Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con in review, part 1

Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con was held December 4-5 at the Cobb Galleria Centre.  I teamed up with Atlanta Video Gaming Lifestyle Examiner Cecilia Holman to provide two-day coverage of this small but extremely well put together pop-culture fan convention.

Saturday, December 4 as reported by Cecilia Holman:

The first big panel of the convention kicked off with an hour-long question and answer session with Billy Dee Williams, best known for his role as Lando Calrissian in "Star Wars".  He discussed his artwork which can be found online, and one of his pieces is currently on display at the Smithsonian.  Williams also discussed his roles in other movies, and noted that his role in “Brian’s Song” was one of the deepest roles he has ever played.  But then he was asked the inevitable question:  “Why did you betray Han Solo?”  He responded that he did the best he could do in the situation he was placed in, and that he later redeemed himself by saving Han Solo and his friends.

Towards the end of Williams’ Q & A session, Adam West appeared to introduce the screening of the newest special “Family Guy Star Wars Saga:  It’s a Trap”.  Coincidentally, the Blu-ray and DVD of “It’s a Trap are available today.  Adam West showed off for a few minutes with some Mayor West quotes, and both actors left before the screening of the special.

Cecilia Holman also interviewed various artists including Scott Ethan Ambruson, who does fan art, and Jeff Balke, a freelance colorist who does cover art for DC (Green Lantern) and Zenescope (Grimm Fairy Talkes, Wonderland).  The creator and artist of the comic “Rachel Rage”, John Aston, gave Holman some shotgun shell soap, which is soap that is made with a shotgun shell in the middle.  Holman had previously interviewed Aston for Fanboys Radio on August 4, 2010 in which they discussed the novelty soap.  Andrew Greenburg was also in attendance, representing the Georgia Game Developers Association (GGDA) and various small conventions, such as SIEGE.

But undoubtedly the best part of Holman’s experience was the chance to meet Noah Hathaway, who is best known for his starring role as Atreyu in “The Neverending Story”.  Hathaway was quite amiable, and he even donned a replica of Auryn, the magical talisman from the movie, borrowed from a vendor for a picture.

Although the convention was small compared to behemoths like Dragon*Con, it seemed that there was plenty to see and do.  A smaller scale convention also made the featured guests more accessible, as the lines were not as long, and they also had the ability to spend more quality time talking to their fans.

Please read on for Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con in review part 2 (with a long tangent about "The Walking Dead").  For more of Cecilia Holman's articles, please check out the Atlanta Video Gaming Lifestyle Examiner.