Comicpalooza is Houston’s comic, sci-fi, horror, steampunk, and gaming convention. It will be held March 26-28, 2010 at the GeorgeR.BrownConvention Center in Houston, Texas. The show features the biggest collection of sequential artists, fantasy, sci-fi, and horror illustrators, animators, and webcomic gurus that Texas has seen in a decade.

Attendees can bid on a live art charity demonstration, experience the three-day festival of horror, sci-fi, and other films, see performers like the Jezebelles or Chanson de Vie dance troupes, experience three days of music on the DJ stage with some of Houston’s best mix masters, listen to outstanding science fiction authors like Catherine Asaro and Steven Brust talk about writing, or bid on a charity breakfast or lunch with celebrities like Bruce Campbell or Nicholas Brendan.

It takes a city to make a great convention, and Houston is definitely putting a lot of labor and love into Comicpalooza. As the fouth largest city in the US, Houston is the biggest city without an iconic fan convention.

Now Houstonians are changing that.

Diverse organizations all across the area are working together to help make Comicpalooza a memorable an fun convention, including the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Southwest Alternate Media Project, MTGFanatic.com, the Houston Symphony, the Society for Performing Arts, the Houston Press, 29.95.com, radio stations 104 KRBE, 103.7, and 97.5, and fan groups like the 501st and Houston Ghostbusters.

“Depending on how you want to count it, this is our first con, our second con, our third con, or our third first con,” convention chairman John Simons told Scoop. “Our growth curve is pretty steep. This didn’t start as a con; it was a publicity event designed to promote local comic creators. Then it was a con in a mall. Now we’re aiming at growing into the premier con for Texas within a few years. We went from about a dozen guys in the lobby of the Alamo Drafthouse the first year, to about 30 tables of artists and dealers in a mall in ’09, to over 90 vendor booths and 45+ artist alley tables with Hollywood celebrities, three days of music, panel discussions, film festival, and entertainment thrown in for this year. We’re even featuring a charity auction where you can win breakfast or lunch with Bruce Campbell, Nicholas Brendon, or several other celebs.”

The show’s celebrity guest list includes Bruce Campbell, Nicholas Brendon, Ray Park, Dichen Lachman, Jason Dohring, Peter Mayhew, Francis Capra, Tracy Scoggins, and James Hampton.

Comic creators include Larry Elmore, Phil Foglio, Mat Johnson, Andy Kuhn, Rob Liefeld, David Mack, Jim Mahfood, David Malki, Randy Milholland, Humberto Ramos, Christopher Sperandio, Dirk Strangely, Ben Templesmith, Ethan Van Sciver, J.H. Williams III, and Bernie Wrightson.

For more information, visit www.comicpalooza.com