5 Can't-Miss Comic Conventions in 2023

Comic conventions across the country welcome fans with interests in gaming, anime, horror, film and more. Typical comic conventions feature an open market, cosplay competition and gaming rooms as well as celebrity guest Q&As and film or television screenings.

Meet famous voice actors like Dante Basco (Avatar: The Last Airbender) and Christopher Sabat (Dragon Ball Z) or authors like Neil Gaiman and Veronica Roth. Take pictures with actors like Paul Rudd (Ant–Man), Letitia Wright (Black Panther) and Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street). Geek out and connect with your fandom when you get 2023 comicon tickets.

San Diego Comic-Con – July 20 – July 23

San Diego Comic-Con International (SDCC) is a multi-genre convention that takes place in July in San Diego, Calif. Founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention in 1970, SDCC hosts more than 135,000 guests from across the world. Enjoy four fun-filled days of comics, sci-fi, video games, anime, films and more at the San Diego Convention Center.

SDCC has previews for upcoming games, films, comic books, etc., its Masquerade (cosplay competition) and an E-Sports Lounge. There are plenty of opportunities to attend workshops, art shows, contests and other amazing events. No matter what makes you geek out, you’ll find a place to connect with fellow fans with San Diego Comic-Con tickets.

Expect to see celebrity guests like George R.R. Martin, Simu Liu, Tomi Adeyemi, Gabriel Iglesias and Tara Strong. These guests host panels as well as sign autographs and do photo-ops. SDCC inspired the creation of the Comic-Con Museum in 2021, which provides the SDCC experience for visitors all year long.

PAX East – Mar. 23-26

PAX East, which began as the Penny Arcade Expo in 2004, was established by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik and named for their Penny Arcade webcomic. The first PAX convention was in Bellevue, Wash., but moved to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in March 2010. Get your PAX East tickets and attend this gaming convention with all types of arcade, video and tabletop games.

PAX East hosts brands and guests like JACKBOX GAMES, Christian La Monte, Kelly Baskin, Nintendo, etc. There is no end to the gaming tournaments, handheld or arcade game lounges, or playable games like Halo, Mario Kart, FIFA and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Head to PAX Arena to watch amateurs and pros compete in the official esports stage.

Emerald City Comic Con – Feb. 29 – Mar. 3, 2024

Attend one of the largest multi-genre conventions in the Pacific Northwest with Emerald City Comic Con tickets. Held at the Seattle Convention Center, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC) was founded in 2003 by comic book creator Jim Demonakas as a single-day comic event. ECCC now entertains more than 75,000 fans along with hundreds of celebrity guests. Catch stars like Mark Ruffalo (Avengers,13 Going on 30), David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good Omens), ND Stevenson (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power), and Megan Shipman (Spy x Family) with ECCC tickets.

ECCC is put on by ReedPop, an organization that also hosts other fan conventions like NY Comic Con and Florida Supercon. ECCC features unique events like Pop Asia with activities like K-Pop dance workshops, a Tattoo Pavilion for guests that want new ink, and the ECCC Championships of Cosplay. This cosplay contest judges competitors on their craftsmanship and other factors as they compete with the best cosplayers from across the world for prizes and prestige.

ECCC also hosts Monster & Dames, their annual charity art book filled with monster girls and dames fighting monsters with proceeds going towards the convention’s chosen charity.

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Fan Expo Denver – June 30- July 2

Enjoy this three-day convention held at the Colorado Convention Center and celebrate pop culture, comics and gaming with Fan Expo Denver tickets. Non-profit outfit, Pop Culture Classroom, created the convention, first known as Denver Comic Con in 2012. It had around 28,000 people in attendance. It has since evolved from Denver Pop Culture Con in 2019, then Fan Expo Denver in 2021 after being acquired by Fan Expo HQ. Fan Expo HQ also hosts Fan Expo Boston, MegaCon, and others. This Denver comicon has attracted more than 110,000 guests since 2016.

In March 2013, Westword, a local publication, voted Fan Expo Denver as the “Best Fan Convention” in the country. DenverPride partnered with the convention in 2016 to help present LGBT+ content and bring awareness and support to the community. Get ready to see celebs like James McAvoy (X-Men), Christina Ricci (Wednesday, The Addams Family films), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) and Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad) for autographs and media panels.

DragonCon – Aug. 31- Sept. 4

Despite its name, this is not a comicon that features all things dragon. DragonCon tickets let guests enjoy five days of sci-fi & fantasy, comics and other multimedia pop culture. Created in 1987 by science fiction and gaming fans, DragonCon takes place during Labor Day weekend at different hotels in downtown Atlanta. With more than 80,000 fans, DragonCon is a premier convention for professional cosplayers across the country.

See featured guests like Kevin J. Anderson, Michael Cho, Tini Howard and Greg Hildebrandt for workshops and autographs and participate in fan meet-ups and various costume contests. Don’t miss the DragonCon Parade on Saturday in downtown Atlanta with characters from franchises like Harry Potter, Marvel, Star Trek, X- Files, etc.