It was that time once again to head south on 94 and make my way to Chicago, for C2E2 2019, which took place March 22, 2019 – March 24, 2019. It was a two-day event for me, going on Saturday and Sunday. Each year I go seems to be a new experience and this was no different. This year we seemed to focus more on the panels, spending more time in the main room rather than walking around, and when we did hit the convention floor, it was around Artist Alley, getting stuff signed and trying our best not to buy numerous prints/artwork we have no room for. So that meant less pictures of cosplayers this year, but I was able to get a few at the last minute once the show closed on Sunday, and people were lingering outside the entrance. But on the plus side, I got to cover a few panels, with pictures, and hey, even a video for you to enjoy.

See below for our rundown of C2E2 2019, along with our photo gallery from the convention and panel coverage and videos.

First up was the Alien 40th Anniversary Shorts Panel, where we got to see 4 of the 6 shorts that are a part of the celebration, and I am guessing are included in an upcoming box set. Of course no video or pictures were allowed, but we did get to see the following shorts: Containment, Night Shift, Harvest, and Alone. Harvest was the favorite between me and my friends, as it seemed to fit the most into the Alien universe, and even a homage at times to the movies. It also seemed to be the one that special effects and budget were no issue, so that might have something to do with it as well. Saw a few families leave during the shorts; guessing a few kids had some scary dreams the next few days.

The Red Band Trailer for the shorts:

Containment:

And after that was the Clueless Reunion Panel, with Alicia Silverstone, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, and eventually Paul Rudd. It was basically the Donald and Breckin show until Paul Rudd showed up and then it was all about reminiscing about making the movie, most of which Silverstone didn’t remember. There was a decent amount of ladies dressed up as various characters and got some time to shine before the panel. Should have re-watched the movie before going to the panel, it’s been a few years since I have seen it, although I hope to re-watch soon, as long as I have those stories they told fresh in my memory. Lots of questions were directed towards Rudd, obviously about Ant-Man and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even Faison tried to get him to give us a few spoilers or hints for Avengers: Endgame. Rudd just belted out an evil laugh and said he knows everything.

Full Panel (thanks to SYFYWire)

And we thought that may have been it for the panels for the day, but at the last minute we decided to stick around for the next one, Twisted Toonz Presents National Lampoon’s Vacation. For those unfamiliar with Twisted Toonz, it’s a group of your favorite voice actors from the favorite cartoons you enjoyed growing up, as well as the voices behind some of your favorite video game characters. The panel included EG Daily, James Arnold Taylor, Jennifer Hale, Jess Harnell, Maurice LaMarche, Nolan North, Rob Paulson, and Tress MacNeille. And basically what it is, they broke the movie down into scene segments, and for each segment they had one of the actors do a different voice, and with it being National Lampoon’s Vacation, it was NSFW at times, well most of the time. If you ever get the chance to check this out live, it’s well worth the money and time to go. You just may never look at your favorite cartoon characters the same afterwords. And thanks to SYFY, you can check out the panel for yourself below, just remember it is NSFW.

Full Panel (thanks to SYFYWire)

We could have kept things going and stayed around for the John Barrowman Spotlight, which I am sure was fabulous and funny, but the seats were starting to get to us and we needed to walk around for a bit. It was only the first day, and I think I sat through more panels than I have gone to over the past few years. The convention has been growing since the first time we went, and I think they have gotten much better in panels to check out, at least for me. I am sure others have found stuff to enjoy as well.

Sunday

I was going into C2E2 weekend looking forward to the Doctors Who Panel with Matt Smith and David Tennant, but Smith was not able to make it to the show, and so my interest dwindled and I knew we would have to get there really early to most likely get a spot. And as I am writing this up and attaching some YouTube clips, that is sadly not available.

But we got in line for the following panel and wasn’t sure how it was looking for getting into the Animaniacs panel. Well, thankfully as we headed towards the line, there was a big wave of people leaving, which meant we should have no issue getting seats. And as we start filing into the room, we had no issue finding a few seats, as I prefer to keep to the back, that way I can enjoy the action on the big screen and get some decent photos as well. We got a little preview of what was in store for us at the Twisted Toonz panel the previous day, but I have to say this panel was the overall highlight for C2E2 2019. It included Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, Tress MacNeille and Maurice LaMarche, so basically the Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain. So many great memories of that show growing up, although I was perhaps a little too old to be into it at the time, but thankfully the group of people I hung around with, we all enjoyed it. You can check out the whole panel below, which is worth watching, and be sure to check out Rob’s and Maurice heartfelt response to a comment about taking the time to have a discussion with someone who was getting their picture taken with them. Actually they showed their appreciation to the fans in attendance, because if it wasn’t for them, there would be no need for this panel. And much like the Twisted Toonz panel, this panel made me realize that I need to seek out going to see Animaniacs Live next time they are in the area. And I was hoping to hear one song and Rob ended the panel with Yakko singing the countries of the world song, so I enjoyed that. Thanks to SYFY and C2E2 for posting all of these panels, and others online, this way you got a better version of the song than the one I captured on my camera, filming the screen.

Full Panel (thanks to SYFYWire)

Overall C2E2 was a great time hanging out with friends, checking out some panels, cosplay, and artwork, and of course I did a little shopping on the last day, picking up a couple trades for some books that came recommended from my friends, and a few things that are currently TV shows or movies. Looking forward to going again next year, can’t wait to see what happens in 2020.

Below you will find a small gallery from the panels and convention floor. If you are someone I took a picture of and would like me to email them to you or tweet them at you, send me a tweet at @seandps for more info, and that way when I get around to posting pics on Twitter, I can give you credit and tag you.

C2E2 2019 Cosplay Gallery

C2E2 2019 Clueless Panel Gallery

C2E2 2019 Animaniacs Panel Gallery

C2E2 2019 Twisted Toonz National Lampoon’s Vacation Panel Gallery