Wizard Convention Features Celebrities and Entertainment Wizard World Comic Con returned to the Pennsylvania Convention Center this past weekend for the company's 19th annual Philadelphia pop culture convention. Despite the show's comic con moniker, the focus of the event is largely on celebrity autographs and panel sessions, along with general entertainment and nerd culture activities. … Continue reading Wizard World Philadelphia: Recap and Photo Highlights →

Wizard seeks to balance fan experience against costs, and looks to expand Wizard World Comic Con returned to Philadelphia this past weekend, one of over a dozen pop culture fan fests the company plans to host around the U.S. this year. During the event, I spoke with Wizard Entertainment president and CEO John D. Maatta … Continue reading Wizard Entertainment CEO John Maatta: Balancing Act →

Every comic con is different. Events run by Comic-Con International (San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon), ReedPop (New York Comic Con, C2E2, Emerald City Comic Con), Wizard World, or dozens of independent producers all have unique characteristics. While last month's independently-run East Coast Comic Con focused on comics creators and 1960s popular culture, this past weekend's Philadelphia … Continue reading Wizard World Philadelphia Spotlights Celebrities and Entertainment →

"This company has to be a hyphenate live-event/media company" While Wizard World's return to Philadelphia was met with rain and drizzle for much of the weekend, there was a ray of sunshine in the company's financial outlook. After a number of rough years, including a $5.75 million loss for 2017, Wizard World showed a net … Continue reading Wizard World CEO John Maatta: Growth through Media Development →