Cosplay, Comics And John Cusack Dazzle Us At C2E2 2016
By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 21, 2016 5:39PM
By Mae Rice and Marielle Shaw
At C2E2 this past weekend, anyone and everyone with a nerdy streak converged at McCormick Place for cosplay, panels, and NFL players duking it out… on Street Fighter. We sent photographer Tyler LaRiviere to document the scene.
He snagged shots of celebrities, from John Cusack to the stars of Sons of Anarchy to local street art star JC Rivera, of boxing-bear mural fame. LaRiviere also shot Saturday’s Crown Championships of Cosplay, where participants dressed up as everything from Wonder Woman to Marvel's Groot. (For less-nerdy readers: Groot was the semi-sentient tree from Guardians of the Galaxy.)
As we explored the con, we saw Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh of Supergirl had a packed panel full of fans with questions and adoration. Cusack and Battlestar Galactica's Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonell also brought out a huge amount of fans. John Ratzenberger, one of our favorites, drew Pixar fans and others with major Cheers nostalgia, and encouraged a young writer to get through her writers block through patience and perseverance. (Fun fact: Ratzenberger has had a role in every single Pixar film)
The merch floor wasn't so different from years past, but we especially loved the slightly off-center Harebrained booth. These local Chicagoans have a good sense of humor and a great sense of design, and there were plenty of shirts we'd love to sport this spring. And in one of the coolest features of this year's C2E2, cosplayers had the option to get themselves 3D-printed in their costumes. Though it was pricey, it was also an amazing way to take home a personal memento from the con.
Saturday night, the top cosplayers from ReedPop's circuit competed in their world championships, taking cosplay to a different level. Meanwhile, the Kids' Costume Parade featured tiny Transformers, more than a handful of Reys, and just about everything else you can think of.
The photos above are worth a browse—there’s a marriage proposal in there!—and if you like what you see, clear your schedule for next year’s C2E2: April 21 to 23, 2017.