Downtown Houston
Comicpalooza is the biggest convention for comics and superhero fanfare in all of Texas. This year was it’s ten year anniversary and they had a nice lineup of celebrities from Tom Holland to John Cusack. With so many activities from cosplay competitions to celebrity panels and thousands of vendors, you will be quite overwhelmed.
Experience
This was my first visit to comicpalooza and the George R Brown Center was quite big with easy access to every event you can imagine. Admission requires a ticket but includes access to panels, the exhibitor hall, and more.
I went came on a Sunday and the convention was less busy than the other days, but still had a bunch of events going on. One of the events was the LOST panel, which the cast of the ABC show talked about their experience on the show. This was quite nice to attend and see well-known celebrities, such as Michael Emerson, Nestor Carbonell, MC Gainey, and Henry Ian Cusick. Also, access to the panel was very easy with a special ADA line. My seats were quite close to the stage and the view was quite good.
Exhibitor hall was quite overwhelming with so many vendors selling comics and various fanfare paraphernalia. However, I did stop at the Texas Renaissance Festival booth to spin for a prize. They had a few actors in character playing Medieval kings and nobles, they were quite funny.
Lastly, I bought a photo op with actor Henry Ian Cusick, famous for his Desmond character in Lost. The process of getting the photo op was quite painless and the booth was easy to maneuver. Prices will vary on the photographs or autographs depending on the actor and some can be quite steep. It was just cool to be able to get a photograph with an actor on one of my favorite shows. In my case, the price and experience were well worth it.
Accessibility
The overall accessibility of the event was remarkably excellent and the staff went above and beyond to make everything so accommodating. Below is a list of accessible features that are of great importance.
- Accessible bathrooms
- Easy access to panels
- Easy access to vendor/exhibitor area
- Elevators
- Accessible entrance
- Accessible photo op and autograph area
- Easy access to restaurants
The only issue that I encountered was parking was hard to find nearby. The closest parking spots were next to Discovery Green and the spots cost about $20 per day. Outside of that issue, the event went perfectly and I will definitely return next year.
Accessibility Rating: A+
Event Rating: A+
Address: 1001 Avenida De Las Americas, Houston, TX 77010
Website: https://www.comicpalooza.com/
