Pop culture fans can meet celebrity guests, voice actors, comic creators, wrestlers, artists, vendors, and fellow fans May 9–10 at the Lodi Grape Festival Grounds
Get your costumes ready, gather your fellow fans, and prepare for a weekend packed with comics, collectibles, characters, and community. Lodi Comic Con, presented by Utility Telecom, returns to the Lodi Grape Festival Grounds this weekend for its 15th event — and this year, the fun has expanded to two days.
The popular pop culture convention will take place Saturday, May 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lodi Grape Festival Grounds in Lodi.
For fans of comics, anime, movies, television, video games, wrestling, collectibles, cosplay, and everything in between, this year’s event is shaping up to be the biggest Lodi Comic Con yet, with more than 40,000 square feet of event space and more than 200 booths featuring exhibitors, artists, vendors, and creators.
And as always, kids 12 and under get in free with a paid adult, making it an affordable weekend outing for families.
This year’s guest lineup is full of familiar faces and fan favorites. Attendees will have the chance to meet Tom Kenny, the beloved voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, appearing Saturday only. Wrestling fans can meet WWE Hall of Famers Sgt. Slaughter and Ted DiBiase, while Star Wars fans can look forward to appearances by Daniel Logan, who played young Boba Fett, along with Susanna Malak from The Book of Boba Fett and C. Andrew Nelson, known for his work in the Star Wars universe.
The guest list also includes Kari Wuhrer from Anaconda and Eight Legged Freaks, John O’Hurley from Seinfeld and SpongeBob SquarePants, Andrey Ivchenko from Stranger Things, and DJ Lance Rock from Yo Gabba Gabba!.
Voice acting fans will also have plenty to celebrate. Scheduled voice guests include Dorothy Fahn from Naruto: Shippuden and Fire Emblem, Tom Fahn from Digimon and Cowboy Bebop, Kevin Miller, the voice of Sly Cooper, Paul St. Peter from Kingdom Hearts and Naruto, Bob Joles from SpongeBob SquarePants and Danny Phantom, and several others from popular titles including Chainsaw Man, Fire Force, Fairy Tail, Hell’s Paradise, and Red Dead Redemption.
Comic and animation fans will also have the opportunity to meet an impressive group of creators, including James C. Mulligan, known for his Disney work; Darick Robertson, co-creator and artist connected to The Boys; Mike Kunkel of Herobear and the Kid and Magic of Shazam; Ken Mitchroney of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures and Ren & Stimpy; Beth Mitchroney of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures; and other talented artists and creators.
The weekend will also include plenty of live entertainment and fan participation. Supreme Pro Wrestling will present a Saturday show beginning at 11:30 a.m., bringing high-energy action to the convention floor. On Sunday, fans can show off their creativity during the costume contests, with both the ages 13 and older Costume Contest and the Kids Costume Contest for ages 12 and under beginning at 2 p.m.
Since Sunday is also Mother’s Day, moms attending the event on Sunday will receive a free print by James C. Mulligan, while supplies last.
Tickets for the two-day event are $15 at the gate. Sunday-only tickets will be available at the gate for $5. Pre-sale ticket options are available online through Universe, including a special ticket option that includes a Lodi Comic Con event poster. Pre-sale ticket sales end Friday, May 8, at 11:59 p.m.
A portion of the proceeds from Lodi Comic Con will benefit local charities, adding a community-minded touch to a weekend built around imagination, fandom, and fun.
Whether you are a lifelong comic book collector, a Star Wars fan, a wrestling fan, an anime fan, a gamer, a cosplayer, or a parent looking for a fun weekend outing with the kids, Lodi Comic Con offers something for everyone.
Fans can follow Lodi Comic Con updates on Twitter and Instagram through the @stocktoncon account.