ROSEMONT, Ill., July 17, 2003 � Celebrities, movies, comics, toys and gaming unite at Wizard World Chicago 2003, the world's largest pop culture expo. More than 40,000 fans are expected to attend the annual show, featuring appearances by hundreds of pop culture's top writers, directors, actors and artists. Fans will have the opportunity to play video games, participate in gaming tournaments and a vintage comic book auction, attend seminars or wizard school and purchase exclusive toys. Wizard World Chicago begins Friday, August 8, and continues through Sunday, August 10, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. This year's highlights include:
FEATURED GUESTS:
Kevin Smith - The notable writer and director will land at Wizard World Chicago to promote his upcoming Miramax film "Jersey Girl," starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Smith has written and directed "Chasing Amy," "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Dogma," and "Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back."
Sean Astin - This actor played Samwise Gamgee, the trustworthy sidekick of Frodo Baggins in the "Lord of the Rings." Astin's other film credits include "Goonies," "Memphis Belle" and "Where the Day Takes You."
Ray Park � Park is famous for his character Darth Maul in "The Phantom Menace" and his starring role as Toad in the "X-Men."
Lou Ferrigno - TV's Incredible Hulk, Ferrigno recently appeared in a cameo for this summer's blockbuster movie "The Hulk."
Men Behind the Masks � These actors are best known for their roles as Boba Fett, R2D2, Darth Vader and Young Boba Fett in the "Star Wars" series.
Jim Lee, Guest of Honor - Famed Batman penciller and one of the most popular comic book artists of all-time, Lee formed his own comic book company, Wildstorm Productions, and launched the best-selling WILDC.A.T.S. comic book. Lee sold the company to DC Comics where he remains WildStorm's editorial director.
Joe Quesada - The editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics is most recognized for his world renowned superhero franchises, including Spider-Man, X-Men, The Fantastic Four and The Hulk.
Alex Ross - A Wilmette, Ill. native, Ross is a comic book artist well-known for his work on Superman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Batman and Captain America.
Marc Silvestri - Famous for creating comics such as Cyberforce, Witchblade, and The Darkness, Silvestri is from Chicago and the founder of Top Cow Productions.
For a complete list of guests visit www.wizarduniverse.com.
EVENTS:
Gaming Tournaments - World gaming championships will be held throughout the weekend. WizKids tournaments include DC Heroclix, Solaris VII, MageKnight, Mechwarrior, and Crimson Skies and Score Entertainment tournaments include Dragon Ball Z and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Heritage Auctions - With vintage comics, movie posters and original artwork, this auction will feature a wide range of material from key Golden and Silver Age titles to exceptional original art to hot Bronze and Modern Age material. For more information on Heritage Auctions go to www.HeritageComics.com.
Toys - Guests can purchase toys sold exclusively at Wizard World Chicago, such as Palisades Toy's Vaudeville Statler and Waldorf figures from the "The Muppet Show" and Mattel's Batman with toy accessories.
Memorabilia � From Batman to X-Men, action figures, movie posters, original artwork and comics dating back from the Golden Age to the present will be on display.
Seminars � Industry veterans, including director Kevin Smith and Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, will present seminars on a range of topics throughout the weekend.
Wizard School � Open to aspiring artists and seasoned professionals alike, Wizard School offers fans the chance to fine-tune their skills with free classes.
For a complete schedule of programming visit www.wizarduniverse.com.
Wizard World Chicago is presented in part by WizKids and Palisades Toys. Show hours are from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 8; 10:00 a.m.�6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 9; and 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 10. Tickets are $20 per day or $40 for a three-day pass. Children under 10 are free, when accompanied by a paid adult. For tickets or information, call 1.800.991.7243 or visit www.wizardconventions.com.
The event is produced by Wizard Conventions Inc., also the producers of Wizard World East and Wizard World Texas, premiering November 21-23. 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 Insider: The Japanese Animation Magazine. Wizard's publications have a monthly readership of more than 2 million and are currently sold in 25 countries and translated into five languages.
