If you're a fan of pop culture, chances are that Comicpalooza has at least one reason for you to be freaking out right now.
This unique event, owned by the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, is taking over the George R. Brown Convention Center July 15-17.
Expect meet-and-greets, celeb panels, shopping, and cosplay galore, all spanning the worlds of anime, comic books, gaming, horror, literature, and television.
For the first time ever, the fun kicks off on Friday with Launch Night, a new tradition that welcomes attendees in style.
Fans will step into the CP Friday Night Bash through a futuristic vortex that will guide spectators to a neon oasis adorned with themed nostalgic decor, a retro arcade, and other enchanting surprises. LED screens will illuminate the dance floor while a video DJ will amp up the crowd.
Meanwhile, spectators will cheer on their favorite wrestlers from Texas All-Star Wrestling in eight intense matches, while Retro World Series hosts a series of energetic Mario Kart 64 tournaments on Nintendo 64 console. Fans of role-playing games can join Houston Ultimate Werewolf in their intense social deduction game.
Make sure to check out the new Robotica: The Robotics Experience, where you can cheer alongside teams from all over the world as they enter their destructive creations — from buzzing behemoths to diminutive droids — in the ultimate battle bots tournament where no two robots make it out in one piece.
Saturday and Sunday bring can't-miss activities like a Star Wars lightsaber show, how-to-draw manga workshop, live podcast recordings, anime car show, the Itasha Showdown, and the highly competitive Cosplay Contest.
And, of course, a cavalcade of celebrities.
The multi-talented Terry Crews is making his Houston debut at the pop-culture festival. He's best known for charming viewers across the nation as the host of America’s Got Talent and playing the gentle-giant Lieutenant Terry Jeffords in NBC’s award-winning series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Crews is also widely recognized as the face — and muscles — of the iconic Old Spice commercials.
Acclaimed actors Antony Starr (Homelander) and Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko) from the hit series The Boys join popular cast members from The Magicians: Hale Appleman (Eliot), Summer Bishil (Margo), Olivia Taylor Dudley (Alice), Trevor Einhorn (Josh), and Stella Maeve (Julia).
Nightmares and horror collide as rock and roll Hall of Fame legend Alice Cooper, who also played the wicked stepfather of Freddy Krueger in Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, joins Jackie Earle Haley of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Watchmen at Comicpalooza.
Cooper and Haley join sci-fi actor Robert Patrick, as well as Demon Slayer voice actor Zack Aguilar and My Hero Academia voice actors David Matranga, Emily Neves, Justin Cook, Christopher Wehkamp, and Trina Nishimura.
Finally, John Wick star Lance Reddick brings the muscle along with AEW World Champion "Hangman" Adam Page and fellow wrestler Adam Cole.
To get the best experience and perks, VIP passes are encouraged. Check out a full schedule at comicpalooza.com.
You never know who you might run into.
