For the 10th year, fans gathered in Madison, WI for the Wizard World convention, which took place this past weekend at the Alliant Energy Center. Nerds and Beyond was in attendance for Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday was a little bit slower pace, with only a couple of celebrity panels, but there were still plenty of exciting things to do. There were a lot of panels that overlapped, but we were able to attend a few notable ones before doing other things. It was nice to have lots of options to choose from so that everyone could find things that fit their interests.
There were two celebrity panels on Sunday. The first one was a panel about bringing comics to the small screen. It featured Laura Vandervoort (Smallville) and Teddy Sears (The Flash). They discussed what that was like for each of them and also talked about other projects they have worked on. When asked about being a guest star, Vandervoort commented that it is sometimes nice, because “you bring something new to the show.” Samm Levine, who was moderating the panel, agreed and added that “sometimes you feel like Captain Exposition,” but that is necessary to move the story along for the main characters.
The second celebrity panel was about voice acting, with Ken Page (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and Kelly Hu (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). When someone asked how they find jobs in voice acting, they suggested getting a talent agent. They also stressed the importance of taking care of your voice during and after a job by not talking for a few days and drinking tea.
Another panel on Sunday that was particularly interesting right before Halloween was about haunted places in Wisconsin. This panel was lead by the staff from AmericanGhostWalks.com They talked about various haunted places in Wisconsin and the history behind the ghost stories. The company does ghost tours in several cities in Wisconsin and Minnesota for those who are interested in taking a tour.
In addition to the panels on Sunday, there was also the music and entertainment on the main stage, including a magic show and the kids costume contest. There were a lot of options for kids the entire weekend, which was really handy for any parents there. There was a kids’ corner with face painting, free sketches of their favorite animal by a professional sketch artist, a coloring table, and even a Nerf gun battle area.
There was plenty of excitement throughout the weekend for both kids and adults alike. In addition to everything I have already covered, there were many great examples of intricate cosplay available to see and a varied selection of vendors that were selling both original artwork and other items of interest. There were plenty of food vendors available throughout the weekend, but you were also allowed to bring in snacks too. There was an area set up with tables to sit and take a break or eat something. Over all it was a great experience, and I will definitely be returning next year!
