Emerald City Comic Con Draws Massive Crowds

Seattle pop culture fans were in luck this weekend as Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC) returned to the city after a two-year absence.

Between December 2-5, attendees were able to see many exciting panels and guests at the Washington State Convention Center in the rainy Pacific Northwest city. Lines were long and the show floor was crowded as attendees walked the convention center in their elaborate cosplays. The excitement in the air was palpable: guests filled the streets and lined up outside the building, eager to get in. All of the built up anticipation from the pandemic seemed to culminate in a kind of euphoria that was palpable everywhere.

The show floor consisted of numerous vendors and booths (some local), selling collectors items, comics, action figures, pins and more. Everybody was excited and happy to be there, following the long hiatus from events of this kind. People were talking and meeting one another, all sharing in this experience. This enthusiasm was shared by this author who attended on Friday and Saturday, two of ECCC’s most popular days. Saturday specifically was sold out.

This year, the event was ripe with the Star Wars fandom in particular. One of the top talents who made an appearance was none other that Anakin Skywalker himself: Hayden Christiansen. Christiansen was at ECCC on Saturday and Sunday, signing autographs and taking photos with fans. He is just coming off filming his part in the upcoming Disney+ show Obi-Wan Kenobi, which is due to hit the streamer in 2022. He will be appearing in Disney+’s Ahsoka as well.

Other Star Wars talent included famed actor Tim Curry, who voiced Palpatine in seasons five and six of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. For Disney, Curry has also lent his voice to several animated television shows, including Gargoyles and The Little Mermaid and has appeared in live-action in The Three Musketeers and Muppet Treasure Island. He was at the convention on Saturday.

On Friday, there was a panel dedicated to Star Wars voice actors, aptly titled “The Voices of Star Wars.” The panel hosted Dee Bradley Baker and Steve Blum, both of whom are veterans of the industry and of Star Wars in particular. Baker is the voice of the clones that can be heard across the animated Star Wars shows. He practically carries Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which features five experimental clones, all voiced by Baker. Blum joined the franchise in 2014 with Star Wars: Rebels as the voice of Zeb. The two of them discussed the industry, both high points and challenges, but at the core of their conversation was the importance of doing/creating what you love, at all costs.