Cowabunga! Fall Motor City Comic Con to be a frightfully fun event

NOVI — The Motor City Comic Con, which is set to take over the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi Nov. 8-10, has a reputation for bringing in phenomenal celebrity guests, and the lineup for the third annual fall convention does not cease to amaze.

This year’s lineup includes: Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund; Wayne Knight, better known as Newman from the TV sitcom “Seinfeld”; Priscilla Presley; the voice actors behind the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Cam Clarke, Townsend Coleman, Barry Gordon and Rob Paulsen; Star Trek’s George Takei; and Alan Ruck, who is known for his role as Cameron Frye in the cult classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

“A lot of the times we will try and look at anniversaries that are happening,” Sam Yankee, show manager of MC3, said of the guest selection process. “We have Ray Park, and it’s the 25th anniversary, I believe, of (‘Star Wars: Episode I — The) Phantom Menace’ coming up, and then, I believe, we also have the anniversary of the Ninja Turtles. But that is a really good indicator. … Yeah, people like to celebrate those big events.”

Yankee said that original actors for the various fandoms are always going to be popular because they started it all.

“I also think that with some of the original actors and the original voice actors from movies, you are hitting different generations,” said Beth Burland, MC3 show manager. “So, maybe you watched it with your parents and now you’re showing that to your children. So it just carries on.”

Yankee said they also like to ‘gear a little bit more towards horror” for the fall show and bring in guests who are known for their roles in horror films, such as Englund.

“Horror icons are what we try to get as well,” she said.

This year the show will be presenting two off-site movie events at the Emagine Theatre in Novi with celebrity guest Q&A sessions. Knight will host a screening of “Jurassic Park” on Nov. 8, and Englund will host a presentation of “Nightmare on Elm Street” on Nov. 9. Tickets for Englund’s presentation have already sold out, but there are still some seats available for Knight’s.  Tickets run $40, which is in addition to the cost of MC3 admission. Both tickets must be purchased to attend the screening.

There is also a lot of crossover between the various fandoms and other fields, such as with the multiplatinum rapper Logic, who will also be a celebrity guest this fall. The rapper’s music has been featured in several comic movies and he has recently worked on a movie with cult favorite director Kevin Smith.

“I don’t think we want to limit ourselves in any way,” said Burland. “If we can get a different or interesting celebrity in, then we’re going to do it.”

“A lot of people think comic cons are just comics, and while that is definitely where we started and where the heart of our show is, our slogan is, ‘Pop culture, it’s what we do!’ and we really cover anything that falls into pop culture,” said Yankee.

Aside from the celebrities there are numerous other activities for guests to partake in.

“One of the things we are doing different this year is that we are having a tabletop gaming room,” Burland said. “Throughout the whole entire show, every hour you can go and learn how to play a different game, or you and your friends can just go in and pick a different game. There are over 75 different games to choose from.”

A schedule for the games, and slots to sign up is posted on the show’s website. The games include Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Catan and more.

There will also be a Magic: The Gathering tournament from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The cost to participate in the tournament is $5, and prizes will be given to the winners. Guests will also have the opportunity to paint figurines from games and make friendship bracelets for no additional cost.

There will also be traditions such as adult and kids cosplay contests, numerous celebrity panels, an escape room, and iCon tournaments featuring Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Cosplay groups Ghostbusters Detroit and the 501st Legion from “Star Wars” will once again be in attendance, along with many other activities.

“When people come, they don’t just stay for an hour or two. They come and they stay the whole day,” said Burland. “A lot of people buy a whole weekend pass because it’s just a fun place to be.”

MC3 will be held from noon to 7 pm. Nov. 8, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 9, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 10.

Tickets for the event, movie screenings and celebrity autographs can be purchased online at motorcitycomiccon.com. Admission prices range depending on where and when tickets are purchased, as well as the day of the event, and the age of the person. Adult tickets cost $30-$45 or $90 for a weekend pass. Tickets for kids ages 6-12 cost $10 per day or $20 for the weekend pass. Children 5 and under are free. All kids 12 and under are free on Sunday.