Pittsburgh Comicon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pittsburgh Comicon |
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| Status | Nonactive |
| Genre | Multi-genre |
| Venue | Radisson Hotel Pittsburgh ExpoMart (1994–2008) Monroeville Convention Center (2009–2014) David L. Lawrence Convention Center (2015–2016) |
| Location(s) | Monroeville, Pennsylvania (1994–2014) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2015–2016) |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 1994 |
| Attendance | c. 10,000 |
| Organized by | Comics World (1994–2014) Wizard World (2015–2016) |
The Pittsburgh Comicon was a fun event where people who love comic books and pop culture could meet up. It was like a big party or meeting, called a convention, held in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Michael and Renee George started it in 1994.
This convention usually lasted for three days, from Friday to Sunday. It was known for being very friendly to fans, letting them easily talk with comic book creators and other professionals. Even though it focused mostly on comic books, the Pittsburgh Comicon also celebrated many other parts of pop culture. This included things like professional wrestling, science fiction and fantasy stories, movies, TV shows, animation, anime, manga, toys, collectible card games, video games, and even webcomics.
Because Pittsburgh is famous for George A. Romero's zombie apocalypse movies, especially Dawn of the Dead which was filmed nearby, fans of horror also felt welcome. They could often meet actors from these movies at the convention. The event also worked hard to show off local artists and publishers from the Pittsburgh area.
The Comicon also helped raise money for different charities. Over the years, it supported groups that help people learn to read, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and local Food Banks. It raised more than $250,000 for the Pittsburgh chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps make wishes come true for children with serious illnesses.
Contents
History of the Comicon
The first Pittsburgh Comicon was held in April 1994. It was put on by Michael and Renée George, who owned a comic book store called Comics World in Windber, Pennsylvania. The event took place at the Radisson Hotel Pittsburgh ExpoMart in Monroeville. This was the first big comic event in Pittsburgh since the 1970s. From the very beginning, a main goal of the show was to help charities, especially the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They held an annual auction to raise money for this cause.
From 2000 to 2002, the Pittsburgh Comicon hosted the Harvey Award ceremonies. These awards celebrate excellence in comic books. Famous comic creators like Jeff Smith and Tony Millionaire gave speeches at these events. In 2003, the awards ceremony was canceled due to funding issues, but the winners were still announced.
The Comicon raised a lot of money for charity. For example, the 2000 show raised $26,000 for the Pittsburgh chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In 2003, it raised $27,000, and in 2007, it raised $30,000 for Make-A-Wish and $5,000 for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
In 2009, the convention moved to the newer Monroeville Convention Center. To celebrate the move, Stan Lee, a legendary comic book creator, was the special guest.
In 2015, a company called Wizard World bought the Pittsburgh Comicon. It then became known as Wizard World Comic Con Pittsburgh. The convention also moved to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. Wizard World held the event there for two years.
Past Convention Dates and Guests
The Pittsburgh Comicon hosted many famous guests over the years. Here's a look at some of the past events:
| Dates | Attendance | Official guests |
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| April 1994 | John Byrne, Rob Liefeld, Dave Sim | |
| April 1995 | Marc Silvestri, Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell | |
| April 19–21, 1996 | Stan Lee, Jim Shooter, Julius Schwartz, Rob Liefeld | |
| April 18–20, 1997 | David Prowse | |
| April 25–26, 1998 | Kevin Smith, Jim Mahfood, Mark Waid, James Robinson | |
| April 23–25, 1999 | 7,500 | Martin Nodell, Lou Ferrigno, George Steele, George Pérez |
| April 28–30, 2000 | 10,000 | Presentation of the Harvey Awards |
| April 27–29, 2001 | Frank Miller, Jeff Smith, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez | |
| April 26–28, 2002 | Carmine Infantino, William Tucci, George Pérez, Kenny Baker | |
| April 25–27, 2003 | Terry Austin, Terry Moore, Adam Hughes, Erin Gray | |
| April 30–May 2, 2004 | Jim Rugg, George A. Romero, Lani Tupu, Virginia Hey | |
| April 22–24, 2005 | George Pérez, Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, Michael Kaluta | |
| April 21–23, 2006 | 8,400 | George Pérez, Brian Michael Bendis, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner |
| April 27–29, 2007 | George Pérez, Ron Frenz, Terry Moore, Kane Hodder | |
| April 25–27, 2008 | 7,000 | Timothy Truman, Mike Grell, Robert Tinnell, David Prowse |
| September 11–13, 2009 | 10,000 | Guest of honor: Stan Lee; other guests included Beau Smith, Billy Tucci |
| April 23–25, 2010 | 9,000 | Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, Joe Sinnott, Margot Kidder |
| April 15–17, 2011 | c. 10,000 | George Pérez, Terry Moore, Mike Grell, Sam Witwer |
| April 20–22, 2012 | Stan Lee, J. Scott Campbell, Peter Mayhew, George Pérez | |
| September 27–29, 2013 | Jim Steranko, Jim Balent, Holly G!, George Pérez | |
| September 26–28, 2014 | Bill Sienkiewicz, Jim Balent, Holly G!, Herb Trimpe | |
| September 11–13, 2015 | First show held by Wizard World; first show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center | |
| November 4–6, 2016 |
What Happened at the Comicon
The Pittsburgh Comicon offered many exciting activities. There were talks and workshops with comic book professionals where you could learn about how comics are made. You could also see previews of upcoming movies and get advice on your art from top comic and video game companies.
In the evenings, there were special events like a costume contest. Many dedicated cosplayers, who put a lot of effort into their costumes, showed off their amazing creations. Other regular events included gaming sessions and hours of other programs about all parts of comic books and pop culture.
A popular yearly event was the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Quick-Sketch. Artists would quickly draw sketches, and these drawings were then sold to raise money for the fund. This event usually raised between $5,000 and $6,000 per show. Other charity events included a "Casino Night" and various drawings and donations from attendees. These events helped charities like The Hero Initiative and local food banks.
Like most comic conventions, the Pittsburgh Comicon had a large area for exhibitors. This included movie studios and TV networks, as well as comic book sellers and stores selling collectibles. There was also an autograph area where comic artists could sign items and even do free sketches. This "Artists' Alley" sometimes included writers and other creative people too.
Helping Charities
The Pittsburgh Comicon was very active in supporting many charities through its fundraising efforts. The main charity that the Comicon helped was the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since the convention started, it raised enough money to grant many wishes for children.
The show's Annual Charity Auction was the most important fundraising event for Make-A-Wish during the convention. Many talented guests at the Comicon generously donated their artwork and other items to be auctioned off. All the money raised went to this special charity.
The Comicon also held "Charity Quick Sketch" events. During these events, many guest artists volunteered their time to draw original art, often right in front of a live audience. Attendees could buy raffle tickets, and the money from these tickets was donated to the featured charity. Each piece of art created during the event was then raffled off to a lucky ticket holder.
Gallery
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Spider-Girl
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Sad Ghostbusters
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Batgirl versus Blade
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Peter Mayhew at the 2007 Pittsburgh Comicon.
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Mike Grell in 2007.
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Kane Hodder in 2007
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Marc Singer in 2007
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Gigi Edgley in 2007
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Images for kids
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Bloody dude
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