West Virginia resident Jason Hildreth has been attending comic cons for more than 18 years, including the big ones including the San Diego Comic-Con and the New York Comic Con.
This week, the Michigan State University alumnus will attend the Motor City Comic Con for the first time during the weekend of May 17-19 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
“My decision to come to MC3 was threefold. One was to come back to the state of Michigan where I attended college, the overwhelmingly quality of the guest list, and the reputation that MC3 has in the convention circles among fans,” said Hildreth, a Chicago native. “My favorite part of conventions is, first and foremost, to meet fellow fans from likeminded fandoms. Beyond that it is the ability to meet celebrities I admire for both their work and advocacy, as well as the comic creators I have grown up with and continue to support and admire to this day.”
MC3 marks Oscar winner Helen Hunt’s (“As Good As It Gets”) first convention appearance ever. Hunt will appear at MC3 on Saturday, May 18 – her only appearance at the con – and will host a screening of 1996’s “Twister” (which she starred in with the late Bill Paxton) that night at 8 p.m. at the Emagine Novi, located at 44425 W. 12 Mile Rd. in Novi. There will be a Q&A session with Hunt. Admission to MC3 is required to attend the “Twister” event. The price of tickets for “Twister” ranges from $40-$220.
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“My primary goal is to meet Helen Hunt as this is her first convention appearance and my fondness for her work,” Hildreth said. “The other goals are meeting Cobie Smulders because I’m a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Charlie Hunnam for his work on ‘Sons of Anarchy.’”
Besides Hunt, Smulders, and Hunnam, the following celebrities will be in attendance: William Shatner (“Star Trek”), Carla Gugino (“Spy Kids”), Ernie Hudson (“Ghostbusters”), Tom Kenny (“SpongeBob SquarePants”), Jennifer Morrison (“House, M.D.”), Karen Allen (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”), Tom Wilson (“Back to the Future”), Zachary Levi (“Shazam”), Heather Graham (“Scream 2”), Denise Crosby (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”), Felicia Day (“Supernatural”), Katee Sackhoff (“Battlestar Galactica”), Ron Perlman (“Hellboy”), among others. Here is a complete list of celebrity guests.
Hudson, a Wayne State University distinguished alumnus, will host a screening of 1984’s “Ghostbusters” at the Emagine Novi on Friday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m. There will be a Q&A session with Hudson. Admission to MC3 is required to attend the “Ghostbusters” event. Tickets for “Ghostbusters” cost $40.
Hudson spoke about the movie’s staying power after 40 years.
“It deals with basic primal fears we all have about what’s on the other side. Kids grow up worrying about who’s in the closet when the lights are out… We dealt with that in a serious way even though it was a comedy and it was funny. I think the mixture of a little fright and a little laughter blended together very well,” Hudson said. “The film crosses generations… It’s a movie that you can share with your family. Everybody who grew up with it now shows it to their kids. It’s a movie that everyone just seems to like… It’s fun to get out and shake hands with people who love the movie. The fans are very loyal. This is something the fans got behind… They just love the movie.”
There will also be plenty comic creators in attendance, such as Lee Weeks (“Daredevil”), Tom King (“Batman”), Bart Sears (“Justice League Europe”), Dan Parent (“Archie”), Josef Rubinstein (“Wolverine”), Claudia Gray (“Star Wars”) and Dave Acosta (“TerrorWar”), et al. Here is a complete list of comic creator guests.
Kyla Cleere, of Madison Heights, will cosplay as Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen from “SpongeBob.” A regular attendee of MC3 since 2016, Cleere plans to see Kenny and the “Star Trek” actors.
“I like to attend the panel discussions,” she said. “I like that the other fans at MC3 are so fun to interact with. It’s always a great crowd.”
More information
The Motor City Comic Con will be held at the Suburban Collection Showplace, which is located at 46100 Grand River Ave. in Novi on the following dates and times:
- Friday, May 17, from noon to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Sunday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ticket prices and packages range between $10 and $249. Kids (ages 5 and under) attend FREE throughout the weekend. Kids (ages 12 and under) attend FREE on Sunday, May 19.
Tickets can be purchased online. If purchased at the door, the prices of all tickets and packages will increase by $5-$10. Additional processing fees will apply. Admission does not include the cost of autographs and selfies. Nor does it cover parking.
People are encouraged to monitor the MotorCityComicCon.com website for the latest, up-to-date information. They should also monitor the website to see if any media guests and/or comic creators have been added or if any have cancelled.
For questions or more information, call (248) 426-8059 or visit www.MotorCityComicCon.com. Follow MC3 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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