This weekend, Wizard World is coming to Madison, WI for a fun-filled and exciting three day comic con. Located at the Alliant Energy Center (1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison, WI), the event features many great celebrities, artists, memorabilia, cosplay and more! PopCultHQ has compiled just a fraction of the greatness that awaits in Madison, Wisconsin beginning April 8th, 2016.
Celebrities
David Tennant
EMMY AWARD WINNER
(Actor – Doctor Who [The 10th Doctor]; Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire; Jessica Jones [Killgrave/Purple Man])
2005 saw David Tennant live out a childhood dream by being cast as the indomitable Doctor Who. Tennant’s run as the Tenth Doctor won massive praise from fans and critics alike, with the readers of Doctor Who magazine voting him “Best Doctor.” Tennant’s run as the Doctor lasted five years and made an indelible impact on the series and its appeal not only among longtime fans but converts as well. His final appearance as the Tenth Doctor was for the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor was a landmark event in the series’ history that brought together the series’ past, present and future.
Tennant was next seen on the hugely successful BBC detective series Broadchurch. International interest in the show was such that a US remake was commissioned with Tennant cast once again as the lead. Re-titled Gracepoint, the series was filmed between January and May 2014 and aired in October of 2014 on Fox. Tennant can next be seen as the villainous Kilgrave in the Marvel Studios project, A.K.A. Jessica Jones, to be seen on Netflix.
Alex Kingston
(Actress – Doctor Who [River Song]; Arrow [Dinah Lance])
Known for roles in some of the most popular television series in both the US and the UK. 2008 saw Kingston in one of her most beloved recurring roles to genre fans when she guest-starred in the fourth series of Doctor Who. Her debut as the character River Song was in the two-part episode ‘silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. Originally thought to be a one-off, River Song was such a hit with fans she has since appeared in fifteen episodes of the series and counting.
In early 2013, Kingston began appearing in the CW series Arrow, based on the Green Arrow DC comics character, as Professor Dinah Lance, the mother of Laurel and Sara Lance and can next be seen in the filmsHappily Ever After and Bukowski, based on the life of author Charles Bukowski.
Mike Colter
(Actor – Luke Cage; Jessica Jones [Luke Cage]; Halo: Nightfall; Zero Dark Thirty)
Colter’s earliest screen work was in the long running NBC series ER as well as The Parkers starring Mo’Nique in 2002. From there, Colter landed a featured role in the Academy Award winning Clint Eastwood production, Million Dollar Baby. From there, Colter appeared in Men In Black 3 and Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, both released in 2012.
In 2013, Colter joined the cast of the popular FX anthology series American Horror Story, appearing during the Coven storyline for three episodes.
2015 saw Colter cast in his highest profile role yet as Marvel’s Luke Cage in the upcoming Netflix series Jessica Jones, starring Krysten Ritter. The series will lead into a solo Luke Cage series as well as The Defenders, both set to debut on Netflix in 2016.
Jewel Staite
(Actress – Firefly; Serenity; Stargate: Atlantis; Warehouse 13)
Jewel Staite most recently starred as Raquel in the CW series The L.A. Complex, which premiered in the Spring of 2012. Prior to that, she was seen starring in the Hallmark Channel telefilm Call Me Mrs. Miracle opposite Doris Roberts. This premiere was the highest rated Hallmark Channel telecast of the year. Prior to that, Jewel was seen as Dr. Keller in the SyFy Channel hit series Stargate: Atlantis. Her stellar work has earned her rave reviews, as well as recognition from The Gemini Awards (Canada’s prestigious equivalent of our Emmy) with a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in 2008. This was followed up with a nomination from the Leo Awards in 2009 for Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series.
Jewel made her 2005 feature film debut in Universal Pictures’ Serenity, Joss Whedon’s adaptation of the FOX science fiction television series Firefly, of which Jewel was a series regular. Jewel played the ship’s mechanic Kaylee, a sweet, happy and sensual farm girl who loves life and is a genius at fixing anything.
Some guest appearances include the CW’s ‘supernatural, her memorable role in the Showtime pilot Huff with Hank Azaria and Oliver Platt, Syfy’s Warehouse 13, as well as Showtime’s Dead Like Me opposite Ellen Muth and Rebecca Gayheart, and FOX’s The X-Files opposite David Duchovny.
Elizabeth Henstridge
(Actress – Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [Jemma Simmons])
Having grown up on a farm in England’s northern city of Sheffield, Elizabeth became the black sheep of the family when she chose to pursue acting in lieu of a proper job. She studied at Birmingham University followed by East 15 Acting School, London and soon thereafter moved to Los Angeles. Within 6 weeks of arriving, she booked a leading role in J.J. Abrams and Mark Schwahn’s CW pilot Shelter. Her first year culminated with filming the feature Reach Me with Sylvester Stallone, and being offered the role of Agent Jemma Simmons in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Brett Dalton
(Actor – Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [Grant Ward])
Brett Dalton is currently shooting Season 2 of the ABC show MARVEL’s AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D (created by Joss Whedon). Other television credits include Blue Bloods, Army Wives and the Fox pilot Nurses. Most recently, Brett was seen in National Geographic Channel’s Killing Lincoln, a Tony and Ridley Scott Production. Brett can also be seen later this year in the independent film Beside Still Waters (dir. Chris Lowell). Most recently, Brett wrapped production on the independent feature THE TOURIST.
Brett Dalton received degrees in Art and Theater from the University of California at Berkeley and an MFA in Acting from Yale School of Drama (class of 2011).
Billy Boyd
(Actor – The Lord of the Rings Trilogy [Peregrin Pippin Took]; Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World)
During the years he worked at a book-binders, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was printed and bound there, many copies bound by his hands. After the 6 years as a book-binder, he was thoroughly sick of it. Billy planned on going to America for a year, but before he went he called the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and asked about applying for when he got back. But it so happened that they still had space for this year and they asked him if he wanted to apply and he did. He was at the drama school in a 3-year course for his bachelor of arts degree, meanwhile studying everything from Shakespeare to puppet-making. During this time Billy had a few small roles in TV series such as Down Amongst The Boys and Taggart. After graduating he performed in many plays like The Slab Boys, The Diary of Adrian Mole etc. at The St. Andrews theatre which were his first paying roles.
He then received a call from his agent about the Lord of the Rings movies and if he would like to audition for them. He went along not expecting much, but within a few months Peter Jackson came out to Scotland to meet him and to audition him personally. While rehearsing for a show he received a call from his agent who said that the part of Pippin had been offered to him – if he wanted it.
Kristin Bauer
(Actress – True Blood [Pam De Beaufort]; Once Upon a Time [Maleficent])
Kristin Bauer van Straten (born Kristin Neubauer) is an American film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her current role as vampire Pam in the HBO series True Blood.
She has also made a number of guest appearances in several television shows, including LA Law, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Dark Angel, Two and a Half Men, Star Trek: Enterprise, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Desperate Housewives, and George Lopez.
Bauer has also been cast in the 2011 fantasy TV Series, Once Upon a Time, as the evil Maleficent, of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty fame, the rival of the Wicked Queen of Snow White.
TV/Movie Vehicles On Display
1966 Batmobile Replica
(Crime Fighting Supercar)
Batman uses a number of weapons in his fight against crime but the most powerful is the Batmobile.
Over the years the Batmobile has had several designs but the most recognizable is the classic 1966 Batmobile. The Batmobile is constructed of a number of things to make it indestructible. Its ceramic bulletproof coating helps with stand any semi-automatic weapon, handgun, and even armor piercing bullets. Not to mention the puncture proof tires.
The Batmobile has the number of gadgets to help fight crime such as the front nose mounted aluminum chain slicer, lasers, monitors, a on board computer, police beacon, and even an on board telephone better known as the “BATPHONE”.
Some other features of the Batmobile are its 1500 HP gas turbine engine. The engine is ran on 97% octane aircraft fuel. This makes the Batmobile capable of going from 0 to 90 mph in 5.2 seconds.
In addition it also has separate turbine afterburners which can give the Batmobile a boost to make the vehicle hit speeds well over 300 miles per hour. Rear portals emit smoke screens and oil slicks that help protect Batman from being followed too closely. The dashboard has a number of aircraft style component’s such as a police shortwave, a hidden mechanism that opens the door to the Batcave. This allows Batman to enter the Batcave in seconds and a voice controlled Batmobile relay unit.
However, the coolest feature is the two rear-mounted 10-foot parachutes these make the Batmobile capable of making a quick 180″ turn, better known as the BAT TURN. These are just a few of the Batmobile’s crime-fighting powers. Batman can’t reveal all his crime fighting secrets.
‘BacktotheFuture.com DeLorean Time Machine’
(Back to the Future car)
The DeLorean Time Machine as seen in the film “Back to the Future” will be appearing at Wizard World Comic Con for photo opportunities!
The DeLorean automobile was a central character throughout the famous “Back To The Future” movie trilogy, used by the character Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd.) Brown’s rationale for choosing the DeLorean was stated in the first film: “The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” The stainless steel, gull-winged vehicle sent Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) racing through time to save himself and others throughout the trilogy.
Don’t miss your chance to sit inside this faithful, street legal replica, driven by Christopher Lloyd himself for numerous commercials and videos. It has toured dozens of countries raising funds and awareness for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and as an ambassador for the official web site BackToTheFuture.com.
Meet the builders and owners, Terry and Oliver Holler, featured in the documentary, “Back In Time.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAKSp_Ehl28
The Shaggin Wagon
(‘Dumb and Dumber’ Car)
Harry and Lloyd are two good friends who happen to be really stupid. The duo set out on a cross country trip from Providence to Aspen, Colorado to return a briefcase full of money to its rightful owner, a beautiful woman named Mary Swanson. After a trip of one mishap after another, the duo eventually make it to Aspen. But the two soon realize that Mary and her briefcase are the least of their problems.
The Shaggin Wagon is modified beyond recognition. The 1989 Ford Econoline Van with its furry exterior includes a nose, mouth, tongue and tail, as well as matching ears, feet and corporate signage. Harry best sums up the allure of this street legal sheep dog, Hey, chicks love it. It’s a shaggin wagon.
The Shaggin Wagon isn’t central to Dumb and Dumber plotlines, although it does represent an interesting symbol of Harry and Lloyd’s dumbness (after getting fired by Mutt Cutts, Harry laments that he spent his life savings converting the van to a dog; Lloyd later trades it for a moped, straight up).
K.I.T.T.
(Knight Rider car)
KITT is the short name of a fictional character from the adventure TV series Knight Rider. It is known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared in the original TV series Knight Rider. KITT is an artificially intelligent electronic computer module installed in a highly advanced, very mobile, robotic automobile: the original KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) is a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am.
Motorcycles: Iron Man, Batman & Captain America
Iron Man- 2001 Yamaha Road Warrior
Batman- Yamaha Road Star
Captain America- Tribute Bike
Will Robertson, a custom Florida bike builder, will display his tribute motorcycles to two of the comic world’s most beloved action heroes, DC’s Batman and Marvel’s Iron-Man! The Captain America Tribute Bike debuted last week at Wizard World, St. Louis!
Eisner Award Winning Artists
Mike Baron
(Co-Creator – Nexus, Writer – The Punisher; KISS; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight; Star Wars; The Badger; Action Comics; The Flash)
Mike Baron is the creator of Nexus (with artist Steve Rude) and Badger two of the longest lasting independent superhero comics. Nexus is about a cosmic avenger 500 years in the future. Badger, about a multiple personality one of whom is an costumed crime fighter, will appear in 2015 from a resurgent First Comics. Baron has won two Eisners and an Inkpot award and written The Punisher, Flash, Deadman and Star Wars among many other titles. He also writes novels. You can find them on Amazon.
Salvador Larocca
(Artist – Iron Man; Uncanny X-Men; The Avengers; Captain America; FF; Thor; Wolverine; Amazing Spider-Man; The Flash)
In 2008, Marvel launched a second title starring Iron Man just in time to capitalize the renewed interest on the character coinciding with the Iron Man feature film. The Invincible Iron Man series reunited the Eisner nominated creative team of Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca and offered reader friendly stories solidly setted in the Marvel Universe. The title won the Best New Series Eisner Award in 2009, earning critical success and a great fan base. During 67 issues Fraction and Larroca built an amazing story that established Tony Stark as one of the key characters of the Marvel Universe.
Recently, Larroca was announced as the artist of the revamped Cable and The X Force, a new title part of the Marvel Now campaign. On his long awaited return to mutant family, fan favourite Salvador Larroca and young gun Dennis Hopeless will give readers an action packed, hi-tech superhero title.
Gerhard
EISNER AWARD WINNER
Best Graphic Album: Reprint 1994 Cerebus: Flight by Dave Sim and Gerhard
JOE SHUSTER AWARD WINNER
Outstanding Achievement 2005 Dave Sim and Gerhard for completing Cerebus in 2004.
This 300-issue series, a milestone in comic book publishing, is the longest running creator-owned comic book series.
Gerhard has also received several Best Inker nominations over the years.
For 20 years, Gerhard worked as background artist and environmental designer and cover colorist on the Cerebus graphic novel which has been hailed as, one of the most sprawling pieces of visual fiction ever created. His designs and meticulously crafted drawings served to ground even the most fantastic of events, or drastic of stylistic shifts. Under the pressure of a monthly deadline, he honed his skills using the crosshatching technique which has become his particular style and has gained him acclaim throughout Canada, the U.S. and the UK.
Since completing Cerebus in 2004 he has been exploring other creative endeavours including doing commissioned work through his website, GerhardArt.com; contributing to the awesome Winsor McCay tribute book: Little Nemo, Dream Another Dream; and illustrating a children’s story written by Shelley Byers who will be accompanying him at the show. They will be displaying examples of other projects they have in the works and they look forward to meetings fans, old and new.
Wizard World Madison show hours are:
SHOW HOURS
Friday, Apr 8, 2016 – 3pm – 8pm
Saturday, Apr 9, 2016 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, Apr 10, 2016 – 10am – 4pm