Wizard World invades Chicago Part 1

(Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with a press pass by Wizard World for the weekend, all words and opinions are our own.)

Wizard World Chicago 2015 has come and gone and it was a pretty good con this year.  Like with many cons there were a few hiccups here and there, but Wizard World was a fun time for this fan.

The con started on Wednesday, August 19th with the "Kick Off the Con" event.  This event was a way for fans to come and party with other fans, play some video games, grab a few drinks and meet some celebrities. It was also a way for members of the press to get their badges early and avoid long lines on opening day. 

I attended this pre-con party last year and I think I liked how it was run then than at this one.  Before I get into that let me tell you about the party. If you are having a party for fans of geek culture Level 257 is the place to have it at.  The entire restaurant is themed after Pac-Man and has a lot of great old school arcade games to play. 

Everyone that attended the party received a one hour free play card. I used my card to re-live my days playing at the local arcade. I spent a good amount of my time on Q-Bert, made the top ten, and playing the pinball machines.  

One of the games that I played and had a lot of fun with was Pac-Man Smash. It's an air hockey game with a twist and it was one of my favorite games of the night.  The one game that I did not get to play, which I wish I did, was the Star Wars Pod game.  There was always someone in it when I walked by...next time I'll play it, next time.

A few highlights of the evening were:

• The opportunity to talk to Barry Bostwick, Michael Rooker and two of the stars from Epic Ink. 
• All you can eat wings. (Sometimes it's just the little things.)
• A Pac-Man tournament.
• Hanging out with other fans and friends.

At the party I was able to catch up with my friends; The Rock Father and Meredith from Sanity in Suburbia.  It was great talking to them and just talking about Star Wars, LEGO's and video games. 

One thing that I was not too pleased with about the party was the way the interviews with the guests were held. At last year's party the guests were sitting at booths or tables and members of the press were given about 5-10 minutes to talk to each of them.  This year the guests were at the front of the room in front of a Wizard World backdrop and it was basically a free-for-all to get time with them.  What ended up happening was a lot of people pushing, cutting and taking more time than allowed to interview the guest.

I'm hoping next year they come up with a different method to conduct the interviews, because it would be nice to have some one-on-one time with the guests and not fight other people to get that time. 

On Thursday we were invited to attend a special press conference being held by Bruce Campbell.  While I was thinking it was going to be something about the Evil Dead television show or a new Evil Dead movie, the conference was about the next season of Last Fan Standing.  Bruce Campbell is asking the fans to help support the show by contributing to get it going. 

                                           

After the conference we all had a chance to interview Bruce himself and I was nervous as I stood in line for my turn. I had my questions in my head already: "What has Ash been up to in between the last Evil Dead movie and the upcoming television show?", "What did his small cameo at the end of Evil Dead mean and will he be in the sequel?" and finally "In the comics there are many versions of Ash vs someone, would we ever see one of these live, even it was a 5-10 minute short?"

Now these are pretty legit questions, right? So what happened when I walked up to the man and shook his hand? I fanboyed out or better yet, I fandaded out. I started stumbling my words, my questions were making no sense and the interview was over as soon as it began. I felt so dumb as I walked off the stage and when I listened to my recording I cringed at what just happened.  I don't think I will listen to that audio again...who knows, maybe I'll post it on here so you all can laugh at me. 

Bruce did tell me that depending on the success of the Evil Dead television show, that another movie will see fruition. So I am hoping that the show does great so we can see Bruce Campbell on the big screen fighting deadites again. 

Here is the official press release that explains the Kickstarter for Last Fan Standing. Give it a read will you. 

Here's the official word about the Kickstarter launch for the show:

(Los Angeles) August 20, 2015 – Alright, you primitive screwheads, listen up: thanks to overwhelming fan response to the first season of LAST FAN STANDING, the hilarious pop-culture game show hosted by fan-favorite actor Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead, Burn Notice), a second season is being offered through a unique Kickstarter campaign, launching today.

A no-holds-barred trivia tournament that electrified Wizard World Comic Con fans around the country, the first season of LAST FAN STANDING was shot live-to-tape right from the convention floor. This gave con-goers the chance to prove their status as the ultimate Fanboy or Fangirl for a global internet audience on CONtv, which exclusively aired season one as original content.

The campaign is filled with “Bruce-centric” perks – including signed Comics, Lunchboxes, Personalized Voicemails, and even a bowling party with Bruce – the Kickstarter campaign is out to create an even more raucous season of “Last Fan Standing.”  Currently the campaign is set to run from August 20th through September 21st.

A second season of LAST FAN STANDING – created by Bruce Campbell and Pop Quiz Entertainment – promises to be even more laugh-filled and harrowing than the first; in addition to the nail-biting speed rounds and each episode’s climactic “Final Confrontation,” the series’ producers promise exciting new rounds, even more playful badgering from Bruce, and possibly a cameo or two from some of the geek world’s biggest names. As Bruce would say, it promises to be…groovy. 

What won’t change is the ability of Wizard World Comic Con attendees to be a part of the show. Using a proprietary audience response system, LAST FAN STANDING picks its contestants from among everyone who shows up to play; prove your knowledge of Sci-Fi, Horror, Fantasy, and Superheroes by answering our pre-game questions, and you too can be up on stage with Bruce…though if you choke in front of the cameras – or your buzzer skills are lacking – you’re going right back down to your seat. Only the truest fan can be…the Last Fan Standing. 

With the help of fans who get involved in the Kickstarter campaign, the next season of LAST FAN STANDING will feature an exciting new set, improved audio and video, and – if it’s even possible – a more stunning wardrobe for Bruce. 

Fans can review the Kickstarter and learn more at their Kickstarter page. 

As of this writing there are 25 days left to contribute, so go help out Bruce today!

Make sure to read part 2 of our coverage when it goes live.

Thanks for reading.