Rhode Island Comic Con

Rhode Island Comic Con
Status Active
Genre Comics
Venue Rhode Island Convention Center[1]
Dunkin' Donuts Center[2]
Location(s) Providence, Rhode Island
Country United States
Inaugurated 2012[3]
Attendance 17,000 in 2013[4]
Organized by Altered Reality Entertainment LLC.[1]
Website
www.ricomiccon.com

Rhode Island Comic Con (RICC) is a three-day comic convention held during November at the Rhode Island Convention Center and Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.[1][2] The convention was Rhode Island's first Comic Con.[3]

Programming

The convention typically offers artists, celebrity guests, cars, comic book authors, a costume contest, gaming, kids-con, professional wrestlers, vendors, video game tournaments, and voice artists.[1][3][5][6] In 2013, the convention also hosted several wedding ceremonies.[6]

History

Rhode Island Comic Con held its first event in 2012 at the Rhode Island Convention Center and took two years to prepare.[3] Following its success, the show grew larger the following year, now expanding from half of the convention center, to the entire show floor. David Anders, Anthony Michael Hall, Madison Lintz, Jett Lucas, Nichelle Nichols, Chanel Ryan, and Raphael Sbarge could not make it to the 2013 convention due to the 2013 Los Angeles International Airport shooting.[7][8] Hall and Nichols did appear the following year. A Halloween party was held on Friday before the convention in 2014.[1] On the Saturday of the 2014 show, The fire marshal shutdown RICC temporarily due to over capacity caused by poor attendance flow.[4][9] Rhode Island Convention Center has a maximum occupancy of 17,000 and attendance at the time of shutdown was over 20,000.[10][11] It was the first time in Rhode Island Convention Center history a shutdown due to over capacity occurred.[4][11] An estimated 1,500 or more attendees were unable to enter the convention.[4][12] Many were attendees who left the convention but could not re-enter.[10][13] The attendees in line suffered from poor weather conditions and chants for refunds began.[14][15][16] Attendees were later allowed to enter in small groups (100 people) or could exchange tickets for Sunday.[4][12] Refunds were later issued for attendees who purchased tickets but could not enter the convention.[16][17] Crowding was also caused by the convention's 50 percent growth, not using all available space, and the convention center not being prepared for attendees to stay so long.[16][17] Sunday did not experience the same levels of crowding and ticket sales were capped.[18][19]

Prior to the 2015, RICC changed its press policy due to concerns that it limited negative free speech about the event.[20] The convention made several changes to prevent overcrowding issues in 2015. The changes included expanding to the Dunkin' Donuts Center, increasing to three days, ticket scanning to accurately know attendance figures, a 17,000-ticket sales cap per day, and increased vendor food supply.[2][21] Carrie Fisher cancelled her 2015 appearance due to illness.[2][22] There's still no word on when Fisher will attend the show. Jorge Elorza, the mayor of Providence, participated in the Comic Con's opening ceremony.[23] Saturday's ticket sales for Rhode Island Comic Con stopped at 10:30 a.m.[24] The convention in 2015 had over 500 volunteers.[21] Comic Book Legend Stan Lee was one of the headlining guests for the 2016 show. It was his final northeast appearance. Star Wars actor Kenny Baker was originally going to attend the 2016 show, however, due to his death on August 13, 2016, this was cancelled, making it the first time in the show's history that a guest had died before their scheduled appearance. Saturday's tickets sold out two days prior to the 2016 show.


Event history

Dates Location Attend. Guests
November 3–4, 2012 Rhode Island Convention Center
Providence, Rhode Island		15,000 (est)[3] or 16,000[21] Nicholas Brendon, John de Lancie, Quinton Flynn, Jason David Frank, Gil Gerard, Dan Gilvezan, Mark Goddard, Richard Hatch, Walter E. Jones, Tom Kane, Peter Mayhew, David Orange, Robert Picardo, Claudia Wells, Billy West, David Yost,[25] Jim Duggan, Lee Meriwether, Ian Robb, Jake Roberts,[3] Dirk Benedict, and Walter Simonson.[26]
November 2–3, 2013[6][27] Rhode Island Convention Center
Providence, Rhode Island		17,000[4] Robert Axelrod, Nakia Burrise, Nicki Clyne, Jason David Frank, Gil Gerard, Barbara Goodson, Yaya Han, Alan Harris, Ernie Hudson, Walter E. Jones, Larry Kenney, Riki "Riddle" LeCotey, Jason Narvy, Jessica Nigri, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Paul Schrier, Dana Snyder, Catherine Sutherland, Burt Ward, Adam West, David Yost,[28] Joe Chin, Danny Glover, Howard Finkel, Simon Fisher-Becker, Gremlina, C. Thomas Howell, Keith Johnson, Terry Kiser, Marty Kove, Andrew McCarthy, Kevin Nash, Julie Newmar, Marky Ramone, James Tolkan, Rikishi, Jonathan Silverman, Catherine Mary Stewart, Larry Storch, Claudia Wells, Billy Dee Williams, William Zabka,[7] Nicholas Brendon, Rusty Gilligan, Richard Hatch, Tawny Kitaen,[6] John Amos, Yvonne Craig, and Jimmie Walker[27]
November 1–2, 2014 Rhode Island Convention Center
Providence, Rhode Island		30,000 (est)[29] or 47,000 (est)[30] Karan Ashley, Colin Baker, Michael Biehn, Eliza Dushku, Gigi Edgley, David J. Fielding, Anthony Michael Hall, Richard Horvitz, Walter Koenig, Peter Mayhew, Eddie McClintock, Vic Mignogna, Samantha Newark, Nichelle Nichols, Ray Park, John Rhys-Davies, Saul Rubinek, William Shatner, Mark Sheppard, Orli Shoshan, Rikki Simons, Austin St. John, George Takei, Veronica Taylor,[31] John Coppinger, Seth Gilliam, Michael Kingma, Michael Rooker, Scott Wilson, and Matthew Wood,[5] Neal Adams, Jim Beaver, Belle Chere, Abby Fellows, Alaina Huffman, Destiny Nickelsen, Jonny Ruckus, Jim Steranko, Steven Williams, Rick Worthy,[32] and Karen Allen.[12]
November 6–8, 2015 Rhode Island Convention Center
Dunkin' Donuts Center[2]
Providence, Rhode Island		 Karan Ashley, Linda Ballantyne, Gregg Berger, Jon Bernthal, Jeremy Bulloch, Dean Cain, Steve Cardenas, Kevin Conroy, Peter Cullen, Jim Cummings, Debi Derryberry, Michael Dorn, Terry Farrell Jason Faunt, Lou Ferrigno, Karen Gillan, Katie Griffin, Doug Jones, Walter E. Jones, Alex Kingston, Riki "Riddle" LeCotey, Daniel Logan, Charles Martinet, Gates McFadden, Vic Mignogna, Jason Momoa, Samantha Newark, Trina Nishimura, Brian O'Halloran, Toby Proctor, David Prowse, Susan Roman, Christy Carlson Romano, Michael Rooker, Marina Sirtis, Austin St. John, Alona Tal, Frank Welker, Scott Wilson, Henry Winkler,[33] Selma Blair, Barbara Eden, Seth Gilliam, Tom Kenny, Ron Perlman,[2] EG Daily, Will Friedle,[34] Chris Claremont, Orlando Jones,[35] Jon Bernthal, Drea DeMatteo, Bill Fagerbakke, Amy Jo Johnson, Tim Murphy, Emilio Rivera,[36] Curtis Armstrong, Garrick Hagon, Richard Harmon, Ryan Hurst, Ralph Macchio,[37] Kristy Swanson, and Larry Thomas.[21]
November 11–13, 2016[38] Rhode Island Convention Center
Dunkin' Donuts Center
Providence, Rhode Island		 Stan Lee, Gal Gadot, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Millie Bobby Brown, Kenny Baker (cancelled on account of his death on August 13, 2016), Alice Cooper, Frank Grillo, Christian Slater, Theo Rossi, Ray Fisher, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapicic, Alexandra Breckenridge, Amy Jo Johnson, Arthur Darvill, Billy Dee Williams, Billy Gunn, Brent Spiner, Brett Dalton, Candice Michelle, Casper Crump, Charles Wright, Christy Hemme, Damien Sandow, David Labrava, Dennis Haskins, DJ Qualls, Doug Walker, Falk Hentschel, Gail Kim, Hornswoggle, Ian Ziering, Jake Roberts, Jason David Frank, Jason Faunt, Jason Narvy, Jeanne Basone, Jeremy Palko, Jim Parrack, John Brennan, John Ratzenberger, Jon Heder Josh McDermitt, Katie Cassidy, Kelly Kelly, Kevin Grevioux, Kim Coates Kristin Bauer, Mark Boone Jr., Mehcad Brooks, Melina Perez, Mena Suvari, Michael Bell, Michael Cudlitz, Michael Koske, Mike Zapic, Ming Chen, Nolan North, Paul Schrier, Ray Hassett, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Robin Lord Taylor, Robin Shelby, Sean Pertwee, Shannon Elizabeth, Shannon Farnon, Summer Glau, Tami Stronach, Tara Reid, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Travis Aaron Wade, William Zabka.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, Andy (October 30, 2014). "R.I. Comic Con offers a chance to mingle with sci-fi stars". Providence Journal. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Smith, Andy (November 5, 2015). "R.I. Comic Con is back and bigger, with plan to handle crowds". Providence Journal. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hendricks, Jordan (November 5, 2012). "First R.I. Comic Con draws celebrities, gamers". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ziner, Karen Lee (November 1, 2014). "What's the attraction? Overcrowded R.I. Comic Con runs short on space". Providence Journal. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  5. 1 2 Weisberg, Tim (October 30, 2014). "Rhode Island Comic Con: 5 things you can't miss". South Coast Today. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Pelletier, Jenna (October 31, 2013). "Fantasy becomes reality as R.I. Comic Con swoops into Providence this weekend". Providence Journal. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  7. 1 2 Weisberg, Tim (November 10, 2013). "Reflections on an epic Comic Con". South Coast Today. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  8. ↑ Salit, Richard (November 3, 2013). "Some celebrities a no-show at RI Comic Con due to shooting at LAX". Providence Journal. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  9. ↑ Ponte, Erica (November 2, 2014). "Comic Con officials apologize for overcrowding". WPRI. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  10. 1 2 Ziner, Karen Lee (November 1, 2014). "Crowd at RI Comic Con swells to over 20,000, fire marshal not allowing anyone in". Providence Journal. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Rhode Island Comic Con ticket holders turned away". ABC6. November 2, 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 Semon, Craig S. (November 7, 2014). "This year's Rhode Island Comic Con had it all". News Telegram. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  13. ↑ Lavien, Samatha (November 1, 2014). "Comic Con reaches capacity". ABC6. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  14. ↑ Kolb, Jeff (November 1, 2014). "RI Comic Con turns away ticket holders after exceeding capacity". NBC10. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  15. ↑ Ponte, Erica (November 2, 2014). "RI Convention Center hits capacity during Comic Con". WPRI. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  16. 1 2 3 Naylor, Donita (November 3, 2014). "Fans locked out of R.I. Comic Con in line for ticket refunds". Providence Journal. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  17. 1 2 Putman, Cierra (November 3, 2014). "Convention center says refunds available for RI Comic Con". NBC10. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  18. ↑ Reyes, Gabriella (November 4, 2014). "In costume, thousands trek to Rhode Island Comic Con". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  19. ↑ Putman, Cierra (November 3, 2014). "Convention center says refunds available for RI Comic Con TV". NBC10. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  20. ↑ "NEW: RI Comic Con Apologizes for Attempting to Control Press Coverage". GoLocalProv. August 13, 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 4 M. Grosvenor, Amanda (October 26, 2015). "The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth". Providence Monthly. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  22. ↑ "NEW: Carrie Fisher Drops Out of Comic Con Due to Illness". GoLocalProv. November 6, 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  23. ↑ Gugliotta, Tony (November 6, 2015). "Rhode Island Comic Con kicks off in Providence". WJAR. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  24. ↑ White, Matthew (November 7, 2015). "Rhode Island Comic Con sees more exhibits, better organization". WJAR. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  25. ↑ "Rhode Island Comic Con 2012 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2015-12-09.
  26. ↑ Alvarez, Victor (October 31, 2012). "Geek heaven at the Comic Con". The Phoenix. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  27. 1 2 Rosenberg, Alan (September 13, 2013). "Comic Con: Rhode Island's 2nd annual pop-culture convention is not to be missed". Providence Journal. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  28. ↑ "Rhode Island Comic Con 2013 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2014-11-02.
  29. ↑ Bender, John (November 6, 2015). "Thousands Expected To Descend On Providence For RI Comic Con". Rhode Island Public Radio. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  30. ↑ Grimaldi, Paul (September 7, 2015). "Popularity of R.I. Comic Con spurs expansion, ticket changes". Providence Journal. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  31. ↑ "Rhode Island Comic Con 2014 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2014-11-02.
  32. ↑ Melo, Courtney (November 3, 2014). "Was Comic Con Too Popular - Fire Marshall and Social Media Less Than Pleased". GoLocalProv. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  33. ↑ "Rhode Island Comic Con 2015 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
  34. ↑ "Voices of Batman, Spongebob Coming to RI Comic Con". GoLocalProv. September 23, 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  35. ↑ Cerrone, Alana (November 11, 2015). "Rhode Island Comic Con invades Providence". ABC6. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  36. ↑ Paulin, Benjamin (November 4, 2015). "'Incredible Hulk' actor Lou Ferrigno is coming to R.I. Comic Con". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  37. ↑ Damish, Steve (November 13, 2015). "Hollywood stars shine at Providence Comic Con, but for a price". The Patriot Ledger. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  38. ↑ "Rhode Island Comic Con 2016 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2015-12-26.

External links

Coordinates: 41°49′27″N 71°25′1″W / 41.82417°N 71.41694°W / 41.82417; -71.41694

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