Super Saturday at Wizard World Madsion With The Cast of ‘Smallville’

Suzette
5 Min Read
Image courtesy of Judy Pettikas-Barnes.

For the tenth year, fans gathered in Madison, Wisconsin for the Wizard World convention which took place this past weekend at the Alliant Energy Center. Nerds was in attendance for Saturday and Sunday.

This was my first year attending this event so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect or how to easy it would be to get around but was pleasantly suprised at how easy it was to find everything. The staff were pleasant and helpful. They answered any questions promptly and if they didn’t know an answer, they gladly found it. There was an event map available at the registration desk complete with QR codes that when scanned, would take you to the guest schedules and the programming schedule. The only thing that was not included on the map was where to find the arena where many of the day’s celebrity panels took place. However, signs were posted that pointed guests in the right direction.

The first panel of the day was the main Smallville panel featuring Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Erica Durance and Laura Vandervoort. There were plenty of seats available for everyone there. The panel started with questions from the moderator, actor Samm Levine. He asked about the set of Smallville and what it was like to portray such iconic characters, particularly when Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder were on set to watch their performances. Both Welling and Durance responded that it was amazing to hear what they thought of their portrayals and Durance commented that Kidder had told her she “knocked it out of the park”.

The cast was also asked about their respective turns as director and how that was different than being an actor. Welling and Rosenbaum both directed episodes of Smallville and Durance directed an episode of Saving Hope. They agreed that the experience of directing was different than acting but it gives you a broader perspective on the show.

Image courtesy of Judy Pettikas-Barnes.

After that, questions were opened up to fans waiting at the microphones. After a few minutes of trying to get the mic to work, Rosenbaum took it upon himself to bring his mic down and stand (and have some fun) with the fans while they asked their questions. There were plenty of questions about Smallville and discussions about what makes a hero.

Image courtesy of Judy Pettikas-Barnes.

When asked what projects they are currently working on they each had projects to discuss. Rosenbaum mentioned his Left on Laurel album that was recently released. Welling talked about a new series called The Professionals that will be released soon. Durance has a Christmas movie called Christmas Chalet and Vandervoort will be in V-Wars on Netflix in December.

Image courtesy of Judy Pettikas-Barnes.

Following the Smallville panel was a Firefly panel featuring Jewel Staite and Sean Maher. There was a clear camaraderie between the two as they talked about their daily life, raising kids and shopping for schools supplies. When asked why the show still resonates with people, Maher attributes that to the “instant chemistry amongst the cast.” Again, the panel started with questions from the moderator and then they took questions from the audience. When asked what she thought of playing a strong female character, Staite replied that it is “unfortunately rare” to find a character with depth and that she is glad she got to explore a role like that.

There was truly something for everyone. At the convention with celebrity panels, creator panels, and other activities like the music and costume contests on the main stage. There was even a section with for kids which I will talk more about in Sunday’s recap so watch for that article soon!

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By Suzette
Suzette is a middle school para educator, mom and middle-aged Supernatural fangirl. She is passionate about mental health/disability awareness and advocacy. She spends her free time at home with her three children and four cats reading, writing and drawing.
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