Wizard World Philly Paints the Town Green; Pop-Culture Enthusiasts Invade the City as Wizard World Philly Kicks off Another Fanatical Weekend

Business Wire, May 5, 2003

Business Editors

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 2003

On the eve of Hulk mania, Wizard World Philly unleashes Hulk wannabes, city-crushing monsters, aliens, maniacal villains and comic book aficionados at the Pennsylvania Convention Center for Philadelphia's second annual pop-culture expo, which starts Friday, May 30.

Wizard World Philly, the largest multi-media expo on the East Coast, expects to draw a crowd of more than 20,000. The three-day extravaganza proudly boasts the largest concentration of comic book creative talent on the East Coast. Hundreds of comic book writers, artists and professionals will be joined by leaders from the entertainment, toy, Anime/Manga, sci-fi and gaming worlds.

With so many superhero-inspired movie launches surrounding the opening of Wizard World Philly, this year's event brings an interesting cast of characters to Philadelphia.

Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, who is in charge of X-Men, Daredevil, Spiderman and the Hulk - this year's hottest properties, will be joined by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s ferocious Stone Cold Steve Austin and Guest of Honor and one of the most celebrated comic artists of today, Alex Ross.

Special Guests include acclaimed writer/director/actor Kevin Smith, Allison Mack from WB's hit television series Smallville, and Batman artist Jim Lee. For a complete list of celebrity guests, please visit www.wizarduniverse.com.

Convention goers will have the hottest names in the industry at their fingertips. Exhibitors include Sony PlayStation (P2), Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Upper Deck (makers of the hit card game Yu-Gi-Oh), Wiz Kids (HeroClix), Palisades Toys and Score Entertainment (DragonBall Z).

Hulk fans and toy collectors will have the opportunity to purchase Wizard World Philly exclusives, including the world premier Ultimate Hulk bust and a Muppets(TM) Tuxedo Bunson and Beaker Two Pack.

Guests can also attend panels, including Kevin Smith's "Jersey Girl" panel, to learn from the best and hear what the experts have to say. "Jersey Girl," which was filmed in Philadelphia and South Jersey, will open in theaters in November. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in various gaming tournaments and expositions throughout the weekend.

Additional convention highlights include:

Kaiju Big Battel. A media performance group, Kaiju Big Battel decides the fate of the Universe in an epic conflict of good versus evil and is selling out arenas across the country. With Planet Earth under threat, the Kaiju Big Battel characters wage war against one another, their flared tempers and petty disagreements erupting into bouts of intergalactic struggles of immense proportions. Kaiju Big Battel will perform on the convention floor throughout the weekend and at the Electric Factory on Saturday, May 31.

Wizard School. Comic book industry experts will teach aspiring artists and seasoned professionals the tricks of the trade and the secrets of success alongside Joe Kubert, renowned industry artist and writer as well as co-founder of the first and only accredited school devoted to the art of Cartoon-Graphics. This one-of-a-kind school offers pop-culture fans the opportunity to fine-tune their skills with free classes such as a tutorial in Creating a Hulk Cover with Hulk cover artist Kaare Andrews, Writing the Killer Scene, Building Character, Coloring Digitally and How to Plot.

Wizard World Philly will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, located at 1101 Arch Street in Philadelphia. Show hours are as follows: Friday, May 30, noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, June 1, 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.wizarduniverse.com or by calling 1-800-991-7243. Additional information can also be found by calling 215-928-0220.

Wizard World Philly is produced by Wizard Conventions Inc., which also produces Wizard World Chicago and Wizard World Texas.

Wizard Conventions is a sister company of Wizard Entertainment Group, the industry leader in the collectibles market that publishes five award-winning magazines (Wizard: The Comics Magazine, InQuest Gamer: The Gaming Magazine, ToyFare: The Toy Magazine, Anime Insider and Toy Wishes) available at newsstands, comic book and hobby specialty stores everywhere.

Wizard's publications have a monthly national readership of more than 2 million and are currently sold in 40 countries and five languages.