Retro T-shirt Contest at Retro Con 2023!
Show off those cool geek threads like our gang of cover models here! Retro Con’s very own Retro T-shirt Contest makes its return for 2023!
A longstanding tradition at fan gatherings is attendees wearing t-shirts expressing their favorite characters and brands. We’ve turned this into a unique contest to win free stuff! Retro Con’s T-shirt contest will be held in the panel room on Saturday at the show, and we want to see YOUR Saturday best! Your t-shirt can be vintage, new, or custom made. As long as it’s retro-related (90’s properties and back), you’re welcome to enter!
Prizes this year include a NECA Tokka & Rahzar figure set for 1st Place (a $100 value), a NECA Deluxe Skeletor mask for 2nd Place (a $60 value), and a Transformers DeLorean Gigawatt figure for 3rd Place (a $35 value)! We’ll have some “Honorable Mention” prizes as well.
**Contest Rules**
1: No water will be involved. ;P
2. The contest is open to anyone at Retro Con wearing a t-shirt with a retro-oriented logo or print on it (90’s properties or older). Examples include: movies, cartoons, comics, tv shows, toy lines, company logos, mascots, music bands, and more!
3. There are no sign-ups needed. Interested contestant can line up outside the panel room prior to the contest start time. (Start time to be determined soon!)
4. T-Shirts can be vintage, new, or custom-made.
5. Only actual t-shirts can be entered. Sorry, sweatshirts, jackets, snuggies, jerseys, hoodies, long-sleeve shirts, etc., will NOT be eligible.
6. The Retro Con t-shirt contest is a family-friendly event! Tees with overly sexual imagery or crude language will not be allowed.
7. We’ll allow a small group to enter as one contestant if they have t-shirts associated with each other.
8. The contest will be slated for about 30 minutes. Hosts will ask questions to the contestants on-hand, after which they will pick approximately 10 entrants to be finalists.
9. After our Finalists are picked, they will be asked to go to the front of the Panel area. An additional round of questions, along with some audience participation, will determine our 3 winners!
A big thanks as always to our good friend Mike from the Breaux Show for hosting the fun. And a reminder that Retro Con is in *Hall A* this year and will now have a dedicated panel room! It will be attached to our main lead-in hallway.
Jurassic Adventures at Retro Con 2023!
Just in time for Jurassic Park’s 30th Anniversary! We welcome Jurassic Adventures and their JP18 back on the show floor for Retro Con 2023!
Made from a Jeep Wrangler, this replica has been accurately customized to resemble the staff vehicles used in the original Jurassic Park. Look for it in the car section on the Retro Con show floor, where owners Frank and Monica will have a themed backdrop and jungle set. For a small fee, attendees can get their photo taken with the set, complete with JP-related props for them to interact with. A photo op 65 Million Years in the Making!
A big thank you to Jurassic Adventures for bringing their awesome replica to the show!!
Meet Katie Leigh at Retro Con 2023!
Adventure awaits! Please welcome voice actor Katie Leigh to Retro Con 2023!!
Known for many notable roles in her long career, retro fans will probably best know Katie as the voice of ‘Sheila the Thief’ on the beloved 80’s cartoon Dungeons & Dragons! Though often shy and nervous, Sheila always displayed bravery when her friends were in trouble, especially her kid brother Bobby. A fan favorite on the show, Sheila also possessed one of the coolest items in the series- The Cloak of Invisibility!
Loosely based on the D&D tabletop game, the Dungeon & Dragons cartoon by Marvel Productions ran for three seasons on CBS Saturday mornings. The cartoon’s eclectic mix of characters, slick artwork, and excellent voice acting really made it shine. The intrepid band of kids even made a brief cameo appearance in the recent Dungeons & Dragons live-action movie!
Katie has many other mega popular roles too, such as Sunni Gummi on Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Baby Rowlf on Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies, and Honker Muddlefoot on Darkwing Duck! She also voiced an entire stable’s worth of ponies on the original My Little Pony cartoon, as well as Alex on Totally Spies, Sailor Iron Mouse on Sailor Moon, Zuzu on Poppy Cat, Luke on Time Traveler Luke, and (believe it or not) even provided voice for the kid Maharajah in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom!
It’s been many years since she voiced some of these roles, but we’re here to say Katie’s still got it!! We interviewed her awhile back, and she very easily slipped into her old roles like it was yesterday! Come meet her at the show, and help us celebrate the Dungeon & Dragon cartoon’s 40th Anniversary!!
See the Jersey General at Retro Con 2023!
The Jersey General will be on the show floor at Retro Con 2023!
A faithful replica of the General Lee as seen on The Duke of Hazzard (right down to the “Dixie” air horn), the Jersey General will be available for photo ops with attendees. It will also be used for fan photo ops with the Dukes cast at the show- Tom Wopat, Catherine Bach, and John Schneider! All photo ops can be purchased at the show direct, and pricing option info will be on our website soon.
A big thanks to owner Tom Felice for bringing his sleek car to the show!!
Meet John Schneider at Retro Con 2023!
*Ahem*… we’ve been holding onto this for a special occasion… “YEEEEEHAAAW!!!”
The Dukes trio is now complete! Please welcome the one and only JOHN SCHNEIDER to Retro Con 2023!!
John first shot to stardom when he played Beauregard “Bo” Duke on the 80’s smash hit tv show The Dukes of Hazzard! The primary driver of the General Lee (and typically the one known for taking the General off most of its legendary jumps!), Bo was also the more impulsive one between himself and his cousin Luke, and usually the one to get the two of them into trouble. *cue colorful Waylon Jennings commercial break narration*
John found himself on another huge tv hit when he was cast as Jonathan Kent on the mega-popular show Smallville in the 2000’s! More than just a “support” and moral compass character on the show, Jonathan was also a major part of the action for several seasons! The fan-favorite series helped make John popular with a whole new generation of fans.
John Schneider joins fellow Dukes castmates Tom Wopat and Catherine Bach at our Dukes of Hazzard reunion! We’re told this is the first time these three have been at the same event in the Philadelphia area, so now’s your chance to get your Dukes merch signed by all three stars in one place! And that place is Retro Con 2023, September 9th & 10th at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA!!
Meet Daisy Duke herself, Catherine Bach, at Retro Con 2023!
Not many can say they have an article of clothing named after one of their characters! We are thrilled to welcome Catherine Bach to our guest list for Retro Con 2023!!
Catherine is of course best known for playing Daisy Duke on the smash-hit 80’s tv show The Dukes of Hazzard! A feisty Southern Belle, Daisy could hold her own alongside cousins Bo and Luke, with experience in sharpshooting, horseback riding, bow and arrow, mechanics, and even fisticuffs!
The show quickly turned Catherine Bach into a household name, and the character of Daisy Duke into a pop culture icon! Catherine famously posed as Daisy for a wall poster that sold 5 million copies, and she spawned a fashion craze in the early ’80s when cut-off denim short-shorts became known as “Daisy Dukes”!
Catherine has also enjoyed a long stay on the popular daytime drama The Young and the Restless, where she plays scheming con artist Anita Lawson!
Catherine Bach joins fellow Dukes of Hazzard castmate Tom Wopat at Retro Con 2023, September 9th & 10th at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA!
Meet Tom Wopat at Retro Con 2023!
Cue that Waylon Jennings theme song, because we’re bringing a bit of Hazzard County to Oaks, Pennsylvania! Please welcome to Retro Con 2023, actor and singer Tom Wopat!!
Tom Wopat will forever be remembered as strapping, plaid shirt-wearing good ol’ boy Luke Duke on the smash hit 80’s action/comedy tv series The Dukes of Hazzard! Running from 1979 to 1985, the show was one of the very most popular series of the era, and still has a ridiculously large fanbase to this day. Beats all you never saw! Considered to be the more cool-headed cousin, Luke was the one that usually got he and Bo out of hot water, and his signature “hood slide” across the General Lee was one of the show’s most memorable hallmarks!
After Dukes ended, Tom successfully refocused his talent as a recording artist, writing and performing music in the genres of country, rock and roll, and classic pop. He also became a leading man of Broadway, and continues to act in tv and movies to this day. Shows and movies you can find him in include Home Improvement, Smallville (reuniting with his Dukes co-star John Schneider!), All My Children, Jonah Hex, Django Unchained, Longmire, The Blacklist, and many more!
Don’t miss your chance to meet Tom Wopat at Retro Con 2023, September 9th & 10th at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA!
Cybertronic Spree with Stan Bush Concert Tickets Now On Sale!
The ultimate combiner team of rock has been formed, and they’re ready to unleash their power on Oaks, Pennsylvania!
Tickets are NOW AVAILABLE to see The Cybertronic Spree live in concert- with special guest the legendary Stan Bush!!
Venue:
Arnold’s at the Factory in Oaks
(Water Tower section)
2200 West Dr
Oaks, PA 19456
Website: http://arnoldsffc.com/
Concert Date: Saturday, September 9th
Concert start time: 8pm
**Please arrive between 7pm and 8pm for concert check-in**
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**CONCERT TICKETS SOLD OUT!!**
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Please read concert details in full:
You DO NOT need to pre-register for (or even attend) Retro Con itself to buy tickets for the concert. But likewise, purchasing a concert ticket does not grant you access into Retro Con. These are separate events.
These are considered “Will Call” tickets, which means physical tickets will NOT be mailed to you (we will email you manually to let you know we received your purchase). Please bring along your ID or a print-out/screen cap of your Paypal transaction receipt. Our staff will use it to check you in at Arnold’s.
Tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE. However, in the unlikely event the concert is cancelled, full refunds will be given.
Please note you should enter through The Water Tower entrance at Arnold’s Family Fun Center, which is just to the right of the main entrance at Arnold’s (look for the blue awning). Arnold’s itself is located directly next door to The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks.
The concert start time is 8pm, though you can arrive for concert check-in any time after 7pm. But feel free to get to Arnold’s Family Fun Center early! They have a numerous fun activities such as go-carts, mini golf, lasertag, arcade games, bowling, eats, and much more!
The concert will run about one hour and fifteen minutes. Maybe longer if you charge up the band with your positive energy!!
Attendees can purchase band-related t-shirts and other merch at the venue before the show if you want to watch the concert in style! Time permitting, the band and Stan Bush will also be available for a meet/greet immediately after the concert. But to ensure you get the full band experience (and first crack at their merchandise), please come to Retro Con on Saturday morning! Stan Bush will be at Retro Con on Sunday as well.
Please note that this is a General Admission/Standing Room Only concert. This means that there will be no chairs in the main audience section, and there will be no assigned positions. The staff at Arnold’s will of course do their best to accommodate attendees with disabilities.
There is a full bar in the venue, where attendees 21 and older can purchase drinks.
There are no age restrictions at this event, though all ages require a concert ticket. We do not recommend bringing very young children to this event, as it is a rock concert played at full volume. Please also keep in mind the concert will be held in a bar setting.
We want to keep this event fun and safe for everyone! Anyone found to be disorderly will be asked to leave without refund.
If you need to make a name change on your ticket reservation, please drop us a line at screamers85@gmail.com!
We will NOT allow ticket scalping or hoarding of any kind! We compile the concert attendee list ourselves, and reserve the right to cancel any sale that raises red flags for us.
Missed our original announcement about the Cybertronic Spree and Stan Bush? Read all about them HERE and HERE!
A big thanks once again to Tommy & the Order of Cosmic Champions, who are sponsoring Stan Bush’s appearance at Retro Con and this concert!
Mark Watts Gallery at Retro Con 2023
We’re pleased to announce the return of artist Mark Watts for Retro Con 2023!
Mark is the man responsible for the brilliant artwork used on the boxes of the original G1 Transformers toy line! He created over 45 commissioned paintings for Hasbro between the mid 80’s and early 90’s, most used directly on the packaging of the product. His dynamic art style set the trend that other artists would emulate for other characters in the line.
Some of the iconic characters he illustrated include Shockwave, Jetfire, the Constructicons, Devastator, Predaking, Menasor, the original Minibots, and dozens more! He also did several paintings used for Transformers mail-away offers, such as Reflector, the “Time Warrior” Autobot watch, and the Omnibots. He’s also produced art for other toys such as Tyco’s Crash Test Dummies, and Matchbox’s “Cargantua” robotic car carrier!
Check out Mark’s booth in the guest section where he’ll be displaying his artwork and offering prints for sale! He had a great time meeting attendees in past years. He loved hearing stories of how fans would cut his artwork out of the toy packaging as kids and tape it to their walls as room decoration!
Check out Mark’s website: markwattsstudios.com
Retro Gaming at Retro Con 2023!
The Game Is Afoot Arcade will once again be bringing retro arcade action to Retro Con! In addition to dedicated arcade cabinets, they’ll also be bringing in their “multicades” featuring thousands of titles to choose from. No matter what your favorite era of video games is, they’ll have you covered!
No need for quarters or tokens… all cabinets at Retro Con will be set to FREE PLAY!
Buy 2024 Tickets Below!
Vendor Table Info Below!
Sponsors!
Retro Con would like to thank all those that helped to sponsor this show!
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Cool 98.5 WXPM FM
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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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retrocons.com 