The Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo, better known as C2E2, kicked off its 2015 year yesterday, Friday, April 24th. There's still a lot to come, but already the weekend has been marked by high quality in all aspects. Small comics companies and individual producers held a large presence on the show floor, ringing the outside loop in a tight rope of affordable booths that got a high amount of traffic. Enterprises from as far away as the UK came into play, such as Distribution Engine, a Diamond comics competitor for the niche UK-US comics market, and Twisted Dark, a dark but socially-minded comics anthology whose producers are aiming to make comics in the UK more accessible to adults. As far as figures and plushes, the convention is excelling at must-have, high-quality merchandise, the bulk of which is hard to find anywhere else. Toynk Toys, a Chicago local, had a remarkable selection of popular geek items, such as the official Minecraft history book, a gnome with a rainbow ribbon of vomit, a Pusheen plush coin purse, and a plush mudcrab from the Elder Scrolls games that comes with a code redeemable for an in-game mudcrab follower. Suffice it to say, there was a little something for everyone. Tamashii Nation's high quality anime figurines included the rare samurai Darth Vadar display as well as fully-articulated Sailor Moon miniatures that drew crowds of men and women alike. A con is never to be without a swords dealer as well, and this year's prop weapons booth, CKT Sports Inc, has a brand new, remarkable product: exceptional-quality polypropylene weapons that are so durable they can break through concrete blocks. They also have a useful weight to them, which is good for those who want more realism in their cosplay. The default model comes in basic black, which renders them easily customizable via spray paint for plastics. Along with the clothing and fashions booths, there were even a few makeup vendors--some of which will be holding panels on costume craft throughout the weekend. One had an officially-licensed Borderlands-inspired cosmetic line, the first of its kind. Panels got off to a good start, with the wide variety ReedPop conventions are known for, from comics to video games to fantasy novelists. The day started with a few events on comics in education and social issues, flowing into the multi-guest panels for writing, Q&As, and the ever-popular "How to Get Into Comics" panels by industry executives. Perhaps most inspiring, however, were the kids-and-families block events: a panel called "Do it Like a Knight" focused on actual training lessons dug up from texts and treatises from as far back as the 1200s. An anti-bullying "digital citizens" programming event sought to explain useful tactics, responsibilities, and new anti-bullying legislation. There were even Chinese and Spanish lessons. However, the winner of the day seemed to be Acrobatica Infiniti Circus, a Cirque du Soleil-like acrobatics performance made up of people in various character costumes from the Marvel, DC, and Star Wars universes. Acrobatica is made up of professional, licensed acrobats from all over the world, and during the course of the weekend they'll be putting on three entirely different shows---one each day. They're eagerly looking forward to their official "full show" debut May 29th at the Vittum Theater in Chicago, and look poised to grow big in coming years. Even though the rain began by day's end, C2E2's shuttles kept things moving. The hotel's bar, stuffed with themed drinks and sandwiches like "The Damsel In Distress," "The Hero," "The Villain" and "The Double-Cross," kept things fun and helped attendees wind down at the end of the night, while giving industry people a place to meet and rub elbows. And that's only day one. On the agenda for tomorrow: programming galore, an artist's alley to rival New York Comic Con's, the Tattoo Parlor, and maybe even that fabled Shangri-La, the consuite.
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