The Emerald City Comic Con, one of the biggest gatherings of pop culture and geeks in America, returned for its 20th anniversary. This year’s celebration took place at the brand-new Summit Building expansion of the Seattle Convention Center.
With about 140,700 square feet of naturally illuminated lobby area and a 14,000 square foot outdoor garden terrace, the Summit Building almost doubles the size of the Seattle Convention Center.
On March 2 the convention officially started and ran through Sunday, March 5. The doors of the convention venue usually opened to the public every morning at 10 a.m., and events extended into the late nights.
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The event attendees enjoyed a lot of fun late-night thrills such as crafts after dark, a Doctor Horrible’s sing-along, a live recreated Rocky Horror Picture Show, draw-and-sip classes, anime screenings, cosplay karaoke, and a prom-style dance.
Celebrities invaded the 2023 Emerald City Comic Con
A couple of celebrities were present at the event, including Marvel’s Mark Ruffalo, the cast of Our Flag Means Death, Mara Wilson, Lori Petty, the cast of the original Scream, the cast of Arrow, and the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, among other big names in the industry.
The 20th anniversary of the Emerald City Comic Con had more celebrities in attendance compared to the 2022 event, which had the late Stan Lee in attendance.
One of the major highlights of the convention was the engaging panel discussions by celebrities. They talked about a couple of fascinating topics, including upcoming projects and production stories.
Fans also got the rare opportunity to get autographed photographs and souvenirs from their favorite celebs throughout the convention.
Exhibitors also found the 573,770-square-foot Show Floor and the 248,450-square-foot Artist Alley as the perfect places to make extra money by showcasing various merchandise, like comic books, wares, artwork, and other goods.
A beer garden offering wine, beer, and other sorts of drinks was also thrown open for attendees who were 18 and older. There was also a manga library and a quiet room that offered a resting and napping area for people who needed to take a quick break from the event.
A large menu of delicious desserts, savory pies, pizza, chicken tenders, and sandwiches was available at the event. Dreamland Maid Cafe and the cafeteria at the Summit Building made sure that conventiongoers got all the refreshments and energy they needed while attending the event.
The 2023 Emerald City Comic Con offered exciting activities
Comic Con and games are often inseparable and this year was not an exception. Attendees had no dull moments at the event. Game lovers had the chance to spend their entire days playing Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, Magic the Gathering tournaments, pinball at the arcade, or PC games in the playroom.
Miniature tabletop gamers also had a separate room where they were provided with models, brushes, and paints for painting. Board games were also made available at the Bothell-based Zulu’s Board Game Café.
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Many attendees arrived at the event in amazing costumes of their favorite action figures and comic characters. Sushi from Chibling Props emerged as the best-dressed attendee by dressing as Azure Starlord from the Monster Hunter video game series.
Prince of Snark and Staressco won the 2nd and 3rd positions respectively by dressing as Loquacious Seelie and Seth Nightroad from Trinity Blood.
A brief history of the Emerald City Comic Con
The Emerald City Comic Con began in 2003 with just about 3,000 people in attendance. The first event, which was the brainchild of Comics Retailer and comic book creator Jim Demonakos, took place at the Qwest Field Events Center.
In 2015, the event was purchased by Reed Exhibitions after it became a multi-day event, having as many as 100,000 attendees each year at the Washington State Convention Center.
Kristina Rogers, the ECCC Vice President, said the convention has always felt like home and seeing it turn 20 makes her feel old and equally proud.
Going back in history, the first comic book convention to ever happen was held in 1964 at New York City’s Workmen’s Circle Building. Such conventions became more popular in America and London in the 1970s.
San Diego Comic Con currently holds the record for the largest comic book convention in the world, with a staggering 140,000 attendees annually. Remember to save the date because Emerald City Comic Con organizers promise fans a bigger and better event from February 29 to March 3, 2024.
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