This weekend kicks off the inaugural event called Silicon Valley Comic Con in San Jose, CA. Never heard of it? That may not be surprising. This weekend, March 18-20, will be the first year for this con, but this is no ordinary first-year convention. The event is the brainchild of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who, with comic book legend Stan Lee, announced the event via an online video last April. The aim is to bring together popular culture criteria such as comic books, movies, TV and technology together in one location. The plan is to feature celebrities, movies, television, video games, comic books, along with other popular cultural arts including tech experts and scientists.
Being backed by Wozniak, and name-dropping Lee as an attendee, the list of guests is beyond what you’d expect for a first-year con: Stan Lee, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Nathan Fillion, Jeremy Renner, Adam Savage, Jon Heder, Lea Thompson, William Shatner, Bonnie Wright, Alan Tudyk, Ray Park and Julie Benz.
Take a look at what you can expect from this weekend’s event…
About Silicon Valley Comic Con
Silicon Valley Comic Con brings together America’s two greatest superheroes: Pop Culture and Technology. Presented by Steve Wozniak and featuring top celebrities, comics, independent artists, cosplay, video games, consumer electronics, music and apps, Silicon Valley Comic Con is where entertainment and our electronic worlds intersect.
TECHNOLOGY
At SVCC, you can get your technology fix while scratching your pop culture itch! SVCC is where science fiction blends with science fact, and amazing technologies will be on display, from your favorite tech companies, to the newest start-ups and app developers.
GUESTS
Exciting guests from across the tech and pop culture landscapes have just been announced for SVCC 2016, including Nathan Fillion, Stan Lee, Jeremy Renner, Michael J. Fox, Google’s Astro Teller and more!
ARTISTS
With Big Wow Comic Fest — the largest comic book show of its kind in the United States—now part of the Silicon Valley Comic Con family, SVCC will be the place to meet all of your favorite artists.
BIG WOW COMIC PAVILION
With Big Wow ComicFest now part of the SVCC family of events, you can experience all that the largest comic book gathering has to offer at SVCC 2016 in the Big Wow Comic Pavilion. Take a walk through Artist Alley, and browse through our huge selection of comic books, art, collectibles, sci-fi and fantasy.
ENTERTAINMENT
Silicon Valley Comic Con is nothing if not entertaining. See the hottest technologies, speak with the tech gods that shape and drive our world, catch the latest in new movies, and listen to the producers, directors and actors that are creating the pop culture we are all talking about. You can also engage in cosplay fashion shows, get thrown off a mechanical bull, or fall from a two story building. So be sure to bring your super powers, because you’re going to need them.
ATTRACTIONS:
Stan Lee Museum – The Stan Lee Museum is one museum you will want to see! It includes hundreds of amazing Stan Lee collectibles from all of your favorite Marvel comic book heroes!
Back to the Future: Adventures in a DeLorean Time Machine –
The DeLorean Time Machine as seen in the film “Back to the Future” will be appearing for photo opportunities! Don’t miss your chance to sit inside this faithful, street legal replica, driven by Christopher Lloyd himself for numerous commercials and videos. It has toured a multitude of countries raising funds and awareness for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Rancho Obi-Wan Museum – SVCC is proud to present items from the collection of Rancho Obi-Wan, the world’s largest Star Wars memorabilia collection! Rancho Obi-Wan, which educates and inspires through the Force of imagination, is one museum you won’t want to miss!
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum – Madame Tussaud’s features the most incredible lifelike wax figures from local heroes to international celebrities. With a history spanning 250 years and now present in 19 locations worldwide, Madame Tussaud’s are renowned for creating wax figures of the world’s leading Hollywood A-listers, sporting greats, musicians, politicians and scientists. At SVCC, Madame Tussaud’s will be exhibiting their lifelike wax figures from its collections around the world, including the incredible figures of Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Albert Einstein, William Shatner, Henry Ford, Jim Parsons, and Marvel favorites Captain America and Hawkeye all under one roof!
ScreenUsed Memorabilia Auction – Silicon Valley Comic Con is proud to announce a partnership with ScreenUsed, one of the world’s leading movie and television memorabilia companies, to hold their live auction during the event. The live auction will be held from 8am-11am on Sunday, March 20, 2016 in Room 2 in the San Jose Convention Center. This is a very rare opportunity to literally own a piece of your favorite movie, and become the caretaker of a piece of history. Hundreds of original movie and television props and wardrobe from many iconic productions will be available in the auction, such as:
– Back to the Future – Doc’s Mind Reading Helmet (Christopher Lloyd)
– Back to the Future – OUTATIME License Plate from the DeLorean
– Back to the Future 2 – Hoverboards
– Click – Light-Up Remote Control (Adam Sandler)
– Elysium – Kruger’s Exo-Hulc Suit & Samurai Sword
– Spider-Man 3 – Spiderman’s Boots (Tobey Maguire)
– X2: X-Men United – Wolverine’s Adamantium Claws (Hugh Jackman)
Along with other artifacts from the Star Wars original trilogy, Star Trek productions, Terminator series, Jurassic Park, and many others.
PANELS:
Panels planned for this year’s Silicon Valley Comic Con include:
- An Evening With William Shatner
- Ask Adam Savage
- Spotlight on Back to the Future
- Marvel’s Ant-Man, Doctor Strange and the Quantum Realm
- Convergence of Technology and Social Media in Comics
- Cosplay 101
- Prop-making & Fabrication
- The Past Present and Future of Mobile Gaming
- The Art of Creating Languages for Sci-fi and Fantasy
- Filmmaking in the 21st century: Crowdfunding & Beyond
- The 4-1-1 on the 9–5 of Writing: The Business of Publishing
- The Brave New World of Publishing
APP ALLEY:
App Alley is a place to discover new and promising apps from up and coming developers, so come check them out!
- Artrage
- ArtRage by Ambient Design, LTD. is real paint for your Digital Canvas. Get creative with digital art tools that look and feel just like the real thing.
- CultureCon
- CultureCon provides a powerful new networking and social integration tool. Find the nearest fantasy event, join in ongoing discussions surrounding diversity and minority issues in film, entertainment, gaming and news. CultureCon includes everyone into the conversation with this easy-to-use, comprehensive app that puts the high points of diversity, culture and unity into the hands – and minds – of today’s geek community.
- Doblet
- Doblet is a network of app-driven smart batteries, so users can charge their phones anywhere. Attendees of SVCC can keep their phones charged throughout the convention by stopping by the Doblet booth and picking up a portable Doblet mobile charger, and dropping it back off later in the day. All the Doblets are controlled & managed thru our Doblet app, for both iOS and Android.
- HokuPop
- HokuPop, the Digital Comic Con, unleashes the con experience. Find fellow fans and immerse yourselves in hyper-linked worlds at the con and beyond. Live/Be/Do all things fandom.
- Demimonde
- Demimonde, by Everdead Studios is a spell-binding puzzle and collectible card game (CCG) based on the hit Showtime TV series, Penny Dreadful. Everdead Studios will also be showcasing an upcoming mobile game based on the hit NBC show “Grimm.”
- YakSee
- YakSee provides a mobile broadcasting platform so anyone and everyone can do live broadcasts wherever they are, reaching an unlimited audience. SVCC is the ultimate environment to broadcast to your adventures to your viewers.
- MonsterBuild
- MonsterBuild, by MonsterCreate, Inc., is a totally new way to get kids programming. Instead of numbers and math, we present programming in the context of characters and actions. Kids create their very own characters by snapping parts and pieces together. This character creation system allows anyone to easily make anything they can imagine, then bring their creation to life! We give users a more intuitive way to assign actions. Simply swipe, tap, and drag to assign complex behaviors and create a fully functional game in minutes!
Silicon Valley Comic Con will be held on March 18–20, 2016 at San Jose’s McEnery Convention Center.
The convention aims to include both popular culture and technology in what Wozniak hopes will be a uniquely Silicon Valley flavor. In that spirit the convention will have typical comic convention staples such as an “artists alley”, but will also have an “app alley” featuring new and emerging technology items. Several movie and television studios will be represented at the inaugural event including Warner Bros. Pictures, Lionsgate and AMC. Additionally several technology focused guests will be involved as well including astrophysicists and technologists.*
*courtesy of Wikipedia
