C2E2 brings comics, costumes and celebrities to Chicago

This year's Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo, better known as C2E2, promises to cover everything on the pop-culture nerd's checklist.

The massive three-day event, held Friday through Sunday, March 18-20, at Chicago's McCormick Place, will feature movie and TV stars, costume contests, gaming areas, genre-fiction writers and, of course, dozens of comic-book creators and dealers.

The guest list features a number of entertainers with local ties, including actor and Evanston native John Cusack; Morton Grove native Rich Koz, who will appear as his popular TV persona, Svengoolie; and Streamwood comics artist Art Baltazar. The exhibitors at C2E2 include comic-store chain Graham Cracker Comics, which has suburban outlets in Naperville, St. Charles and Wheaton, and Anderson's Bookshop, with stores in Naperville, Downers Grove and La Grange.

Organizers say that local feel is one reason why C2E2, now in its seventh year, has become such a big attraction.

“We try to make our shows reflect the communities they're in,” said Mike Armstrong, event director for C2E2 organizer ReedPOP. “We know people who live in Chicago and the suburbs are proud of their city, so we try to make sure there's plenty of local talent involved.”

C2E2 also has shown a knack for attracting talent that appeals to multiple generations of fans. Among the comic-book creators in this year's lineup is Chris Claremont, an acclaimed and influential writer who built the X-Men from an obscure Marvel Comics superhero group into the industry's biggest and most popular franchise during the 1970s, '80s and into the '90s.

Claremont accomplished this by bringing new levels of drama, characterization and sophistication to comic-book writing. Many of today's superstar writers have cited Claremont's work, particularly his 17-year tenure with the X-Men, as a key influence.

“I tried to tell stories that I would want to read,” Claremont said. “The X-Men were a unique opportunity back then, because most of the characters were brand new. I had a chance to, if you can forgive the cliché, go where no one had gone before.”

At the peak of his popularity, Claremont wrote the flagship X-Men title along with a number of spinoff comics, like “X-Factor” and “The New Mutants.” Today's blockbuster X-Men movie franchise has drawn heavily from Claremont's work, most notably in the recent adaptation of Claremont's story (which he co-created with artist John Byrne), “Days of Future Past.”

“None of us could have imagined back then how big these characters would become in the movies,” Claremont said. “When I started, I thought the industry was going to die soon. It's very rewarding to see the characters, and some of the stories I did, still relevant today.”

Newer creators will be on hand at C2E2 as well. Chicago cartoonist Jeffrey Brown, who has been a big hit with younger readers because of his affectionately humorous “Star Wars”-related books like “Darth Vader and Son” and “Vader's Little Princess,” will attend to promote his new original work, “Lucy and Andy Neanderthal.”

The book, which started as a pitch for an animated cartoon show, combines Brown's playful art and storytelling with scientific information about Neanderthals.

“I thought kids would love a look at a cave man (that was) rooted in reality while everything else was basically fantasy,” Brown said. “I enjoyed doing all the research for the book, but the big challenge was fitting it into the story — where and how to include the information, without distracting from the story.”

“Lucy and Andy” is planned as the first installment of a trilogy, Brown said. After finishing it, he'll start working on an original sci-fi book for middle-years readers, but he hasn't ruled out taking on another “Star Wars” book, or returning to the autobiographical stories for adult readers that made a splash earlier in his career.

“I enjoy working in different realms and trying new things, and right now I'm just happy following my creative urges wherever they lead me,” he said.

Other highlights of C2E2 include a live edition of NPR's “Ask Me Another,” the C2E2 Crown Championship of Cosplay and Kids Day on Sunday. Among the celebrities scheduled are Chloe Bennet, D.B. Sweeney, John Ratzenberger and “Supergirl” Melissa Benoist.

For a full list of events, go to c2e2.com.

Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (C2E2)

<b>What:</b> A three-day pop-culture convention featuring actor appearances, costume contests, comic-book dealers, gaming and more

<b>When:</b> 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 18-19, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 20

<b>Where:</b> McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, <a href="http://c2e2.com">c2e2.com</a>

<b>Tickets:</b> On-site prices start at $40