The fifth event scheduled on the 2018 Wizard World calendar, Philadelphia show hours are Thursday, May 17, 4-9 p.m.; Friday, May 18, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, May 19, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, May 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kids 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult.

Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday evening.

For more on the 2018 Wizard World Philadelphia, visit http://wizd.me/PhiladelphiaPR.

About Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD)

Wizard World, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com) produces comic, gaming and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, tech, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming and entertainment takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A's, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also teamed with Sony Pictures Entertainment to find the next generation of movies as well as to engage in a number of strategic initiatives. Additional initiatives may include an augmented touring schedule of Wizard World shows, fixed-site installations, curated e-commerce, and the production and distribution of content both in the U.S. and internationally. Fans can interact with Wizard World at www.wizardworld.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

The 2018 Wizard World convention schedule is available at http://www.wizardworld.com/comiccon.

Media Contacts:

Jerry Milani, Wizard World, 646-883-5022 (o/txt), [email protected]

Jim DeLorenzo, Jim DeLorenzo Public Relations, 215-266-5943, [email protected]

Source: Wizard World