John Cena, A Nightmare on Elm Street Cast, and Comic Book Stars are the latest to join premier 2024 lineup
PHOTOS: https://bit.ly/49Wg9xY
HOUSTON, TX (March 27, 2024) –Today, Houston’s largest pop-culture convention welcomed John Cena to the Comicpalooza 2024 star-studded lineup. The acclaimed WWE star and actor joins A Nightmare on Elm Street cast members, Robert Englund, Amanda Wyss, and Ronee Blakely, along with Hellraiser star Andew Robinson, renowned comic book artists, Stan and Julie Sakai, SpyXFamily voice actors Megan Shipman, Natalie Van Sistine, Alex Organ and Chainsaw Man’s voice actor Reagan Murdock. Comicpalooza returns to the George R. Brown Convention Center Friday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26 with John Cena appearing at the show Sunday, May 26, only.
“We’re excited to bring actor, philanthropist, and one of WWE’s most esteemed wrestlers to Houston,” said Aimée McCurtain, Chief Strategy Officer for Comicpalooza and Vice President of Enterprise Strategy for Houston First Corporation, “John Cena’s impact in pop-culture extends beyond the wrestling ring with credits from comedy and action to fantasy and voice acting. We cannot wait to introduce him to his fans at Comicpalooza!”
Most recently, John Cena starred in the Amazon comedy, Ricky Stanicky earning the #1 spot on Prime Video’s top 10 list. Cena also has credits in Peacemaker, Suicide Squad, Bumblebee, Vacation Friends, Fast X, Argylle, Barbie, and starred alongside Jackie Chan in Hidden Strike. Dubbed the Babe Ruth of the WWE by Vince McMahon, Cena is lauded as a WWE Superstar, serving as the face for more than two decades and cover star for both WWE 2k15 and 2k23, the only person to be featured as a cover star twice.
A Nightmare on Elm Street trio, Robert Englund, Amanda Wyss, and Ronee Blakely will reunite on the Comicpalooza stage. Englund, is most known for his role as Freddy Krueger in the hit franchise A Nightmare on Elm Street and its subsequent sequels. Additional credits include Bones, Hawaii 5-0, Criminal Minds, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and most recently Curses! Wyss rose to prominence with her roles in She Drinks a Little and The Country Girl, starring alongside Eva Marie Saint prior to her role in the major motion picture A Nightmare on Elm Street. She’s also been seen in Dexter, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, All Rise, The Sandman, and more. Blakely rose to fame portraying the country superstar Barbara Jean in Robert Altman’s Nashville before going on to star as Marge Thompson in, A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Most notable for his horror role as Larry/Frank in Hellraiser, Andrew Robinson was hand picked for his first role in Dirty Harry by Clint Eastwood and Don Siegel. In addition, Robinson has appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Child’s Play 3, Twilight Zone, and Ryan’s Hope.
Husband and wife duo, Stan and Julie Sakai co-created the Eisner award-winning comic book Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis. Stan is most famous for his original creation, Usagi Yojimbo, an epic graphic novel that now spans more than 38 volumes. Additionally, he’s worked on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles for Netflix.
SpyXFamily voice over actors, Megan Shipman, Natalie Van Sistine, and Alex Organ have joined the premier anime lineup. Shipman voices Anya Forger in SpyXFamily along with roles in My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, and Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid. Notable voice actress and writer, Van voices Yor Forge in SpyXFamily and is recognized for her roles in My Hero Academia, Mobile Suit Gundan, Chainsaw Man and more. Organ currently is the voice of Loid Forger in SpyXFamily and has appeared in over fifty shows including One Piece, My Hero Academia, and Death Parade. Additionally, Reagan Murdock voicing Aki Hayakawa in Chainsaw Man will join the trio in Houston.
Comicpalooza brings on the fun Memorial Day weekend with continuous entertainment all weekend long including the Friday Night Rave featuring anime DJs from Club Kaiju and Fight Club: Video Game Tournament in collaboration with Turnip Cafe and Kaboom! Comics. Thrilling special attractions such as the Itasha Showdown and the life-size Appa provided by Brazen Monkey will be the perfect photo backdrop and entertaining productions like the annual Cosplay Contest will have fans cheering into the night.
Panels discussing Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and Star Trek will intrigue their beloved fandoms, while educational panels on How to Draw Magna, Create a Podcast, and Get into Voice Acting will stimulate anyone’s curious mind. Plus, hundreds of exhibitors will adorn the aisle offering unique goods and marvelous merchandise including Executive Nautical, Triforce Cosplay & Accessories and Archangel Games. For more information about this year’s event, please visit www.comicpalooza.com.