Seattle Culture
Captain America, Lando Calrissian, and Emerald City Comic Con 2024
Four-day event kicks off Feb. 29 at Seattle Convention Center
By Martha Daniels February 28, 2024
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
Come meet Lando Calrissian this weekend. Stop by and see Captain America, or Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings.
OK, not really. They’re fictional characters. But the actors who played them (Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars, Chris Evans, and Elijah Woods in Lord of the Rings, respectively) will attend Emerald City Comic Con 2024 at the Seattle Convention Center, which begins Feb. 29 and runs through March 3. So will plenty of fans dressed as their favorite characters.
Advertised as a “celebration of pop culture from every corner of the nerdy galaxy,” ECCC serves as a space for those from all fandoms to collaborate and “nerd-out” without fear of judgment.
“The atmosphere, it’s extremely energetic,” says Fallon Prinzivalli, marketing director for ReedPop, the company that runs and produces the convention each year, along with numerous other gamer and comic/anime conventions across the United States. “Everyone who comes in is really passionate about their fandom, and people are very excited because sometimes this is the one event a year where they can come and really feel like they can be their authentic selves.”
Besides seeing an array of dizzying costumes from fans of several genres, Prinzivalli is excited for fans to meet and interact with Evans, Williams, Woods, and other celebrity attendees, including Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, and the cast of Twilight, to name just a few. The list goes on.
The estimated 80,000 people in attendance are also expected to generate $26.5 million in economic impact, according to Visit Seattle. The convention has grown since last year, and is now taking place in two buildings with more panel rooms and additional exhibitors.
New this year are Taverns (spaces for all ages), based on Dungeon & Dragon games where people can hang out, play table-top games, and meet with like-minded communities. Guests can attend cosplay, writing, comic, and gaming workshops hosted by experts, as well as a B2B Programming track that helps connect novices with professionals.
“We always want to make sure that you’re not just having fun, but there is also some kind of education component, a leveling up component that makes it beneficial for folks in pop culture as a career as well,” Prinzivalli says.
Luckily, a few photo ops with Evans remain, but tickets are selling fast. Visit the website for details on Captain America and the convention.
“I can do this all day.” If you know, you know.
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