Jake’s Take Previews Planet Comicon Kansas City 2025

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Planet Comicon Kansas City will land again at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, for an action-packed weekend. Founded in my hometown of Overland Park, KS, in 1999, the locally owned and independently operated convention opened at the now defunct Overland Park International Trade Center.  In 2013, Planet Comicon Kansas City moved to Bartle Hall, which currently spans 400,000 square feet, including a massive exhibitor floor filled with more than 800 artists, crafters, and pop culture vendors.

Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar will be attending this year’s event, and here are some of the things that I am looking forward to about 2025 Planet Comicon Kansas City!

 

 

Superstars Assemble:

The convention has invited an all-star group of celebrities to attend the show! Entertainment legends Ann-Margret, Alan Oppenheimer, Christopher Lloyd, Don Bluth, Helen Hunt (Friday and Saturday only), Pam Grier, and Vincent D’Onofrio (Saturday only) headline this year’s guest list. Several hit franchises, such as Doctor Who (Alex Kingston and David Tennant), The Lord of the Rings (Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, and David Wenham), Scream (Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, and Tori Spelling), and Watchmen (Malin Ackerman and Carla Gugino), will have representation. Pop culture favorites including AJ McLean, Amy Jo Johnson, Brian Austin Green, Christina Ricci, Elizabeth Berkley, Katee Sackhoff, and Sean Kanan will also be greeting fans at Celebrity Row.

 

Powerhouse Panels:

Planet Comicon Kansas City will have numerous panels that are expected to occur throughout the weekend. Comic Book Men’s Ming Chen and Pop Goes the Culture Podcast hosts Joey Mills and Zack Wilson are among the moderators that will host the panels.

David Tennant (3 to 3:50 PM) and Andy Serkis (5 to 5:40 PM) will hold court during their respective PCKC Spotlights at the Grand Ballroom on Friday. Meanwhile, iconic comic book creators Amanda Conner, Kevin Nowlan, and Jimmy Palmiotti will advise future creatives on making a long-lasting career in the industry at panel room 2504A (4 to 4:50 PM).

The Grand Ballroom will be the place to be on Saturday, with five blockbuster panels!  Zack Wilson will moderate An American Tail panel with creator Don Bluth and voice actor Phillip Glasser (Fievel Mousekewitz) at Noon and speak with AJ McLean at 2 PM. Jimmy Palmiotti will moderate Katee Sackhoff’s PCKC Spotlight at 4 PM, and Joey Mills will talk to John Rhys-Davies at 5 PM. Finally, Watchmen co-stars Malin Ackerman and Carla Gugino will speak about the 2009 comic book film at 6 PM.  Other panels to consider include Joe Quesada’s Amazing Q&A (panel room 2505 at 1:30 PM), Ann-Margaret’s PCKC Spotlight (panel room 2502A at 3:30 PM), and Amy Jo Johnson’s PCKC Spotlight (panel room 2502A at 6:30 PM).

90s nostalgia lovers would enjoy Sunday’s Grand Ballroom line-up! 90210 fans will see Brian Austin Green and Tori Spelling reminisce about their times at the Peach Pit at 11 AM. At Noon, Elizabeth Berkley will take fans behind the scenes of her career. Finally, Scream villains Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich will discuss the horror film franchise at 2 PM.

Artists Alley:

Artist Alley has been integral to Planet Comicon Kansas City since its inception. Mainstays such as Jason Aaron, Phil Hester, Dennis Hopeless, Jeff Moy, Phillip Moy, Ande Parks, Don Rosa, and Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar friend Rick Stasi are expected to return to their booths. Attendees can also meet the masterminds behind some of their favorite animated shows, Stan Berkowitz and Dan Riba, (Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and Superman: The Animated Series), and Tom Ruegger (Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and Tiny Toons).  Internationally renowned creators Adam Hughes, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, Ed McGinness, Kevin Nowlan, Paul Pelletier, and former Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada will also attend.

For more information about Planet Comicon Kansas City, visit their website!

You can also follow my Planet Comicon Kansas City adventures on Instagram, Threads & Twitter (X)!