Check out my review of the Grand Rapids Comic Con. Enjoy.
Convention Type
Comic Con
When and Where
Nov 15th-17th at DeVos Hall
Things to Do/See
Attend panels, photos/autographs, Vendor Hall, Artist Alley, gaming areas, cosplay contest, concerts, after-party events, karoakoe, film festival screenings, legos for kids, car show
Guests -Consindering there were over 70 combined guests overall, I will list a few for each category.
Comic Guests: Michael Golden, Fabien Nicieza, Jim Salicrup
Voice Actor Guests: Ian Sinclair, Britney Karbowskis, Khary Payton, Sarah Wiedenheft, Richard Horvitz, Carla Perez
Cosplay Guests: Pink Petal Cosplay, Knightmage, Andi Serpenti, Sweets4ASweet Cosplay
Literary Guests: Christopher Paolini, Debbie Viguie, Evan Heuker, Mai Corland
Celebrity Guests: Danny Trejo, Chris Sarandon, Dee Wallace, Walter Koening
Pros
Held mostly in one central location at DeVos Place
Program booklet was very informative with who, what, where of all the events, panels, and guests.
Over 50 artists in the Artist Alley
Over 200 vendors/exhibitors in the main convention room.
Strong focus on music before and throughout the weekend. Thursday night, there was a pre-party concert that featured nerdcentric acts such as UTO, Playing with Power, Bathroom of the Future, and Gunderslam. The Harp Twins and Volfgang Twins held a concert on each day of the convention. On Friday and Saturday night, there were after-party concerts that focused on rock, metal, and EDM depending on which concert you went to.
Plenty of things to do and see, throughout the event.
Best gaming setup that I’ve seen at a comic con in Michigan. Gaming areas that included console, arcade, board games, table top, escape rooms, video game tournaments, and etc. Gaming is not treated as an after thought.
Cool Cosplays – Check out the GALLERY.
Cons
Parking was expensive if you wanted to park close to the venue. In the City lot across from DeVos Hall, parking on Friday and Saturday, it was $20 per day. On Sunday, it was $25. Paying $65 for parking expenses is a bit much for anyone attending all 3 days.
Crowded areas around the celebrity guest section due to long lines. I noticed that the comic con staff were directing attendees to curtail the blocked paths. Yet, it was still an issue at times depending on the amount of people in line to see a particular guest.
Long lines for food were blocking off walking areas, inside the convention hall.
The aisles in Artist Alley were too narrow. It was not easy to traverse with high traffic. There were times that I flat out gave up on attempting to walk down an aisle because of too many people. My assistant witnessed the high traffic and narrow walkways preventing attendees with mobility issues from easily navigating through.
Do I recommend attending the event?
Yes. I’ve never had a bad time attending the Grand Rapids Comic Con and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.