All-Star Comic Con Puts Pop Culture on Center Stage
This June 15-17, the Sheraton Tysons Hotel at Tysons Corner, Virginia will play host to The All-Star Comic Con, a comic, art, gaming and pop culture celebration that aims to break the mold of a regular “comic con” in favor of a more diverse, intimate and dynamic experience.
Several big names in the comic book industry will be at All-Star Con when it debuts in Northern Virginia this summer, including Eisner Award winning and New York Times Best Selling writer Jason Aaron (Thor, Star Wars, Wolverine, PunisherMAX), artist Chris Campana (IDW), Star Wars author John Jackson Miller and “Jane of All Trades” Afua Richardson (Black Panther: World of Wakanda). The celebrity guest list for All-Star Con is as eclectic as it gets, highlighted by the comic con debut of actress Zazie Beetz who will play Domino in the highly anticipated sequel to Deadpool this summer. Beetz will be joined by actress Alaina Huffman (Supernatural, Smallville), Original Red Power Ranger and former Northern Virginia resident Austin St. John, action movie mainstay Michael Biehn (Terminator, Tombstone, Aliens) and voice actor Susan Eisenberg, best known for her performances as Wonder Woman in the Justice League animated programs and video games.
Additionally, the convention guest list includes professional wrestling legends, cosplayers (costume play) and pop culture personalities including hip-hop legend and dance trailblazer Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quiñones, (Breakin’ and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo) who will instruct attendees through a dance workshop Saturday during the convention.
The experience of All-Star Con extends beyond celebrity appearances. Sponsored by George Mason University’s Game and Technology Academy, the eSports arcade will offer 24- hour gaming and cash tournaments. On Friday and Saturday, the convention will shine a light on independent sci-fi and fantasy short films in a showcase hosted by the Fantasy Network and sponsored by the Alamo Drafthouse of Ashburn. Additional areas throughout the convention will be dedicated to pop culture trivia, board and card gaming (sponsored by Way Fun Games, owned by Washington Redskins punter Tress Way), Dungeons & Dragons and live entertainment including two dance parties. Finally, attendees can participate in a Star Wars themed art contest and silent auction to benefit the Arc of Loudoun at Paxton Campus, the county’s only advocacy organization dedicated to serving people with disabilities and their families.
All-Star Con will also honor cosplayers with three contests and the announcement of the event’s inaugural Cosplayer of the Year Award, which will honor an artist who exemplifies the tenets of the community; creativity, dedication and humanitarianism.
The convention will offer continental breakfast for artists and vendors, an intimate and personal show brought to life by professional production designers and a special promotion for Father’s Day. According to Executive Director Kevin Bednarz, “We want this to be the rock ‘n’ roll of pop culture conventions – a “Lollapalooza” that provides more bang for the attendee’s buck, something that Northern Virginia has been missing.”
More information on All-Star Comic Con can be found on their website (www.TheAllStarComicCon.com) and Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/AllStarComicCon). Tickets and hotel rooms are on sale now. All-Star Comic Con: You’ll never know if you don’t go.
