Latest news with #C2E2
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Mercer, Ray And Willingham Talk 10 Years Of Critical Role At C2E2
Critical Role is celebrating its 10th anniversay by playing live shows in Chicago, Sydney, ... More Melbourne, Indianapolis and New York City. Ten years ago, a new form of media was born. Critical Role birthed the modern day actual play by gathering a group of friends at a table to play Dungeons and Dragons. It helped that many of these friends were very talented voice actors and that the public was hungry for a show that demystified D&D. I caught up with Critical Role Co-Founders Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray and Travis Willingham at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, also known as C2E2. C2E2 was the site of one of the first Critical Role live shows outside of Los Angeles and it was a stop on their tour this year celebrating the show's 10th Anniversary. We talked about their D&D origin stories and the unlikely success of bringing the game to people that have never played it before. 'My grandmother introduced me to fantasy at a young age,' said Matthew Mercer, Chief Creative Officer of Critical Role. 'It was in the mountains of Georgia, in a cabin. You would never know she was obsessed with Tolkien, obsessed with Piers Anthony. She got me reading deep fantasy very young. My parents facilitated that and I am very grateful. My mom was a very involved garage sale purchaser, every weekend, two or three hours which I hated. But she found some very cool books. She got me a Monster Manual because it had all this awesome creature art. It was the only book I had at the time. I loved looking at the art of all these creatures, reading their lore with all these stats which I didn't understand but I thought it was really cool. When I was in high school, I was part of the 'Popular Arts Club' which was the public facing term for a nerdy comic book/video game club. The guys who were the heads of the club were track kids; fit, secret nerds. I helped do some design work for the club and they asked if I wanted to play in their Dungeons and Dragons game. What? I ran home, made a character and joined their game. I came in with this backstory to my character, showed up and they were just these slapstick players. Which is fine, but I had built this idea in my head of a collaborative story and an imaginative world. But no, we're maying dick jokes and talking about barbarians. I ended up leaving that game after a few sessions, asked two of my friends if they wanted to play and then learned to DM on the fly because nobody else would.' 'Growing up in Kentucky, I knew of Dungeons & Dragons,' said Marisha Ray, Creative Director of Critical Role. 'But no one to play with, never even crossed my mind. I was into Magic The Gathering a little bit into high school. That was when I knew what Wizards of the Coast was. I came to Los Angeles, met [Matt] FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder 'The first time I saw a D&D book was in Dallas, Texas at my local hobby shop,' said Travis Willingham, CEO of Critical Role. 'I was looking at comic books, trying to sneak into the adult section to read some Heavy Metal. I got stuck at a beautiful looking book that had a knight and an axe and there was a dragon, It said Dungeons and Dragons. I thought it looked amazing, I opened it up, saw a bunch of words and I said 'Not for me!'' While Willingham might have bounced off the game in his local bookshop, he came back to play at Matt Mercer's table. Critters, the hardcore fanbase of the show, know that the crew originally used the Pathfinder rules set. It started out, as many massive games do, as a one shot put together to show why these games connect with so many people. 'I actually didn't play that first day,' said Ray. 'because it was supposed to be a one shot they were running for Liam and Laura and what not. I'll just be there to assist. Talesin [Jaffe] and I were supposed to be the ringers, the helpers. I was there to go over people's shoulders to point at the character sheet to show people what number he was talking about. When it became clear it was going to be an ongoing game, I ended up jumping in after that.' 'It wasn't until…2012? 2013?...where we got together for our very first game,' said Billingham. 'a Pathfinder at Matt and Marisha's apartment. I showed up a little bit late after shooting something that day. Liam [O'Brien] was very serious because Laura [Bailey] was very serious, both doing heavy RP with British accents. Sam just looked panicked. I looked over at Marisha and she was like 'here are your dice…' I didn't know what was happening and Matt was in full [performance]. He had disappeared. There was this arch lich wizard, underlit. I think there was wind? There were candles at the table? Maybe it was just my imagination. I knew I was in for a show. The thing that sunk it for me was as we kept playing, everyone was getting more comfortable joining Liam and Laura where they were at. I made a choice and Matt said 'come with me'. We got up from the table and went into a side room. He said 'you see a guy in a red cloak over at the table. You can tell he's keeping something from you. What do you want to do? I was like 'can I do anything?' and he said 'you can certainly try.' I said 'I want to run over, grab him by the neck and pick him up' and Matt started acting scared like I was choking him out. He's responding to what I say? The rest was done. The hook was in.' The last time Critical Role had a live show in Chicago it was just before the massive shutdown of the pandemic in March of 2019. The Co-Founders took a litte time to reflect on what their expectations were at the beginning. It started as a way to show the joys of tabletop games and is now a new media sensation embarking on a world tour over the summer. 'When we got the opportunity from Felicia Day and Geek & Sundry,' said Ray, 'it was more along the lines of showing a dozen people, just one person, how cool tabletop RPGs can be then we can consider that a success. It was very much the lowest stakes, the lowest bar possible, because we didn't expect anything from it in those initial days.' 'There are a lot of people out there that are dice curious I guess you could say,' said Mercer. 'It's hard to describe in a social space of non-gamers. Having something to send somebody, like a link, and tell them to watch five minutes of this. That was the impetus to provide that sort of content, to be a shorthand of what this experience could be. We never anticipated anything like the impact that it has. It's still, ten years later, perpetually surreal.' 'I had a conversation with my wife at our house,' said Willingham, 'I don't know if I want to do this. I don't want people to think this is what I do. All these misconceptions and everything. Once we got into it and we found the people that it touches, the things that opened up for us as players and, it sounds so cheesy, but the way that Critical Role enriched our lives. We could have never predicted it. That's the beauty.'
Chicago Tribune
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: Something needs to be done to discourage speeders on DuSable Lake Shore Drive
I was driving my family to the C2E2 comic expo at McCormick Place last Sunday morning. Our route took us down one of America's most scenic roadways: DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Traffic was busy but not slow. All the drivers moved five miles above the stated 40 mph speed limit. We were driving south by the Lincoln Park Zoo when the driver of a Mercedes SUV came flying up in the left lane, found a car's width between my minivan and the car ahead, swung across two lanes, passed a row of cars ahead and swerved back to the middle lane, driving like he had just robbed a bank. Then the Mercedes driver got stuck behind an unintentional four-vehicle wall. I could see the middle-aged man gesturing wildly in his car, clearly enraged at those who were not involved in the same race he was, before he found the narrowest of space between the obstructors and sped ahead, rolling down his window and giving us all the middle finger for unintentionally stealing seconds from his life. My Midwest upbringing made me forgive such action; I created a narrative that the driver needed a bathroom. That said, the frequency of such interactions is why I support state Sen. Sara Feigenholtz's bill to study using artificial intelligence cameras to slow down such reckless behavior. ('AI-powered cameras may come to Lake Shore Drive,' April 16). This makes sense for three reasons. First, speeding on the drive is rampant, and I've rarely seen a driver pulled over, something I forgive, as doing so would put the officer and public at risk. Second, the complete disregard for the speed limit adds to a sense of lawlessness in our city. Third, speeding is pointless. The entire length of DuSable Lake Shore Drive is around 15 miles. Going 20 mph over the speed limit saves you a few minutes off the whole route. The whole advantage of the drive is to enjoy the view. If you're looking for speed, we have plenty of depressing highways you can enjoy. As the Tribune article notes, DuSable Lake Shore Drive is dangerous. We should do something to slow people down for our sanity and safety. — Nicholas Conant, Chicago Ageism at shelters Ageism is quite a subtle hard-to-fight prejudice. One organization is notorious for an unintentional form of this prejudice: animal shelters. Animal shelters broadcast they are bursting at the seams with animals in desperate need of a home. They cry: 'We are waiving adoption fees!' But senior citizens may have their adoption applications declined or ignored. Shelter may be under the apparent impression that anyone 65 years old or older is going to drop dead as soon as they walk out with an adopted animal. But youth does not guarantee long-term security for a pet. The simple truth is that seniors are more stable and financially secure than much of the population. They will not be subject to a sudden loss of income from a layoff or firing. Or move to an apartment that does not accept pets, which would lead to adopted animals being returned to the shelter. Shelters' logic is to keep a dog or cat in a cage rather than take a chance with anyone age 60 or older. — Peggy Cassidy, Franklin Park Police at Tesla dealer A recent Saturday, I walked past the Tesla dealership on Rush Street. There were about 30 people standing and silently holding signs, decrying Elon Musk and the current administration. They were not blocking the sidewalk; they were not accosting pedestrians; they were not preventing anyone from walking into the dealership; they were not interfering with traffic. Across the street stood about a dozen police officers talking among themselves because there was no activity requiring their intervention. On another occasion, I saw not a single protester, yet two police officers were stationed outside the showroom entrance. Given the city's claim of limited police resources, how does this make any sense? — Jeanne Martineau, Chicago Libraries are gems Regarding the editorial 'Leave libraries alone. They more than pay their way' (April 13): How I loved the picture of Eric Phung reading to his son at the library! My father took me to the library when I was a tot. It was a highly anticipated outing as we walked the several blocks to the Uptown branch. I was told that I would have my own card when I could print my name. I still remember the elation when this memorable event took place. Parents should take advantage of this wonderful tool. Libraries can create a lifelong love of reading. I have started volunteering at my local library and am a bit disappointed at the rather low patronage. — Carole Bogaard, Oak Lawn Ballpark memories Kudos to Ron Grossman for his memory-prompting April 13 story 'Chicago's Field of Dreams.' The year was 1946 when a family fishing vacation in northern Wisconsin was cut short because I had to return home to Chicago to play in a high-stakes 16-inch softball playoff game at Thillens Stadium between Chicago newspaper carrier teams. Thillens Stadium turned out to be a field of dashed dreams, as I was devastated by our loss and consequent missed trip to Detroit to play the Detroit newspaper-carrier championship team. However, members of our carrier team formed the nucleus of the Lobos, a Chicago Hermosa Park neighborhood team that went on to become the 1955 Illinois state 16-inch softball champions.
Chicago Tribune
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
‘Welcome to the Show' wants to feel like hanging out with friends in their Lincoln Square basement
Derek Bish is hard to miss. Tall and jovial (he gave his height as 'a trim 6-foot-8,' and that's not far from the truth), his affable smile and good-natured laugh make him easy to spot in any room. The simplest way to find him, however, is to head over to The Getaway in Lincoln Square. Every other Monday, Bish can be seen onstage as the host of 'Welcome to the Show,' a Chicago-centric live talk show that he created. 'Welcome to the Show' has been filling the backroom of The Getaway since its first episode in the summer of 2024. Bish says the show's genesis sprang from a simple adage: 'Make what you want to see yourself.' The idea for a show spotlighting the best of Chicago art, entertainment, sports and culture had been brewing in his brain for months but it wasn't until December 2023 that he decided to make it happen. After declaring his New Year's resolution to 'host and start this show finally,' Bish pitched the idea to longtime friends Dave Halpern, Ross Dimun and Scott Spidale. The men had just taken ownership of the recently closed Grafton Pub and were in the process of converting it into The Getaway. The trio agreed to give him the backroom. On June 17, 2024, the show premiered, featuring, among other guests, Cubs anthem singer John Vincent and Michelin-starred chef Christian Hunter. With no PR team or crew, Bish does all the booking himself, attributing his guest-related good fortune to his love of 'a kindly worded email.' 'I'll send random cold emails to people I think would enjoy it,' he says. So far, that approach has worked, as personalities as varied as Chicago comic Jamie Shriner, WGN host Ji Suk Yi and Empty Bottle co-owner Matt Ciarleglio have graced his stage over the last year. 'Stage,' however, may be a grand word for the room where the show takes place. Audience members pass through the dimly lit, mirror-filled main bar to slip through a black curtain. On the other side, a long, narrow room opens. Couches, ottomans and high-top tables fill the space, and, at the far end, two armchairs and a coffee table sit next to a working fireplace and sprawling hearth. It almost feels like walking into a talk show set up in someone's basement — which is exactly what Bish is going for. 'It's like a house party,' he says. 'The whole goal of the show is to feel like you know me already, and we're hanging out and I'm introducing you to some really fantastic artists that live in Chicago.' Luis Romero is one of those artists. Romero has been an illustrator professionally for over 20 years; he was invited to the show after attending the 2024 Christmas edition as an audience member. The night of his appearance, he sold pins, drawings and patches from a table near the entrance. A regular on the convention circuit, Romero was featured in this year's Artist Alley at C2E2. Of the two events, Romero loves the intimate feel 'Welcome to the Show' provides. 'You get to meet a person and highlight what they're doing,' he says, in a way the 'flood of people' at C2E2 doesn't always allow. That personal touch proliferates throughout the evening. Bish brings books from his own house for audience members to peruse. He decorates the interview space with his children's artwork. At a recent show, he and his wife Margaret Bish baked brownies for the crowd. Bish, who described himself as 'the only one in his family who's ever picked up a microphone,' opens the show with an endearingly rambling monologue that instantly sets the room — and his guests — at ease with his ability to lead the evening. And just like no one would charge their friends to hang out, 'Welcome to the Show' is a free event. That way, Bish says, 'People get to save their money and they can spend it on the artist.' Bish's commitment to supporting local artistry extends to Lincoln Square itself. Noting that shows are often seated to capacity, he admits 'quite a few' venues have approached him about relocating. 'I just don't want to do that yet,' he says. The show 'feels special in that neighborhood.' As his audience grows, Bish aims to keep 'Welcome to the Show' a peaceful respite from the troubled outside world by reminding them of the culture, art, and joy in Chicago. 'It can feel daunting out there,' he said. 'There's just so much garbage going on. But in reality, every day we wake up, we wake up in a great city surrounded by great talented people.' During the closing monologue of a recent episode, Bish echoed this sentiment. 'Now more than ever is a wonderful time to be open and vulnerable with each other,' he said. 'Don't be afraid of feeling good. It's OK to be happy. I promise.' After a night at this show, it's hard not to be.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Emilio Estevez Feared He'd Be Fired From ‘The Breakfast Club'
Emilio Estevez once feared that he blew it during table read for The Breakfast Club. The actor, who played high school jock Andrew Clark in the 1985 John Hughes coming-of-age film, spoke out about the film's 40th anniversary reunion at the C2E2 pop culture convention on April 12. 'The first time that we all got together, [Hughes] had organized a read-through of the script at a hotel in Century City,' Estevez, 62, recalled, per Entertainment Weekly. 'I had, the night before, just had all four wisdom teeth pulled — impacted wisdom teeth. I was on pain pills.' Estevez explained that his agent called him and told him he had to show up for the read-through, despite the fact that he had a swollen face and was on painkillers. The actor noted that after the table read, Hughes proudly played the first cut of his movie Sixteen Candles for The Breakfast Club cast, which included two Sixteen Candles stars—Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall—as well as Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy. 'We're sitting there, I don't think I made it through the opening credits,' Estevez revealed, adding that he didn't wake up until the very end of the movie screening. 'I passed out from the pain pills, and just from the ordeal of having my teeth extracted," he explained. "I believed [I would be fired]. I thought, 'Oh gosh, I just failed the final test.' Estevez went on to star in The Breakfast Club, which became one of the biggest teen films of the 1980s. But years later, he did part ways with a spinoff of one of his other big movies. After starring in three films for The Mighty Ducks franchise, in 2021, he got into a dispute over the Disney+ series The Mighty Ducks Game Changers. Deadline reported that the actor exited the franchise amid a 'contract dispute' and 'a myriad of creative differences.' Estevez was also dealing with the effects of long COVID at the time.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Emilio Estevez explains why he missed every 'Breakfast Club' reunion: 'I skipped all of my high school reunions'
Emilio Estevez loves his The Breakfast Club costars. He just doesn't like reunions. Forty years after making the generation-defining teen drama that saw his jock Andrew Clark thrown together in a Saturday detention with popular princess Molly Ringwald, nerd Anthony Michael Hall, bad boy Judd Nelson, and introvert Ally Sheedy, Estevez finally deigned to attend a cast reunion. "I skipped all of my high school reunions," Estevez joked when asked what took him so long at the "Don't You Forget About Me: The Breakfast Club 40th Anniversary Reunion" at the C2E2 pop culture convention in Chicago on Saturday. He went on to explain that "this was just something that finally I felt I needed to do, just for myself. But this one felt special. We're here in Chicago, where we made the film. It's obviously the 40th anniversary, and it just felt like it was time." Ringwald confessed she felt "really very emotional and moved to have us all together. This is the first time Emilio has joined us," adding with a wink, "We don't have to use the cardboard cutout anymore." Estevez confessed that it was a comment of Ringwald's that, after getting back to him, played a decisive role in finally motivating him to accept a reunion invitation. "Somebody told me that Molly said, 'Well, does Emilio just not like us?' And that broke my heart," he shared. "I thought, 'No, of course, I love all of them.' And this just made sense, so here I am." The former Brat Pack member and son of Hollywood legend Martin Sheen has appeared in at least half a dozen films enduringly popular enough to merit continual reunions, from St. Elmo's Fire and The Mighty Ducks to The Outsiders, and the star has been loath to attend those reunions, too. Estevez's history also suggests that he isn't categorically opposed to cast reunions — at least not when they come in the form of reboots and sequels. Estevez reprised his role as coach Gordon Bombay in the first season of Disney+'s sequel series, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. One poignant episode saw Bombay reunite with several key characters and players in the youth hockey team he originally coached in the 1992 film, including Fulton Reed (Elden Henson), Averman (Matt Doherty), Adam Banks (Vinny La Russo), Connie (Marguerite Moreau), Guy (Garret Henson), and Kenny Wu (Justin Wong).The Breakfast Club is perhaps the most beloved of all writer-director John Hughes' films, which include Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. The film had an enormous impact on the careers of its five principal stars, but Estevez revealed at Saturday's reunion that he was barely present for their first meeting. The night before the first script read-through, Estevez said he'd "had all four wisdom teeth pulled" and was "on pain pills" when Hughes queued up a first cut of Sixteen Candles. "He puts the film on, we're sitting there, I don't think I made it through the opening credits. I passed out from the pain pills, and just from the ordeal of having my teeth extracted." You can watch the full reunion of The Breakfast Club cast above. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
