Press Release: Five popular celebrity guests have been added to the stellar Wizard World Austin Comic Con lineup as Diora Baird, Julia Benson, Michael Biehn, Alaina Huffman and Kevin Sorbo have committed to the event, set for the Austin Convention Center, November 11-13. The five join standouts Hayden Panettiere, Adam Baldwin, ACADEMY AWARD WINNER Louis Gossett Jr., James Marsters, Juliet Landau, Charisma Carpenter and others at the next stop on North America’s largest pop-culture tour.

Baird (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING, ACCEPTED), Benson (“SGU Stargate Universe,” ROAD TO VICTORY), Biehn (TERMINATOR, THE ABYSS), Huffman (“Smallville,” “SGU Stargate Universe) and Sorbo (ANDROMEDA, “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”) further bolster the event’s robust celebrity roster.

Wizard World Austin Comic Con, produced by Wizard World, Inc. will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

The lineup of superstar artists at Wizard World Austin Comic Con is also impressive, including Jo Chen (“Superman,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Matthew Sturges (“Jack of Fables,” “JSA All-Stars”), Greg Horn (“Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” “X-Force”), Mark Texeira (“Wolverine,” “Spider-Man”), Michael Golden (“Batman,” “Spider-Man”), Stéphane Roux (“Zatanna,” “Star Wars”), Marv Wolfman “DCU Online,” “Crisis on Infinite Earths”), Bill Sienkiewicz (“Elektra: Assassin,” “Moon Knight”) and dozens of others.

Press Release: North America’s largest pop-culture tour continues as Wizard World Austin Comic Con returns to the Austin Convention Center, November 11-13, with standout guests Hayden Panettiere, Adam Baldwin, ACADEMY AWARD WINNER Louis Gossett Jr., James Marsters, Juliet Landau and Charisma Carpenter headlining the list of celebrity attendees. The event, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD.PK) will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

Panettiere (“Heroes,” BRING IT ON) will appear on Saturday only, Baldwin (FULL METAL JACKET, “Serenity”) is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, and Gossett (AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, ENEMY MINE), Marsters (“Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” “Caprica”), Landau (“Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” “Angel”) and Carpenter (“Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” “Veronica Mars”) will attend all three days.

Many of the world's most talented comic book and graphic novel artists and writers, including superstars Michael Golden, Mike Grell, Joe Madureira, Bill Sienkiewicz and Matthew Sturges, are among the more than 150 artist and writer guests scheduled to attend Wizard World Austin Comic Con, Friday through Sunday, November 12-14, at the Austin Convention Center.

In addition to Golden ("Wolverine: First Class," "New Exiles"), Grell ("Green Lantern," "Green Arrow"), Madureira ("Uncany X-Men"), Sienkiewicz ("Elektra: Assassin, "Moon Knight") and Sturges ("Jack of Fables," "JSA All-Stars") fans can meet such notable special guests as Gary Friedrich ("Ghost Rider," "Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos"), Alé Garza ("Fathom," "Cable," "Batgirl"), Cully Hamner ("Green Lantern: Mosaic," "Red"), Tom Hodges ("Clone Wars"), Greg Horn ("Blackest Night," "Elektra," "Ms. Marvel"), Mike McKone ("Teen Titans," "Fantastic Four"), James O'Barr ("The Crow"), Emmy Award winner Phil Ortiz ("The Simpsons"), Arthur Suydam ("Marvel Zombies," "Batman"), Billy Tucci ("Sgt. Rock"), Renee Witterstaetter (Editor - "She Hulk," Colorist - "Avengers"), and many other national and local creators.

Greater Austin and Texas-based artists will be on hand as well, including Jason Neulander ("Intergalactic Nemesis," live and in print), Michael B. Druxman (screenwriter and author), Tyler Richlen (published in Heavy Metal), Tim Doyle (ABC's Lost-underground art project), Sam Lotfi ("Freedom Quest" from Antarctic Press), and others.

Film and TV celebrities scheduled to attend are Adam West and Burt Ward, who played Batman and Robin in the original "Batman" television series, Emmy Award nominee Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back; Batman, Brian's Song), Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man, The Fall Guy) and Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman).

Other popular Austin Comic Con celebrity guests include Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Luciana Carro (Battlestar Galactica, Caprica), Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3, Painkiller Jane), Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century), Erin Gray (Buck Rogers, Silver Spoons), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Lorenzo Lamas (Renegade) and Walter Koenig (Star Trek). Three members of the cast of the new horror film Human Centipede, Ashley C. Williams, Ashylnn Yennie and Akihiro Kitamura, will also be in attendance.

Austin Comic Con is sponsored in part by Austin Books & Comics, Alamo Drafthouse, Austin Chronicle, 101X FM and Dragon's Lair. Children and adult attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite villain, superhero or pop culture personality for the chance to win special prizes in costume contests. Event-goers may also try their hand interactive product exhibits and shop for collectible comics, movie and television memorabilia, toys and games at more than 100 dealer booths.

The Austin Convention Center is located at 500 East Cesar Chavez Street. Austin Comic Con is the seventh stop on Wizard's eight-city 2010 North American tour. Hours are Friday, Nov. 12, noon - 8 pm; Saturday, Nov. 13, 10 am - 7 pm; and Sunday, Nov. 14, 10 a. - 5 pm (all times Central). Tickets are available in advance or by calling 1-866-882-5860 and online at www.wizardworld.com/austin.html at up to a 15% savings over tickets purchased at the door. Advance adult single-day tickets are $25; three-day weekend tickets are $45, 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.

About Wizard Entertainment

www.wizardworld.com

Gareb Shamus founded Wizard Entertainment in 1991. Today, Shamus publishes consumer magazines Wizard, ToyFare, FunFare and numerous books about pop-culture's top talent, comic books and toys. Shamus also produces a North American Comic Con tour. Wizard World Comic Con - The Pop-Culture Capital of the World!

Press Release for November 2nd, 2010

Gareb Shamus, CEO of New York based Wizard Entertainment, today announced the launch of Austin Comic Con 2010 Wizard World Convention, to be held at the Austin Convention Center from November 12-14, 2010. 

Fans have been asking for this event for some time. In an e-mail to Shamus, Larry Nickels Jr. wrote, “There are many people that I know of personally who would love to attend the convention if it is returned to our great state.”