Press Release: A variety of fan clubs, podcasters and other groups are making final preparations for this weekend’s Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic Con, Saturday and Sunday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. From cosplayers like the Great Lakes Base of the Rebel Legion and Ohio 501st Legion and Mandalorian Mercs to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Comic Book Connection Initiative, groups will be on site, meeting attendees and enriching the Wizard World experience.

Some groups that fans will run into on site include:

• Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which exists to fight censorship and defend the first amendment rights of comic book professionals and readers throughout the United States.

• Great Lakes Base of the Rebel Legion, the local chapter of The Rebel Legion Star Wars costuming group.

• Mandalorian Mercs Costuming Group, the world’s premier custom Mandalorian costume organization.

• Ohio 501st Legion, the state’s chapter of the national organization which seeks to promote interest in Star Wars through the building and wearing of quality costumes, and to facilitate the use of these costumes for Star Wars-related events as well as contributions to the local community through costumed charity and volunteer work.

• Ohio Star Wars Collectors Club, a resource through which those who live in Ohio can discuss new items arriving, toy & collectible show dates and generally anything Star Wars related.

• Open Forum Radio, a community fueled by collective interests which seeks open dialogue and to encourage debate.

• Outlook Media, whose content contains both local and national focused features that compliment its mix of columns, editorials, arts & entertainment, sports, celebrity interviews, and community news.

•  Pendant Production Company, one of the most prolific and popular podcasting companies today, with more than 800 episodes of audio drama.

• The Comic Book Connection Initiative, a small non-profit organization that takes in donated comic books from dealers, publishers, and individual collectors then distributes them to children in homeless shelters, food pantries, after-school programs , YWCA women’s shelter and hospitals.

• The Hero Initiative, the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays’ creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work.

• USS Asgard, a chapter of Starfleet International, which participates in community events such as Toys for Tots, Operation Feed, etc.

• USS Columbus, which does an annual school supply drive for a local school, helps in the Firefighters Toy Drive, and collects food for Mid Ohio Food Bank along with other local clubs.

• USS Lagrange, which has raised hundreds of dollars for the Akron Children’s Hospital and for various food banks in the state.

• WGTR “World Grand Theft Radio,” the nationwide internet radio station No. 1 worldwide Halloween radio station in Sept & Oct. With over 30 original shows a week live, “our mission to make your on air dreams come true!”

Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic Con features stars James Marsters, Billy Dee Williams, Adam West, Burt Ward, Claudia Christian and Walter Koenig among dozens of celebrities and industry professionals celebrating the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

Mid-Ohio Comic Con is the eighth stop on Wizard World’s 2011 North American tour. Hours are Saturday, October 22, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; and Sunday, October 23, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.wizardworld.com/midohio.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door. Advance adult single-day tickets are priced at $25 ($35 on site); weekend all-session tickets are $40 ($50 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult). VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available on a limited basis.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests. Wizard World also produces Wizard World Digital, an online publication covering new and upcoming products and talents in the pop culture world, and is distributed on a weekly basis to online and iPad users worldwide.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.