Proud Nerds Assemble: Awesome Con Promises Epic Return

Where can you meet beloved celebrities like Williams Shatner and Michael J. Fox, view some of the latest comic book creations by top artists, and possibly even run into a group of people dressed as the Avengers?

The answer is Awesome Con, the D.C.-based annual comic-con that embraces all aspects of geekdom and pop culture. After having to postpone last year due to the pandemic, Awesome Con is back at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center bigger than ever, running from Friday, August 20 to the end of that weekend.

This marks the ninth Awesome Con, which started 10 years ago, with the one canceled last year.

A day at the event will allow attendees to see a wide assortment of comic books, collectibles, toys, games, original art, cosplay, and more. Special events include discussion panels, costume contests, trivia contests, gaming tournaments, and tons of activities for kids.

“We’ll have a full show floor of vendors, people video gaming, tons of panels and topics, plus great meet-ups planned,” Marketing Director Lauren Dabb at LeftField Media, who is promoting the event, says. “It’s going to be such a great time.”

Fox will appear with his “Back to the Future” co-star Christopher Lloyd (as well as an iconic DeLorean), while Shatner joins “Star Trek” mate George Takei. A special “Back to the Future” Q+A panel will take place on the main stage on Sunday, and Shatner will take part in a discussion of his own.

Other celebrities appearing and available for photos and autographs (prices for each are determined by the celebrity) include Christina Ricci, Sean Astin and Carl Weathers. There will also be a host of notable comic artists on hand, including Dan Parent, Sam Maggs, Steve Orlando and Clay Mann.

“Every year, we have celebrity guests,” Dabb says. “And this year we have super-awesome celebrity guests.”

Other panels revolve around “Star Wars,” “The Lord of the Rings” and many other fan-favorite movies, TV shows, comics and video games. Also on hand will be Wes Johnson, who has provided voice acting for three installments of “The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim,” providing life to such characters as Lucien Lachance, the Gray Fox, the Arena Announcer, Sheogorath, Hermaeus Mora, and Emperor Titus Mede II.

“I’ve appeared as a guest at many of these shows around the country, and this one is the size of something you would have to go to San Diego to top,” Johnson says. “After what we’ve been through with the lockdown, we now get the chance to grab life by the horns again and have some fun.”

At Awesome Con, Johnson will be part of a Skyrim panel celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the “Elder Scrolls” video game.

“We’re going to do a little bit of trivia,” Johnson says. “We’ll be giving away some great prizes and reveal some neat things about the anniversary coming up this fall.”

He’ll also be part of Voice-a-Palooza, which he describes as “A bunch of video game voice actors behaving badly.”

“We will let people in the audience fill out cards with phrases of anything they want, and we’ll start saying them using our video game voices,” Johnson says. “We’ll also be doing actual scripts in our character voices as opposed to the real voices. We’ll also do some poetry, music lyrics and turn anything serious into something not-serious.”

Johnson has also been the public address announcer for the Washington Capitals for more than 20 years and is looking forward to talking with fans about hockey as well as the video games he is a part of.

“I’ll bring my Stanley Cup ring and people who come in and love the Caps and want me to unleash the fury with them — I don’t mind. Anytime you get a chance to meet someone who loves your work, it’s a wonderful thing.”

And he’ll also be taking advantage of geeking out on fellow Awesome Con special guests. Johnson is looking forward to getting a photo with Captain Kirk himself and the “Back to the Future” duo.

Johnson shares, “If you’re a nerd at heart like me, your heart is pounding with excitement because you’re getting the chance to come here and meet some of the people who made your cinematic dreams come alive.”

A brand-new feature this year at Awesome Con is Destination Cosplay, an area on the show floor with elaborate backdrops and props where photos can be taken, plus there’s a cosplay repair station and special vendors.

“We’ll also have the annual cosplay contest, and we have new judges this year and are offering some really great prizes,” Dabb says. “We really wanted to celebrate cosplay this year and are excited to see what fans have come up with.”

Another new entry this year is the Book Fair, which allows attendees to meet and recieve autographs from different authors, including up-and-coming independent authors.

Science Fair is also back, with guest-of-honor Adam Savage, host of “MythBusters,” who will explore some of the best theories in science fiction.

“We as a team, could not be more excited to bring our fans back together this year,” Dabb says. “Everyone has missed this. It’s more than just a Con. It’s an opportunity for fans to get together and be with like-minded people who have similar interests. We’re looking forward to what we know will be an awesome event all around.”

Awesome Con starts Friday, August 20, and will go until Sunday, August 22. Tickets for adults start at $45 and can be found here, along with additional pricing details. For more information on the weekend’s schedule, who will attend, and what to expect, visit Awesome Con website here.

Walter E. Washington Convention Center: 801 Mt Vernon Pl. NW, DC; awesome-con.com // @awesomecons

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