June 2- 8, 2005

mixpicks

Scene and Not Nerd

convention

Growing up weird, you had levels of sci-space-fantasia to choose from, all separate. There was the comic book realm. There was the science fiction of Asimov and B movies. You had the tight-fitted astro-men in Star Trek. These realms didn't mingle — that is, until conventions like Wizard World came along. You could like both Christopher Lee's Dracula and Uhura and not lose the war within yourself. The babe factor is this year heightened by Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) and Mercedes McNabb (Angel). Or meet the once-studly Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica), Lou Ferrigno (Incredible Hulk) and Marc Singer (Beastmaster), who we'd only recognize shirtless. Track down Seth Green (signing The Freshman), and Star Wars' foursome — Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) and Jerome Blake (Rune Hakko). I'll be getting my manga on (there's scads of Philly-only illustrations to be found) while listening to Twiztid and hanging out with the mysterious Jim Steranko, the escape artist who came to illustrate X-Men and became the inspiration for Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

Wizard World Philadelphia, Fri.-Sat., June 3-4, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., June 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; $25 per day, $45 three-day pass, $150 VIP three-day pass, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch sts., www.wizarduniverse.com.

—A.D. Amorosi