Physical event organizers have begun ramping up for a return to somewhat normal business as the pandemic begins to wind down, at least here in the United States. Today Baltimore Comic-Con announced that they are planning to return with an in-person event in October, with a confirmed guest list that includes numerous industry legends.
In the announcement statement, Baltimore Comic-Con organizers stressed that safety measures will be in place for the protection of both convention attendees and invited guests:
The Baltimore Comic-Con has received numerous inquiries from fans, exhibitors, retailers, guests, and even staff members as to the status of our 2021 event. We are very happy to announce that we expect to be on again in-person at the Inner Harbor’s Baltimore Convention Center on October 22-24, 2021. The current status of the U.S. is migrating from a very conservative posture to a much more open approach to gatherings. We continue to be in contact with the Baltimore Convention Center staff, and all signs point to our ability to having our event this fall.
The Baltimore Comic-Con will be working with the convention center as well as following conservative best practices to ensure the safety of all attendees of our event on either side of the table. We encourage everyone to follow healthcare recommendations to ensure the safety of everyone (yourself included!), and plan for a fun return to Baltimore this fall!
As for the list of already-confirmed guests, the names speak for themselves:
Chris Bachalo (Non-Stop Spider-Man)
Marty Baumann (Disney/Pixar)
John Beatty (Secret Wars)
Brian Michael Bendis (Action Comics)
Brett Breeding (Superman)
Howard Chaykin (Hey Kids! Comics!)
Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls)
Frank Cho (Harley Quinn)
Becky Cloonan (Dark Agnes)
Steve Conley (The Middle Age)
Katie Cook (Nothing Special)
Kristina Deak-Linsner (Vampirella: Roses for the Dead)
Garth Ennis (The Boys
Friday and Saturday only)
Mitch Gerads (Mr. Miracle)
Joe Giella (Green Lantern)
Gene Ha (Mae)
Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook)
Greg Hildebrandt (Wolverine)
Jamal Igle (Wrong Earth)
Tom King (Batman)
Joseph Michael Linsner (Red Sonja)
Bob McLeod (New Mutants)
Carla Speed McNeil (Finder)
Frank Miller (Dark Knight III: The Master Race, Saturday only)
Pop Mhan (Aquaman Annual)
Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise)
Mark Morales (The Next Batman: Second Son)
Richard Pace (Second Coming)
Tom Palmer (Hawkman)
James Pascoe (Azrael)
Andrew Pepoy (Simone & Ajax)
David Petersen (Mouse Guard)
Brandon Peterson (Sinestro: Year of the Villain)
Tom Raney (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Amy Reeder (Wonder Woman: Black and Gold)
Afua Richardson (Omni)
Louise Simonson (Power Pack)
Walter Simonson (Ragnarok: The Breaking of Helheim)
John K. Snyder III (Killers)
Joe Staton (Dick Tracy)
Brian Stelfreeze (Black Panther)
Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother)
Timothy Truman (Grimjack)
Robert Venditti (Hawkman)
Mark Waid (Dr. Strange)
Gene Luen Yang (Superman Smashes the Klan)
Thom Zahler (Love and Capes)
Baltimore Comic-Con’s October return doesn’t make it the first announced physical con of 2021; that distinction falls to Florida Super-Con, which ReedPOP announced last month will take place in September. That convention will reportedly require temperature checks and mandatory mask wearing for attendees. Whether Baltimore Comic-Con will follow suit remains to be seen.
Still, for those longing for the return of physical conventions, whether it’s to hobnob with fellow fans or pros, attend interesting panels, or just dig through long boxes on the con floor, the news of yet another con’s return is welcome. Baltimore Comic-Con 2021 will be held on October 22nd through 24th.
