After debuting in 2010, Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo grew into one of the biggest Chicago conventions, drawing more than 100,000 people filling nearby hotels and bringing lots of business to area restaurants and other attractions. Attending every C2E2, I see the growth and changes every year.

Held at McCormick Place, C2E2 is a three-day event celebrating the world of pop culture. It features celebrity meet-and-greets, panels, costume contests, authors, artists and creators of all sorts, and much more. This year one of the biggest attractions was a reunion of The Breakfast Club cast.

As usual, my buddy Tony and I arrived early Friday to take advantage of smaller crowds. While that used to be a great strategy, the increased popularity of C2E2 makes that plan fruitless now. In either case, we spent the bulk of Friday in Artist Alley reconnecting with our favorite creators and meeting new ones. One of my favorite parts is watching artists sketch at their tables.

Art Baltazar

Franco

Chris Ehnot

Tom Richmond

K Lynn Smith

Dirk Manning

Saturday was our day to meander through the vendor area. Hundreds of sellers take up about half of the convention floor. Over the years I have amassed quite a collection of Aquaman merchandise, but I always look for new stuff.

We met a bunch of celebrities on Sunday. Some of the highlights included Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy from The Breakfast Club, a classic movie set and filmed just northwest of Chicago. Although teenagers at the time of filming, both actresses fondly recalled their time in the area. Actress Katey Sagal was also a great guest. Co-star on television’s Married with Children, also set in Chicago, Sagal has a lengthy résumé, including back-up singing early in her career.

Molly Ringwald

Ally Sheedy

Katey Sagal

In talking to friends from several nearby hotels, including Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency and Hilton, I learned they had sellouts and record food sales. Comic con attendees work up great appetites. Aside from hotel dining options, we enjoyed pizza from nearby Pizano’s.

Founded in 2006, C2E2 organizer ReedPop also runs 30 other events worldwide, including Comic Con Seoul and New York Comic Con, one of the biggest in the world. ReedPop does a fantastic job organizing and running the events.

— John Wroblewski, online writer