Remain Calm And Carry Comics: Boston Comic Con Taking Place As Scheduled

After the wretched and depressing events at yesterday’s Boston Marathon in Boston’s Copley Square, there was some speculation about whether or not this weekend’s scheduled Boston Comic Con would still be held, what with the fact that it is being held at the Hynes Convention Center – roughly three blocks from the, as of this writing, still-active crime scene.

The question was up in the air until a few hours ago, when the convention emailed attendees with advance passes to tell us that not only is the convention still on, but that all scheduled guests are apparently confirmed to still be there.

You can check out the full release from Boston Comic Con, including the names of all the confirmed guests, after the jump.

A Message from the Host:

BCC 2013: April 20 & 21st. Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA

The 2013 Boston Comic Con will be held this weekend!

Despite the tragic events that recently occurred at The Boston Marathon, The Boston Comic Con will continue as scheduled.

All of our guests will be there:

Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene) from The Walking Dead hit TV series, Green Power Ranger Jason David Frank, George Perez, Mike Mignola, Carlos Pacheco, Mark Bagley, Bill Willingham, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Frank Cho, Tony Daniel, Don Rosa, Mike Choi, Tim Sale, Ed McGuinness, Aaron LoPresti, David Mack, Ale Garza, Joe Eisma, Colleen Doran, Mark Brooks, Eric Balsadua, Nick Bradshaw, Steve Niles, Amy Reeder, Aaron LoPresti, William Stout, Joseph Michael Linsner, Andy Price, and so many more!!

We will be unveiling an exclusive Boston Comic Con My Little Pony variant comic book and the 2013 Boston Comic Con official t-shirt designed by Tim Sale! These limited edition items can be purchased only at the show. And, we will of course be bringing you a host of events: gaming, panels, costume contest, film festival, live entertainment, and our annual art auction.

The Boston Comic Con will be donating a portion of the art auction proceeds to the Red Cross for the Boston Marathon victims relief effort.

Tickets are on sale on line on our website and at the door.

‘Nuff Said.

As a Boston native, let me say: good. Yesterday’s events were a violent incursion by an utter asshole, and the quicker we can prove that they won’t affect our daily lives, the happier I, for one, will be. But with that said, not everything will be back to normal, or at least comic convention normal, as cosplayers are being asked to leave their replica weapons at home.

As someone who has attended Boston Comic Con in the past, I was damned excited to attend this year, given how this convention has grown in just a short time. The last time I attended, back in 2010, the convention had a few A-List creators doing signings and selling art (Tim Sale and Geoff Darrow were there, as I recall), but there was no programming whatsoever. This year, the convention has at least a few panels on each day, including one on writing comics with Bill Willingham and Steve Niles, a Marvel Artists panel with Carlos Pacheco and Mark Bagley, a DC Artists panel with Aaron LoPresti and Tony Daniel, spotlight panels for Mike Mignola and Amanda Connor and Jimmy Palmiotti, and a The Walking Dead panel with cast member Lauren Cohan.

Throw on top of that that there might be a surprise “guest” wandering the floor:

Am hopin to drop in Boston Comic Con this weekend. Wanna be there after what happened. Boston has always, in a lot of ways, been home for me

— Joe Hill (@joe_hill) April 16, 2013

So long story short: Boston Comic Con has grown, over the years, from a small back issue sales venue in the function room of some hotel into an actual, if small, convention. And as previously stated, we will be covering the event both days this weekend.

Because despite the acts of tinpot wanna-be terrorists, how dangerous can it be? After all, Batman will be there. Three or four Batmen, most likely. Plus, considering that this is Boston, there will likely be at least one or two Punishers. With red hair. And facial gin blossoms. Who answer to “Sully.”

Yeah, we’re gonna die. From alcohol poisoning, but still…