35 years of Motor City Comic Con
Pop culture icons descend on metro Detroit for Michigan’s biggest fan event
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Malin Åkerman has a soft spot in her heart — and her filmography — for Detroit.
“We filmed a movie there called The Giant Mechanical Man,” the striking, Swedish-born actress remembers. “It was so much fun. It was years ago [2012], but we had a blast making it. And it still sits dear to my heart. I loved that little movie and that cast we had. It was a lovely experience. So this will be my third time in Detroit.”
The third time should be charming, as Malin (MAH-lin) returns here next week not to make a movie, but to dissect one: her starring role as Silk Spectre II in the 2009 superhero epic Watchmen, being discussed and screened beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 16 at Emagine Novi Theatre, and followed by an an exclusive after-hours party. It’s just one of the myriad events, attractions, and contests for fans of all ages with the 35th Motor City Comic Con next Friday through Sunday, May 16-18.
Centered inside the 300,000 square-foot Batcave that is Novi’s Suburban Collection Showplace, Comic Con has long been Southeast Michigan’s fantasy empire for pulp fiction, anime, cosplay, panel discussions, and one-on-one encounters with pop culture celebrities. So much so that the event has expanded to twice a year, in May and November.
“We started doing two shows consistently after COVID, in October of 2021,” explains Beth Burland, whose brother Michael launched Detroit’s first comic book extravaganza at a VFW Hall here in 1990 and who, with Samantha Yankee, serves as co-manager of Comic Con. “We’re a week away from the May show, and we’re already working on November,” Yankee divulges. “We’ve been working on it for a little while. It is a lot, but the community demands it, so we will provide it.”
The work they did arranging the movie screening promises to be a highlight of the May extravaganza, however, and Åkerman says she can’t wait to watch(men).
“It’s the best,” she enthuses. “I love doing the screenings because you have real fans who come and want to see the film, and it just feels like a really warm welcome. Most likely they’ve seen it before so they know what they’re in for, and they’re excited.”
She muses, “It’s sort of like getting on stage when you’re a musician,. You do all the work behind the scenes, and then you get to be there with your fans, present it, and be part of it and feel the energy. I love it.”
As Robin might exclaim, however, “Holy (Fill in the Blank), Batman!” That’s only the beginning. While Åkerman is dazzling opening-night moviegoers at Emagine, back at Suburban Collection Showplace the WWE and TNA tag team pro wrestling champs Jeff and Matt Hardy, better known as The Hardy Boyz, will emcee a live podcast at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by Jeff performing a live music concert.
Among the nearly three dozen other luminaries scheduled to appear at next week’s Comic Con are:
• Legendary actor Martin Sheen (The Amazing Spider-Man)
• Bill Nye (you know, the Science Guy)
• Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets, The Addams Family)
• Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, The Goonies)
• Laura Prepon (Orange is the New Black, reportedly appearing at her first-ever Comic Con)
• Garrett Hedlund (Troy, Tron: Legacy)
• Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World, The Mandalorian)
• Famke Janssen (X-Men, GoldenEye) and
• Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager)
However, arguably the most intriguing celebrity slated for Novi will be two-time Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner, he of Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Renner is back in public and on the road after recovering from the horrific New Year’s Eve 2023 accident in which he was crushed by a seven-ton snowplow, breaking more than 38 bones in his body. Hawkeye is hawking the details of his near-death experience and physical and emotional recovery in his new memoir, My Next Breath.
In addition, there will be cosplay contests, including one for kids coordinated by the 501st Legion — Great Lakes Garrison, the premier Imperial Star Wars costuming group in the world; anime screenings; “Slime Time and Marshmallow Man Making” sessions hosted by Ghostbusters Detroit, a pop culture interactive game show called Fandomadness, and much more.
Among the new features this May is an attraction called “You Are a Voice Actor,” with the facsimile of a professional sound booth. “I think this will be really cool,” says Burland. “They’ll have over 60 different scripts for what you want to record. You record your lines, then they are edited with music and sound effects.”
But of course, the bedrock of any Comic Con is the assemblage of graphic novel and comic book artists from around the globe, united with the fans who adore their work. Few know this better than Detroit’s own pioneer of the comic panel pen, Arvell Jones, who worked for both Marvel and DC Comics in his storied career and assisted on early editions of Black Panther. He’s scheduled to be at Comic Con next week, and while he’s appeared at countless such events over the decades he says he still shares Åkerman’s enthusiasm.
“Before the pandemic I was doing at least 10 a year,” Jones says. “I was enjoying it so much. I said, ‘Man, everybody loves what I give them.’ People ask me, ‘What was it like to work with Stan Lee? What was it like when you first got introduced to the Black Panther?’ I enjoy people coming up and telling me all their weird circumstances. One guy told me, ‘I met my wife while buying one of your comic books!’”
While the Comic Con celebrates a milestone in its 35th year, Burland and Yankee barely have had time to acknowledge it. “I can’t tell you who, but we’ve already sent out contracts for next May,” Yankee discloses. “As soon as one show ends, we get two days of rest, hang out at home, then we’re back at it. We definitely need some sleep after a show just to close out the real world and eat potatoes.”
The Motor City Comic Con takes place May 16-18 at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi. Hours are noon-7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available starting at $35 for adults and $5 for children from motorcitycomiccon.com.
