2023 Terrificon (Connecticut Comic Con) Review

My second year at Terrificon was just as great as my first. I met less celebrities, but did very in the merch department. And once you have enough merch they let you own a piece of Terrificon I've heard, so I'm well on my way. My review last year pretty much remains the same, with new pictures for this year, the comic artists are the best you'll get at a con, the celebrity guests are fine (lacking a little), the merch and art is excellent, and the crowds (or lack thereof) can't be beat. Here is a detailed list with photos!

#1 - Comics Creators

I've only been to three Cons, but without a doubt Terrificon is the only one dedicated to comic creators. Each year they invite DOZENS of creators, some of the industries best. I was lucky enough to meet and talk to artist Mitch Gerads and writer Tom King, and got to talk to them about their smash hit Riddler: One Bad Day. They signed it for me for ten dollars total, which is a steal, and I got to ask them about the comic. They engaged me fully in the discussion and even pointed out some of their favorite Riddler quotes from it. We had one of the same ones, where Riddler tells Batman he doesn't like to be punched. Just a classic line in a super tense scene. If you haven't read One Bad Day: Riddler yet you need it, it is some of the best comic work since The Killing Joke. The theme for Terrificon this year was X-Men creators, so they invited Chris Claremont. I couldn't meet him because of his HUGE line, but I listened in on some of his conversations and they were fascinating. Talk about a man who single handedly saved a franchise. He was super engaged with each fan (hence the long line), and if I had more time I would have waited, but I'm sure I'll see him again. If you want to meet the men and women responsible for ALL things superhero, who barely get the credit, go to Terrificon and talk to them, it's such a unique experience. I also met Ryan Ottley, who was just as down to earth as Mitch and Tom, and we talked Invincible for a while. He told me his favorite characters are Conquest, Dinosauraus, and Battle Beats, in that order. And that might be because he created them, but I have to agree with the list.

#2 The Cosplay

Always a bit lacking at Terrificon, the Cosplay seemed a BIT better this year. For whatever reason not a lot of people dress up for this con, so I was only able to get a couple of quality photos. I did a test run for my Star Lord outfit for Rhode Island Comic Con, nerf gun and all. There was a good variety of cosplay, just not a great quantity.

#3 The Merch

The merch is outstanding at Terrificon. The art stalls are filled with talented artists, and I always buy as much as I can, wall space or no. I'll let the merch speak for itself, but going on Sunday is obviously the way to go, there are a LOT of last second deals as merchants and artists try to push their stuff before the show ends. Terrificon gets an A Plus for the merch and art, a lot to choose from but it's never really too much.

And now the art! I'll try to give credit where it's due, I did a little better than last time but still missed a few business cards.

Those three are from Rich Hennemann, love his stuff, go check out his instagram I linked!

I bought a lot from Sean Carlson last year too, but I LOVE the Optimus Megatron print, he did all three prints above! Go check him out!

These incredible Pokemon prints are from Sketch Pad Creations, I get four every time I see him! Awesome deal every time.

4: The Celebrities

We were a little pressed for time so we didn't really have time to meet any celebrities, but Terrificon definitely brings some cool ones. Sean Gunn was there, as was Grace Caroline Currey, the incredibly beautiful and talented Mary Marvel from Shazam: Fury of the Gods. The quality of Terrificon's celebrities isn't in question, it's the quantity. I am VERY ok with the trade off, because the comic creator quantity is WAY bigger. But if you are going to Terrificon thinking you'll meet a ton of actors, you won't, and if your favorite one is going odds are there will be a huge line since the quantity is so low.

So Terrificon is incredible if you want to meet some comic creators and buy some incredible merch. And if you want to show off your own cosplay you should, because you will definitely have no competition. Here are some extra photos, and I highly recommend you go to the show next July!