SEATTLE, Washington —
On the heels of one of the biggest blockbusters of all time, ACE Comic Con is returning to the Pacific Northwest this weekend with several big-name actors from Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Endgame.’
On Tuesday, it was announced that ‘Avengers: Endgame’ surpassed James Cameron’s 2009 smash ‘Avatar’ as the highest grossing movie of all-time, surpassing over $2.75 billion world wide.
Along with over 100 vendors and exhibitors, ACE Comic Con touts the appearances of Chris Evans (Captain America), Josh Brolin (Thanos), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), and many more stars.
Here are five things to know before heading out to Comic Con this weekend.
Meeting your favorite superhero, heroine or WWE star
Fans will get the chance to meet certain cast members from the 'Avengers', 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Kingsman', as well as WWE stars (make sure you check the availability for meet and greets. Several big names have sold out.)
ACE Comic Con has a strict weapon ban for metal, glass, plexiglass and stone weapons. So don't even think about bringing your bow and arrow into the venue expecting Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) to sign it.
Celebrities will not sign any body part during autograph sessions.
For photo ops, hugs and handshakes are generally acceptable. Kissing, hugging or inappropriate touching of the star is not allowed
Cosplay does not equal consent
Cosplay is when fans dress up as their favorite comic, TV, movie, book or video game player. Some costumes are exact replicas while others could be a more provocative take.
Just because someone is dressed up as your favorite character, it does not mean you can touch/grab them, take their photo or take a photo with them without asking them first.
These fans are dressed up to show off and are not paid performers.
Get to your desired event or panel early
Find out what panels and interactive programming is happening and get there early. You’re not the only one who wants to see discussions with the all-star lineup.
It helps if you determine ahead of time what you want to get out of your Comic Con experience. Look at the schedules and plan accordingly.
Getting to a respective stage early ensures that you can get into the panel and get the best seats.
The non-geek tackling Comic Con
‘Comic Con’ is a bit of a misnomer. It’s roots may have started out in comics, but now many conventions, ACE included, is more of an entertainment convention.
There are obviously comic stands and trades for the die-hards, but there are also things for pop culture aficionados and hobbyists.
ACE has dozens of artists and creators, and over 100 exhibitors for gaming, dress making, trading cards, collectibles and everything in between.
Getting there and getting around the traffic
For fans heading to the event, parking will be available in the CenturyLink Field parking garage located on S Royal Brougham Way.
Additional parking is available at Safeco Field located at 301-337 Edgar Martinez Dr S (about 1 block away from WaMu Theater & CenturyLink Field).
Seattle Police estimate about 5,000 people will attend each day. So far, there have been no traffic advisories issued for the area.
The convention runs from Friday, June 28 to Sun. June 30 at the WaMu Theater at CenturyLink Field.