C2E2: Chicago's Second Annual Comic and Entertainment Expo

An estimated 50,000 people packed McCormick Place in Chicago on Saturday March 19, 2011 for the Second Annual Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). The event was a comic art-lover's dream, with artists and writers from both of the big producers DC and Marvel, as well as indie publishers from all over the United States .

The first thing to set to grab attendee's attention was of course centered around the big summer superhero movies "Thor" (coming out May 6) and "Green Lantern" (scheduled for release June 17), with "Thor" grabbing the premium crossroads at the entrance to set up a 15 foot tall mockup of Mjolnir, Thor's mystic battle hammer, and promoting the attendance at the show of the actor playing Thor, Chris Hemsworth.

Warner Brothers missed the boat, both in placement of their movie advertising and by not having Ryan Reynolds at this huge event to promote their film "Green Lantern." Sadly, all I could find that was tied to the movie was a huge display of movie merchandise on sale.

Wandering the huge space at McCormick Place the visitor was met with a dizzying array of color and comic art, both the mainstream and the avant-garde. Walls of original works, canvases, story boards of the originals, were also available for sale, with asking prices ranging upwards of $15,000 for some pieces.

There were also several film screenings going on centered around the show, some like "Boy Wonder" with a tie-in to the superhero theme (one of the promoters called it "the illegitimate lovechild of 'The Black Swan' and 'Kick Ass' even though its original script was written 10 years earlier in 2000).

The rear half of the exhibit space was set aside for artists, and not just comic artists were there displaying their wares. Everything from short films, to original art, to comic art, as well as a space devoted to comicdom's podcasters were present. Without exception, each of these artists had on display some truly unique and creative works, from a werewolf crime fighter in the Old West, to Lulu Cthulu a parody of overly-cute dolls and H.P. Lovecraft's Destroyer of Worlds.

Also prominently displayed were a variety of games, art schools, and a costume contest held after hours.

There was a variety of non-comic merchandise on sale as well, from t-shirts promoting breast cancer awareness, to indie film producers, to Cosplay calendars and pinup art. Several side rooms were set aside for gaming - everything from the classic Dungeons & Dragons to net setups for WoW players.

Plans are already in the works for next year's event.