Raving Toy Maniac

SEAN ASTIN TO APPEAR AT CHICAGO COMIC & ENTERTAINMENT EXPO (C2E2)

Actor Joins Extensive List of Guests from Entertainment World to Appear at Annual Pop Culture Convention

Norwalk, CT, April 10, 2012: Show organizers at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), which is set take place this coming weekend, April 13 – 15 at McCormick Place in Chicago, have announced that Sean Astin will appear as a guest at the show. In addition to featuring top artists and creators from the world of comics, C2E2 is a showcase for celebrities from all corners of the entertainment universe including film, TV, books and music. Sean Astin is well remembered for his role as loyal Samwise Gamgee in the universally acclaimed Lord of the Rings; his role as Mikey in the 1980's classic The Goonies; and his title role as the American working class hero in Rudy. He joins other entertainment celebrities at C2E2 including:

John Barrowman
Nicholas Brendan
Ryan Buell
Lauren Cohan
John Cusack
Anthony Daniels
Josh Gates
Chris Hardwick
Charlaine Harris
Stephanie Izard
Val Kilmer
Tom Morello
Chad Michael Murray
Stephen Rannazzisi
Anne Rice
Shane West
Steven Yeun

Sean Astin will be signing in the autographing area at C2E2 for all three days of the show beginning Friday, April 13 – Sunday, April 15. For further information about guests and other activities at C2E2 as well as purchasing tickets, please visit www.C2E2.com.

"This announcement about Sean Astin only goes to show that we had no intention of letting up on our planning until show time," notes Lance Fensterman, who runs ReedPOP which organizes C2E2 and New York Comic Con (NYCC) among other pop culture events. "It's never too late to add a great guest to our schedule and Sean Astin is certainly a great final guest to announce in our line up. He has been in some legendary movies and he will be at our show for all three days which is incredibly cool since this makes him available to literally thousands of fans. Our entertainment guests span the pop culture universe and we are very proud and pleased to be able to present a show that is so inclusive... we also have the very top comic creators and artists attending our convention which is in keeping with our goal to be the pre-eminent pop culture event in the Midwest."

ABOUT SEAN ASTIN: Sean Astin was "Mikey" who helped find pirate treasure in the 1980's popular classic The Goonies. He's remembered as loyal Samwise Gamgee in the universally acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy and is singularly identified with the story of an American working class hero, Rudy. His performance captured people's imaginations, inspiring them to Work Hard & Dream Big.

The actor demonstrates wide range. In Where the Day Takes You he's an anguished, homeless, drug addict & then a slapstick lisping, muscle bound fop in Adam Sandler's blockbuster 50 First Dates. His recognizable films include: The Final Season, Memphis Belle, Click, Courage Under Fire, Toy Soldiers & Encino Man.

Astin appears on TV shows including 24, Law & Order, My Name Is Earl, Monk & recently NCIS. He starred as Harrison Bergeron in Kurt Vonnegut's adapted story of the same name & became Two-Flower in Sky Television's adaptation of Terry Prachett's fantasy/satire epic The Color of Magic. Sci-Fi fans praise his Mr. Smith in Showtime's series Jeremiah.

Sean's voice is familiar, narrating Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor, as Disney Channel's title character Special Agent Oso & now as Raphael in Nickelodeon's NEW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Animated Series.

Sean has directed TV (Angel/Perversions of Science) & published a bestseller There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale. He graduated from UCLA (History & English), studied with legendary acting teacher Stella Adler & currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife of 20 years, Christine & their three daughters, Alexandra, Elizabeth and Isabella.

ABOUT REEDPOP: ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration VI, Fantasy Football Fest, and UFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.