Recap: Wizard World presents first-ever Miami Comic Con bringing celebrities, collectibles, and costumed attendees to South Florida

in Entertainment, Events, Merchandise, Movies

With the addition of Miami as a stop on the popular Wizard World convention tour, sci-fi, fantasy, and comic book fans flocked to South Florida over the weekend to see celebrities, pick up a few collectibles, and – of course – show off their costumes.

We sent photographer Jose Castillo to check out the first-time con, which he called “amazing but pretty small.” The show was held Miami Airport Convention Center and while Miami Comic Con wasn’t nearly the size of the convention mecca that is the San Diego Comic Con, or even as large as the popular MegaCon, which hits Orlando near the end of this month, there was still plenty of entertainment to be found.

Miami Comic Con 2011

Miami Comic Con 2011

Collectibles lined the convention floor, with booth after booth of buying and selling opportunities featuring the usual fare of action figures, DVDs, movie posters, and the like.

Miami Comic Con 2011

Miami Comic Con 2011

Decorating the convention were familiar pop culture icon cars, including a Back to the Future time-traveling DeLorean, Batmobile, and even the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine. All made for great photo ops, some requiring a donation for charity.

Miami Comic Con 2011

Miami Comic Con 2011

Miami Comic Con 2011

An array of show floor activities included usual comic con-style sparring and a peek inside the world of Star Wars droid construction – a popular pastime among many convention goers.

Miami Comic Con 2011

Miami Comic Con 2011

Miami Comic Con 2011

Among the celebrities which included Ernie Hudson from Ghostbusters and Adam West from the Batman TV series was Star Wars star Billy Dee Williams, who held a Q&A session with fans. According to our photographer, around 150 people packed into the room to see Billy Dee, who was gracious to answer any questions, offering plenty of “one liners” in the process. Williams also announced he’s now on Twitter (@REALBDW), so give him a follow if you’re a fan.

Miami Comic Con 2011

Of course, no comic con would be complete without fans showing up in costume and even though the Miami Comic Con was new and relatively small, it didn’t stop a few attendees from going all out. Here are a few favorites:

Miami Comic Con 2011

Miami Comic Con 2011

Miami Comic Con 2011

Miami Comic Con 2011

It’s clear from the excited crowd attending the first-ever Miami Comic Con that South Florida has been craving this type of show. The Wizard World convention tour continues throughout the United States and Canada, so check their web site to see if a similar convention will be coming to a city near you.

More photos from Miami Comic Con 2011 presented by Wizard World:

(Photos by Jose Castillo)

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