When you start talking about a return to normal, what does that mean? It really depends on the place and the vibe. For C2E2, this year feels like the first year the convention has been itself since the 2020 con that took place just over two weeks before Chicago went on total lockdown due to COVID-19.
While the programming schedule is the only thing that still seems a little light on big guests and content, the show floor has expanded. With the demise of the red carpet comes wider, easier to travel aisles and some more sensible setups for things than we saw in years past. More than that though, that sense of community seemed more present than it had in a while. It's hard for any giant event to feel sort of homey, but C2E2 has a sort of individual identity among big cons that you get to know after a few years, and it's felt like welcoming an old friend back this year, from dance parties to conversations around the Rev beer truck while you're in line or swapping Buffy stories in line for the panels.
Simply put - for C2E2, the simple joy of it all has returned. The "not quite strangers" feel you get when you're all standing on your feet cheering on a hometown cosplayer or a little girl in a dance contest before a panel - the sense that the people around you ARE weird but they're also just like you. Or as James Marsters put it in the Buffy panel this afternoon : "These people like the same things you like. GO MEET THEM"
Whether you got a ticket to all the fun today or not we encourage you to meet the amazing cosplayers of C2E2 2023, Day 2!
Another huge thanks to our amazing staff of photographers and videographers, Aaron Cynic, Antal Bokor, Julian Ramirez, Pearl Shin and Marielle Bokor.
Enjoy!