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PHILADELPHIA, April 22 -- Starting Friday, May 10, Philadelphia will be invaded by the likes of Darth Maul, The Incredible Hulk, and comic book aficionados from around the world as Wizard World hosts its premier pop culture convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The three-day event, one of the largest multi-media events on the East Coast, is expected to draw a crowd of 20,000. Guest of Honor Joe Quesada, editor-in-chief, Marvel Comics, and Special Guest, acclaimed writer/director/actor Kevin Smith will be joined by other celebrities including actors from all five Star Wars films and World Wrestling Federation SuperStars Lita and Matt Hardy. For a complete list of expected celebrity guests, please visit www.wizardworld.com.
Conventioneers will have access to hundreds of industry-leading writers and artists as well as hundreds of exhibitors, including Sony PlayStation, Marvel, DC, CrossGen, Wiz Kids and Upper Deck. Exhibitors will feature and sell action figures, anime, movie posters, original artwork and comics. Convention highlights will include:
- Movie Fight Xperience. Martial Arts expert and actor Ray Park and stunt coordinator/fight arranger Andreas Petrides will perform stunt sequences from some of the many movies they have worked on, including "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace", "The X-Men", "Gladiator", "Braveheart" and "Sleepy Hollow". Guests can witness a reenactment of the Phantom Menace's lightsaber duel, Gladiator's swordfights and the axe battle from Sleepy Hollow, among others, and then have the opportunity to ask questions in a Q&A session.
- Wizard School. Aspiring artists and seasoned professionals alike can take their turn going back to school as comic book industry experts teach them the tricks of the trade. This one-of-a-kind school offers pop culture fans the opportunity to fine-tune their skills with free classes like "Writing the Killer Scene", "Building Character", "Coloring Digitally" and "How to Plot". Wizard School takes place for one-hour periods throughout the weekend.
- Kevin Smith Film Festival. Wizard will host a film festival on Friday, May 10, at 8 p.m. featuring Kevin Smith movies, including "Clerks", "Dogma" and last summer's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back". The festival will be held at the Marriott Hotel at 1201 Market Street in Philadelphia. Tickets will be free and may be obtained in advance at the Wizard Entertainment booth on the show floor.
Wizard World will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, located at 1101 Arch Street in Philadelphia. Show hours are as follows: Friday, May 10, noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, May 12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 for a one day pass and $40 for a three day pass. Children 10 and under get in for free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Tickets can be ordered online at www.wizardworld.com or by calling 1-800-690-1669. Additional information can also be found by calling 215-928-0220.
The event is produced by Wizard Conventions Inc. Wizard Conventions also produces Wizard World: Chicago, now in its 28th year of operation. Wizard Conventions is a sister company of Wizard Entertainment Group, an industry leader in the collectibles market that publishes four magazines, including "Wizard: The Comics Magazine", "InQuest Gamer: The Gaming Magazine", "ToyFare: The Toy Magazine" and "Anime Invasion: The Japanese Animation Magazine". Wizard's publications have a monthly national readership of more than 2 million and are currently sold in 25 countries and five languages.
  
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