The Con Is On

Celebs, cosplayers + collectors convene for Houston's Comicpalooza 2025

It’s time to charge your lightsabers, dust off your capes, and prep your cosplay — Comicpalooza is back June 20-22 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, and it’s bigger, bolder, and better than ever.

Whether you’re a hardcore Jedi, casual anime fan, or just someone who loves a good haunted house and a throwback dance party, Comicpalooza delivers three jam-packed days of fan-fueled fun. It’s a celebration of everything pop culture under one very enthusiastically air-conditioned roof.

Houston Comicpalooza Photo by Kevin Ventura

A star-powered celebrity lineup
Let’s start with the star power. This year’s guest list reads like a nerd’s dream journal. Leading the charge is Star Wars legend Hayden Christensen, alongside fellow galactic icons Ming-Na Wen and Temuera Morrison. That’s right: Anakin Skywalker, Fennec Shand, and Boba Fett will all be in the building.

Need more reasons to nerd out? Patton Oswalt is bringing his Ratatouille charm and razor-sharp wit, while Adam Savage, the brains behind MythBusters, will have fans geeking out over gadgets. And comedy legends Cheech & Chong will be there to light up the nostalgia (and probably the room).

Fans of SYFY’s Resident Alien are in for a treat, with Alan Tudyk, Corey Reynolds, Sara Tomko, and Alice Wetterlund appearing for panels and signings. Plus, Dragon Ball Z fans can power up with voice actor Sean Schemmel.

Explore the ultimate fandom playground
Along with celebrity selfies and autograph hunts, Comicpalooza is a full-on playground for pop-culture lovers.

Hit the sprawling show floor to browse everything from rare comics and anime merch to custom art and collectibles you didn’t even know you needed.

Houston Comicpalooza Photo by Edward Hall

Pop into the Okashi Japanese Arcade for a hit of Tokyo-style nostalgia, or brave the bone-chilling thrills of the brand-new 13th Floor Haunted House walkthrough, because it's never too early for Halloween.

You’ll also want to plan your schedule around the many live panels featuring Q&As with celebs, industry insiders, and content creators who are just as obsessed with your favorite fandoms as you are.

After dark = after-party
When the sun goes down, the real party begins. Comicpalooza After Dark is strictly 18+ and 100% epic.

On Friday night, the “Throwback to the Millennium” bash will teleport you back to the early 2000s with the best jams from the TRL era — bring your low-rise jeans and frosted-tips energy.

On Saturday, the rave returns with a vengeance, thanks to Club Kaijuu and its lineup of anime DJs spinning beats straight out of your favorite opening themes.

Something for everyone
Bringing the kids? There’ll be no shortage of family fun. Kidtopia will be buzzing all weekend with hands-on activities like the Kroger Chef Junior demos, where budding chefs can get their hands dirty (in a good way) while whipping up tasty treats.

Creative souls will want to check out Comic Couture, a stunning fashion show featuring original designs inspired by comic books and anime, all dreamed up by students from UHD and HCC.

Houston Comicpalooza Photo by Emerson

Photo by Amial Velasquez

Find your people here.

And no visit to Comicpalooza is complete without catching the iconic Cosplay Contest on Saturday night. This all-out display of craftsmanship, creativity, and cosplay bravado is sure to inspire next year's getup.

Oh, and did we mention the wrestling? That’s right: Texas All Star Wrestling will be bringing the heat as fighters clash in the ring for the coveted Comicpalooza Dragon Belt. It’s high-flying, body-slamming, spandex-wearing chaos in the best way possible.

Why you won't want to miss it
Comicpalooza isn’t just Houston’s biggest pop culture convention — it’s a high-energy celebration of all the weird, wild, and wonderful corners of fandom. From anime to sci-fi, horror to wrestling, and cosplay to cuisine, it’s a weekend where you can be unapologetically you, whatever that looks like.

So whether you're a Jedi master, a Marvel maniac, or just someone who loves an epic party with a few thousand of your new best friends, grab your tickets, plan your costume, and get ready to nerd out hard.

comicpalooza comics star wars cosplay anime promoted

Movie Review

Chris Rock’s Misty Green is a funny, excruciating look at Hollywood

Photo courtesy of A24

Rosalind Eleazar in Misty Green.

For every well-known/successful actor in Hollywood, there are thousands of others whose lives are more tenuous as they struggle to find work. The new film Misty Green is about one such actor who, after a period in the limelight, now finds herself on the outskirts of the industry, just hoping to find her way back in.

Misty (Rosalind Eleazar) won an Emmy for a 2000s-era TV show that still gets her recognition, but not much work. Still living in the apartment of a recently-deceased man with whom she was having an affair, Misty spends her days sleeping in and her nights getting blitzed on alcohol and drugs. She seems to be heading nowhere fast until a few things coincide to break up her routine.

The man’s wife (Amy Landecker) shows up and tells her she has seven days to vacate the apartment; Misty’s brother, Jay (Daniel Kaluuya) — who is bipolar — arrives after being kicked out of his facility for non-payment; and Jordan (Chris Rock), a former colleague with whom she had a falling-out, reappears in her life, offering a possible chance to rehabilitate her image.

Written and directed by Rock (his first feature since 2014’s Top Five), the film is a funny and excruciating look at how the entertainment industry might actually work. Misty is her own worst enemy thanks to late nights fraternizing with unsavory characters like Zach (Adam Driver), who deals in drugs and women in equal measure, but her frustration proves warranted when her agent, Randy (Topher Grace), and casting directors like Rhonda (Tracie Thoms) hardly give her the time of day.

Misty tries her best to stay positive, but when jobs like singing in a bar are the best she can do, the mountain seems insurmountable. Rock does an effective job of demonstrating the elements that are within and without Misty’s control that affect her ability to regain her position in the industry. The chip on her shoulder is almost as big as the bias some have against her, and other negative circumstances don’t help matters much.

There are many small touches that Rock and his crew put in the film to give it an air of authenticity. Filming in Los Angeles (a rarity these days), Rock uses both subtle and overt shots of homeless people in the city, suggesting that the line between the haves and have-nots is a fine one, especially with Misty on the verge of not having a place to live. He also has cameos from a few of his funny friends, including a bit of meta-casting of Anthony Anderson (who has faded a bit after starring in Black-ish) in a bit part as a cop.

Eleazar, a British actor best known for appearing on the Apple TV show Slow Horses, is a magnetic presence as Misty. The character herself is somewhat cringey in her decision-making, and Eleazar sells every bit of her righteous indignation and self-defeating actions. The supporting cast is great across the board, including Rock, Driver, Kaluuya, Thoms, Grace, Anna Kendrick, and Rich Sommer.

Misty Green makes you rage against the Hollywood machine, laugh at the various ways different people deal with its maddening quirks, and hide behind your fingers as Misty chooses options that don’t help, either voluntarily or because her back is against the wall. It’s a powerhouse of acting that gives a unique angle on the inner workings of Hollywood, one that ironically might be competing for awards at year’s end.

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Misty Green is now playing in theaters.

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