Arthur Burghardt to attend Retro Con 2017!
We are pleased to announce our first guest for Retro Con 2017: Arthur Burghardt!
Arthur’s most prolific role is that of shrewd arms dealer Destro in the original Marvel/Sunbow GI Joe series!
As owner of M.A.R.S. Industries, he was the primary weapons-provider for all of Cobra. Though considered part of the Cobra command hierarchy (along with his romantic love interest The Baroness), Destro and Cobra Commander were often at odds with each other, suggesting their alliance was more a matter of convenience than solidarity.
Destro’s intriguing mix of coldness, honor, and calm demeanor, not to mention the cool metal mask he wears to honor his ancestors, has made him a fan-favorite for over 30 years!
Another hugely popular voice of Arthur’s was that of the original Transformers combiner giant: DEVASTATOR!!
As the amalgamated form of the six Constructicons (Scrapper, Hook, Long Haul, Scavenger, Bonecrusher, and Mixmaster), Devastator didn’t always have much to say, but Arthur’s booming voice always made for a commanding appearance nonetheless! Devastator is arguably the most popular combiner in all of Transformers. Arthur played the character in the original Marvel/Sunbow G1 cartoon series, as well as the 1986 theatrical movie.
Arthur also gave voice to two other notable GI Joe characters: jetpack-wearing Sergeant Stalker, and cold weather operative Iceberg!
And he played one of the main players on Challenge of the GoBots: the courageous Guardian Turbo!
“Time to go!!”
Arthur will be at Retro Con all weekend for autograph and photo ops. We will post up a price list as the show draws closer. Come meet the voice of some of the most iconic characters of the 80’s!!
Retro Con 2017 Show Dates Announced!
Mark those calendars! Retro Con will be back for its *5th Anniversary* show on October 14th & 15th, 2017! As always, we promise to deliver a large amount of show for a small amount of money (for both attendees AND vendors). No overblown hype, no ego, and no VIP passes. Just a fun, family-friendly atmosphere for everyone!
We’ll once again be at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. We’ll be in Hall C, giving us 54,000 square feet to fill with over 200 tables of toys and collectibles, plus replica tv/movie cars and props, special guests, video games, panels, costumes, raffles, contests, and much more!
For a look at what you may have missed at our 2016 show, click HERE!
Attendee Preregistration will begin in January, so keep watching this space!
Vendor spots are already available! Click HERE for details on how you can reserve a spot at the show.
Our thanks to every that attended our show in the past, and we hope to see you back in 2017!!
TMNT II Screening at Regal Cinemas Oaks!
It’s time to GO NINJA GO NINJA GO!!
In conjunction with Retro Con, the Regal Cinemas Oaks 24 next to the expo center has lined-up a 25th anniversary screening of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze!
The start time is 7pm that Saturday, which gives you plenty of time after the show ends for the day to relax a bit, grab a bite to eat, and then take in a retro classic! This screening is for anyone, not just Retro Con attendees, and standard ticket prices do apply.
This digital screening is sponsored by Cheeburger Cheeburger Oaks, PA!
Look for Mr. LoBo at Retro Con 2016!
We’re happy to report that our old friend Mr. LoBo will be back again for Retro Con 2016!
He proves that “They’re not Bad Movies–Just Misunderstood.” Mr. Lobo has been a special guest and emcee for BLOBFEST in PA since 2010. Mr. Lobo has also hosted many live events and film festivals, and provides background on the films, with comedy, games, and prizes. He has been in dozens of film documentaries, has had many cameos in genre films, is a returning guest on national radio talk shows including COAST TO COAST AM with GEORGE NOORY, provided commentary for MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER box sets, has been featured on TMZ, and parodied on SCOOBY-DOO!
Mr. LoBo will be at the show all weekend, and will be hosting a panel on Saturday afternoon at 4pm!
2016 Cosplay Presidential Debate!
This election year, check out the candidates you REALLY want! Batman, Iron Man and She-Hulk will be having a presidential debate live at Retro Con! And YOU can be part of it!
Join the fun in the panel area on Saturday, September 24th. Ask our super-candidates their thoughts on the economy, alien immigration or laser gun control… it’s up to you! This panel will be featured in an episode of Captain Kyle’s Cosplay Spotlight! Don’t miss it!
Meet Andre Meadows of Black Nerd Comedy at Retro Con 2016!
We are pleased to announce youtube personality Andre Meadows will be attending Retro Con 2016!
Andre is the driving force behind Black Nerd Comedy, a popular channel on youtube where he posts frequent videos about geek entertainment, nerd news, rants & reviews, pop culture, conventions, and 80’s-90’s retro nostalgia!
An unabashed geek inside and out, Andre is also a devoted collector and has a particular fondness for TMNT, Power Rangers, Nintendo, Gremlins, and the Smurfs. In other words, he’ll feel right at home at Retro Con!
Andre will be at the show all weekend to meet with fans, and will be hosting a Q&A panel on Sunday at Retro Con. He has also graciously offered to moderate our voice actor panel on Sunday, featuring Cam Clarke, Pat Fraley, and Alan Oppenheimer!
A huge thanks to Andre for agreeing to come to the show on such late notice, and a special thanks to Kristy Sproul of Voice Chasers for her assistance in getting Andre to Retro Con!!
Guest Cancellation
Due to professional commitments, comedian Michael Winslow has had to cancel his appearance at Retro Con 2016. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.
Magic Card Gaming at Retro Con 2016!
New Wave Comics & Collectibles has kindly agreed to host Magic Card tournaments all weekend at Retro Con!
New Wave Comics & Collectibles offers a fun & inclusive space for everyone to enjoy comic books & games, whether you’re a n00b or Level V Geek! Not sure where to start with comics? Stop by for recommendations. Know an awesome game you think they should be carrying? Let them know! New Wave Comics is an elitist-free zone — stop by & let your geek flag fly!
New Wave runs Friday Night Magic every Friday at 6:30. They also hold all pre-releases and game days for all new releases along with holding a casual ‘game day’ every Thursday at the shop. During casual game day, people will play different formats of magic like; Commander, Standard, Modern, etc. They always have tables open in the back for people to play any time!
New Wave will be hosting Magic games all weekend long at the show! Look for them in the back-left of the hall!!
Retro Con 2016 Costume Contests!
We will be hosting *TWO* costume contests at Retro Con 2016!
SATURDAY at 1:00pm- Junior & Adult Costumers 14 and over!
SUNDAY at 12:00pm- Kid Costumers 13 and under!
Hosted once again by our good friend Eric “The Smoke” Moran, both contests will be held in the panel area at the show. Individuals and small groups are eligible to participate. Preregistering for the contest is not necessary, just be around the panel area prior to the announced time if you would like to be included. There is no sign-up fee.
We do a combination of staff judging and crowd reaction to determine our three winners. While craftsmanship will be definitely be taken into account, we will mostly judge costumes on their theme and overall effect. While some costumers are well-versed in advanced sewing and molding techniques, others show their ingenuity through creative glueing, hand sewing, and working with found items. We recognize costuming/cosplay as a hobby for people of all skill sets and budgets!
Please no skits or anything else that might delay the contest. Doing a pose and/or saying something briefly in character is okay. Also please no heckling from the audience or from contestants. Anyone found disorderly will be asked to leave. We believe in a fun and ego-free atmosphere!
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Costumers will have a chance at winning three cash prizes:
Junior & Adult Costumers 14 and over
FIRST place: $100.00
SECOND place: $75.00
THIRD place: $50.00
Kid Costumers 13 and under
FIRST place: $75
SECOND place: $50
THIRD place: $25
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The Skelly Awards!
In addition to the cash prizes, winners of the costume contest will receive these specially painted Skelly awards: 1st place gold, 2nd place silver, and 3rd place bronze! The mini Skellies will go to the winners of the Kids costume contest.
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And as a special added treat, the voice of Skeletor himself, Mr. Alan Oppenheimer, has kindly agreed to give away the Skelly awards at the end of the costume contest on Saturday!!
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Some of the fantastic costumes from previous Retro Cons!
Pokemon GO at Retro Con 2016!
ATTN Pokemon Go trainers!!
You’re in luck! Retro Con is fortunate enough to have TWO PokeStops and a PokeGym nearby! In celebration of this vastly popular game, Retro Con will be holding Pokemon GO lure releases all weekend long at the PokeStop at the Water Tower behind Hall C! Team Valor will have Lure releases several times a day, so con attendees need not worry about missing any events or panels throughout the day.
And a bonus to Retro Con’s younger fans, kids 13 and under will also get the chance to meet Retro Con’s very own Ash Ketchum, who will be handing out Pokemon merchandise each day! Don’t forget to bring your cameras! Giveaways will be done until the supplies for each day are gone.
Times for the lure drops and giveaways will be posted inside the main hall each day of the show. A big thanks to Wendy and Brandon Wassmer for offering to run this event at Retro Con!
PRE-REG HAS ENDED! BUY AT DOOR!
Vendor Table Info Below!
Sponsors!
Retro Con would like to thank all those that helped to sponsor this show!
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98.5 WXPM The Phoenix
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The Retro Network
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Rediscover The 80s
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Friends of Retro Con!
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The Breaux Show
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Fandom Spotlite
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Toy Spotlite
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The Very Best
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retrocons.com 