This weekend marks a special occasion for the City of Brotherly Love and all pop culture lovers. Keystone Comic Con kicks off this Friday, Aug. 23, and will feature three days full of star-studded panels, immersive experiences and unique opportunities that will create life-long-lasting memories.
Everything you need to know about Keystone Comic Con 2019
This massive event is made possible by ReedPOP, a sector of Reed Exhibitions. “Reed Exhibitions is one of the largest event companies in the world,” says MK Goodwin, event director at ReedPOP. “About 15 years ago the team launched New York Comic Con. We quickly saw that there was a massive demand for these kinds of pop culture events for anyone who is passionate about anything to do with comics, arts, games, TV, movies. I mean, you name it and we have it at one of our Comic Cons. Seeing the demand and wanting to create more shows motivated us to create our own group, ReedPOP, so we’re the quirky offshoot of Reed Exhibitions. We went from having one or two shows a year to having over 40 across the globe, and the rest is kind of history.”
Keystone Comic Con will be chock-full of exciting experiences and of course, many special guests, including Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland.
“There’s a lot going on, so pop culture fans can find something that they love here no matter what. But the big stand-out this year is the fact that Tom Holland is coming to the show. We’re so excited that he’s onboard,” says Goodwin. “‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ was such a fantastic movie, and I know that there were a lot of people who were emotionally involved with ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and his story and his character being a huge part in that. It’s something that we’re really excited to bring to the show for everyone.”
But Spidey isn’t the only draw to this massive event.
“Marvel Cinematic Universe obviously is a huge part of the show this year. ‘Harry Potter.’ as well. continues to be a fan favorite. We have three of the Weasley kids coming so we’re really excited about that,” adds Goodwin. “We also have some of the stars of ‘Star Trek’ coming and the ‘Overwatch’ cast — it’s all about these big fandoms this year.”
One fun aspect Comic Con events have in their repertoire are the interactive experiences guests can delve into. These immersive experiences add a little zest to an already flavorful agenda and really set these kinds of events apart.
“We have the ‘Star Wars’ fan experience where we’ll have replica movie props and costumed characters so people can immerse themselves into ‘Star Wars’ all weekend long. I think that kind of stuff is really special and adds to the experience,” says Goodwin. “There are fans of all ages out there and we try to cater to every age group, It’s also a really great place for families — there’s something for everyone and a lot to do. Plus, some of our tickets offer a great way to customize your experience. We offer a lot of great packages that give people extra access or prime seating for a specific panel. All of the details are available on our website.”
With the event spanning three days there is a lot to cover. Some days may be more ideal than others if you’re hyper-focused on a specific panel or event. “It really depends on the fan and what they are interested in,” says Goodwin. “If someone is really hard-core MCU, we are going to recommend you come on Sunday because that’s the day Tom Holland is going to be there. But there’s something exciting going on every day. There’s enough to fill three full days, which is why we think the three-day ticket is a really great value for that kind of stuff.”
What stands out about this event is not all of the colorful events, celebrity sightings or even the unique experience (although they do help). It’s really about the community atmosphere and the bonds that are made when attending and meeting like-minded individuals.
“It just has the ReedPOP touch. We are fans of this stuff ourselves and we love it. We put our heart and soul into it and I think that it shows. We just love interacting with the fans and we offer a ton of stuff to do in addition to seeing guests at the show. I think fans can see that,” says Goodwin. “A lot of the show is not only just seeing things that you love, but finding other people who love the same thing and the magic that happens when those introductions are made and those friendships are formed. Some of these events are so special to people .We even had someone get married last year at the Keystone Comic Con. This is how passionate this community is and this is how strong these connections are that are made. That’s what makes all the late nights and long hours we spend working on this worth it, and we are just so excited to celebrate it with everybody.”
Proceeds from every kid’s ticket sold this year will benefit PAL, and kids under the age of 12 will be admitted for free on Sunday.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit keystonecomiccon.com.
