C2E2 2025 Recap
Yes, C2E2 2025 took place well over a month ago. But it’s never too late to share positives in the comic community. And this event had a whole lot of positive. In short, this was easily one of the best shows the C2E2 team has put on.
Before I dive in, there were two points I want to touch on. One, still allowing comic shops to carry tickets is huge. It gives people who missed out on online sales a chance to get the ticket they want. It also gets more eyes on the event. Not everyone who visits a shop knows about local conventions. This increases synergy between the convention and local comic shops. Which benefits everyone.
And two, on a less positive note, there’s still something off about passing through security inside. It’s either the inconsistency, the tech, or people walking through bunched up too closely creating that inconsistency. I carry several pieces of electronic equipment in my backpack and had those items each day. I wasn’t asked to stop and step to the side each time I entered. I say this as someone who doesn’t know what they’re using nor what they can see on their monitors. I just felt it needed to be mentioned.
Now on to the fun. To start, this year’s convention had a lot to offer. From comic content to sights on the show floor and panels to celebrities. You could conceivably attend the entire weekend without spending anything beyond the price of the ticket and any potential travel and lodging costs. A family I know making this their first convention asked me about that and that was the exact answer I gave them. But if you were in the spending mood, as I often am at any comic con, you had plenty of options. An aspect I’ll be touching on later in this piece.
While my engagement with the celebrity area is limited to passing through, bringing in the cast members of beloved movies and T.V. series generated a lot of traffic. Cast reunions for The Breakfast Club and Starship Troopers as well as Lord of the Rings and more were a major draw for many attendees.
With so much on tap, you couldn’t experience it all. I certainly wasn’t able to. I did manage to strike a balance between photography and video to capture what C2E2 does well. It was a blended pop culture spectacle with something for everyone. The programming schedule was stacked with panels covering every related area you can imagine. While I always browse the schedule and can usually make it to 3-4 panels, this was the first year in many that I didn’t attend any.
From solo attendees to groups and exhibitors to cosplayers, there absolutely were a lot of people at C2E2. However, it never felt overcrowded. Family HQ alone carried plenty of workshops and storytime reading events. Families took advantage of the welcoming atmosphere as well as the kid friendly activities. The content has been there and the families enjoy it. That’s been a constant for years and I hope it continues. I say that not only for the sake of C2E2, but also for the growth and advancement of the various content areas and hobbies represented.
This convention has always been a great spot for cosplayers to show off. They didn’t disappoint. Similar to other convention goers, there were people dressed up solo and in groups. Some gathered for pictures to represent the same universes and others created the crossovers nobody expected.
Speaking of the crowds, the talent was well represented. Especially on the comic side. Not only was artist alley loaded, but there were creators set up at other booths and areas of the show. I got to meet Mark Brooks again and get some books signed.
This ties into the area some comic conventions, C2E2 included, has struggled with at times. The comic books and creators don’t often get marketed as well as the celebrities. There’s a case to be made for pushing the latter more when attempting to connect with casual con-goers and first timers. But there’s also a way to strike a balance in publicizing the major content areas.
This leads us to the comics. Which is where my core area of interest in conventions lies. Fans looking for new material to read and/or add to their collections were thoroughly covered. You could find comics priced from under $1 to several thousand. That included decades old books to more recent releases. There were bookcases loaded with collected editions and graphic novels as well. Whatever you were looking for, there’s a chance you could find it.
There was an increased number of comic book dealers than the last time I attended C2E2. And it was noticeable. I was able to find many comics I was looking for and the vendors were ready to make deals. I know of others who attended the show and whose experiences mirrored mine. This also brings back the conversation about how the space was used and it still not feeling overcrowded. Attendance seemed high, but it never felt as if people were on top of each other. Which can often be the case with people stopping in bunches to dig through comics boxes.
I’ve said before that C2E2 is in an interesting place in the world of comic conventions. After COVID hit, it did a calendar dance to get back to its late winter, early spring window. A global pandemic and significant date changes carry multiple problems, those include decreased attendance and guest numbers. But recent years have shown it appears to be hitting its groove again.
The dates for next year’s event were announced around the time of the show’s end. C2E2 2026 will be held March 27th-29th. I’m looking forward to another full weekend covering the event and seeing how the team can further expand on their success.
Listed below are links to all of my content covering C2E2 2025:
C2E2 2025: Creators Showing Up in Full Force
C2E2 2025: Friday Photo Gallery