Wizard World highlights ‘The Walking Dead’ at Philly stop

Wizard World is back this weekend.
Credit: Tomlin Campbell

Dust off your wands and don your pointy hats. Wizard World is back.

But it’s not just for nerds anymore, promises Jerry Milani, spokesman for the annual comic convention.

“It’s become more of a pop culture festival over the years, but all the original elements remain,” he says.

Making its stop in Philadelphia from May 30 through June 2, the show will once again bring together a wide variety of actors, athletes, artists and writers. In addition to comics and graphic novels, the convention is a celebration of movies, TV shows, gaming, technology and toys, with gaming tournaments and costume contests rounding out the experience. “Comic con is a really big, important event in Philly,” says Milani. “There’s already been a buzz in Philly for the past couple weeks leading up to this.”

There are a lot of comic cons out there, but Wizard World is definitely among the best, and most comprehensive, adds Milani: “[It] combines a lot of elements that are at various shows: celebrities, artists, contests and exclusives.”

Fan favorites like Henry Winkler, John Cena, Lou Ferrigno, William Shatner and the great Stan Lee will all be making appearances over the next four days. Cast members Jon Bernthal, Michael Rooker and Norman Reedus of “The Walking Dead” will also be in attendance.

So what else can diehard fans expect this year? More than 235 comic creators, 80 panel discussions, portfolio reviews, and exactly 67 only-at-Wizard World offers, including an exclusive cover. “A very different, prominent artist will be doing a limited edition variant cover of ‘The Walking Dead #1,’” Milani says. “They’re not sold anywhere else, and they’re not available on the website. They’re great collectibles.”

And if you want to smell like you’ve been at comic con, here’s your chance, he says: “We’re even going to have an exclusive Stan Lee cologne available.”