As the days get longer, and the weather gets hotter, there is no better sign that the summer has arrived for us than the beginning of comic convention season. First up, we had the opportunity to attend Wizard World Philadelphia this past weekend. Fans from all over trek to the Pennsylvania Convention Center to show off their best cosplay and meet their favorite stars. As Reel Talk embarked on their second year of coverage for Wizard World Philadelphia, it has become more evident that Wizard World is a must-attend convention to check off of every congoer’s bucket list.
We covered Wizard World last year, and we can say we had even more fun this year! One of the best parts about this con is its expanse location. Taking place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Wizard has all the necessary space it needs to put on a great time. There’s plenty of space for all their booths – gaming, guests signing, photo-ops, vendors, artists, and even a concert stage for musical guests. There was also speed dating hosted by Geek Speed Dating that gave congoers a chance to meet that special someone.
Panel rooms at the center provide ample space for congoers to sit comfortably while listening to their favorite topics and stars and even just walking in to grab a seat. Not many cons make it that easy. What continues to work well for convention goers is the split across three levels of the building. The registration and rooms for smaller panels are located at the bottom level. The leading vendor and event floor is on the second level, and the Terrace Ballroom housed the larger panels and cosplay contents.
Walking the floor of the convention is an experience in of itself. Wizard’s show floor is easy to navigate with signs easily seen by attendants. We found there to be a clear direction for us to locate where the photo-ops were taking place and sections where celebrities were signing, along with vendor and artists tables. For the gamers, Wizard even has a large area marked for gaming fun. Separating the panels from the general con floor and putting them on separate levels allowed for a much more relaxed experience for congoers.
One of the smaller panels we attended and enjoyed the most was a Charmed reunion with stars Holly Marie Combs, Brian Krause, and Drew Fuller. As someone who is not all that familiar with the show (our resident TV guru, Jen, is), it was great to see such strong chemistry and continued friendship by these three so many years after the show’s conclusion. After each taking time to share their thoughts about their time in Philadelphia, a Q&A session was opened up giving fans a chance to ask their rapid-fire questions to the cast.
We found out that the show’s seventh season was initially slated to be the series’ last, but producer Brad Kern wanted one more season to introduce a new witch with the idea that it could lead into a spinoff for the network. Combs did elaborate that for awhile Charmed was on the bubble as one that could be canceled, but it would consistently surpass network rating expectations allowing them to continue as long as they did. Another tidbit we learned was that Combs was not the network’s first choice to play the role of Piper, but Aaron Spelling and Shannen Doherty fought for her, and the rest is history.
When looking back at their favorite part about working on the show, all three agreed that the ability to make friends and maintain their close bond twenty years after the show means a lot to them. Similarly to other TV show reunion panels, fans asked them what their favorite episodes of the show were. Unanimously, they chose “Chris-Crossed“, “Saving Private Leo“, and “It’s a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World Parts 1 & 2.”
On the subject of the new Charmed, the cast admitted that they wish the new cast and the show well. While Combs has been vocal on her dislike of the new show, she also inferred that she could not speak further on the subject and left it there. Overall, the panel did a great job at informing and the stars connected well with their fans.
Other panels we attended throughout the weekend were a nice mix of film and tv stars, comic book artists and writers. We even checked out an exciting panel at the Creative Stage discussing the right materials to use in building your cosplay props.
Speaking of cosplayers, fans came to play and showed up in their best attire. Our absolute favorites of the weekend were Thor from Avengers: Endgame, the mad Titan himself, Thanos, the Star Wars girl squad, and the Undercover Boss Matt from Saturday Night Live.
[metaslider id=”30302″]
The convention floor gave fans a wide variety of vendors and artists. Each booth held something unique and special – art commissions, custom car decals to an array of items from the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, there was something for everyone. The convention floor is always an experience at every convention, and Wizard is no different, as I found myself enthralled in exploring every inch of the floor.
Wizard World Philadelphia certainly lives up to the positive reputation its created for itself throughout the years. Not a single aspect of the convention disappointed, and for those who have not attended a grand event like this, it is one, they should mark on the calendar for the future. We can’t wait to return next year!
