Superheroes, monsters and wizards; oh my! That was the scene at Stockton Arena this past weekend for the sixth annual Stockton Con. Vendors from around the country packed the arena floor, while celebrities were offering meet and greet opportunities with their fans on the second floor.
Fans from across the valley and the state gathered in costumes to enjoy a weekend of comic books, pop culture and wrestling.
“I purchased a two day pass for me and my family and we are having a blast. It’s great that Stockton can bring this here. This is our first comic convention and it will not be our last,” said Stockton native Jeremy Briggs.
There was something for everyone at Stockton Con 2017 as comic book artists, toy collectors, sci-fi enthusiasts and wrestling fans got to experience their passion up close. Local comic book stores including Lodi’s Comic Grapevine had a table where they sold comics and collectables
The second floor of the arena was known as The Fun Deck. The Fun Deck hosted the celebrity meet and greet. Voice over legends Alan Oppenheimer, Maurice LaMarche, Rikki Simons, Kathy Garver, Zach Ward and more were available for autographs and photos.
“This was a lot of fun. I am glad that I could be a part of it,” Oppenheimer said.
He is best known for his voice over roles as Skeletor from Masters of the Universe and Rockbiter, Flakor and G’More in The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter.
LaMarche also expressed his excitement about being a part of the convention.
“It’s great to see the fans, it really is. Because it seems like each of them remember you for one thing or another that you did or even still do,” he said.
LaMarche has an impressive voice over résumé including Brain from Pinky and The Brain, Yosemite Sam, Mr. Big in Disney’s Zootopia, and also appeared in several episodes in The Simpson’s, Futurama and Rick and Morty.
Pro wrestling fans were treated to icons Rey Mysterio Jr. and Road Warrior Animal. Pop Culture favorites also showed up for autographs and meet and greets including movie star Ryan Hurst. Hurst stared in blockbusters including Remember the Titans, Saving Private Ryan and We Were Soldiers. He also appeared on television favorites Sons Of Anarchy, Outsiders and Bates Motel.
Sacramento native Scott Schwartz was also signing autographs and taking pictures. Best known for his role as Flick in A Christmas Story and Eric Bates in The Toy, Schwartz stays active and travels around the world signing autographs and making appearances.
This is not the only comic convention the valley has to offer as Ohana Turlock Collect-A-Con will be hosted at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds Sept. 4 and Sonora will be having the Ohana Comic Con on Nov. 19 at the Motherlode Fairgrounds.
