Planet Comicon ’26: Classic stars, fresh cosplay characters
Lou Diamond Phillips slept in the same bed as Ritchie Valens before filming the iconic movie that launched him to Hollywood stardom. Keifer Sutherland appeared in two films with his father, Donald, but only acted beside him once. William Shatner has long enjoyed visiting Kansas City, having participated in the American Royal horse competition.
These factoids and more are among the things fans learn from attending celebrity panels during Planet Comicon Kansas City. This year, we watched three panels: Keith David, Shatner, and a panel featuring “The Lost Boys” and “Young Guns” stars Phillips, Sutherland and Alex Winter.
The 27th annual festival featured celebrities from movies, television and music (Iron Maiden band members), comic book writers and illustrators, cosplayers and vendors, including Omaha outlets Amazing Imaginarium, Krypton Comics and Origami Giant.
Planet Comicon drew more than 80,000 people over the dates of March 27-29. Thousands of people waited in a line about four blocks deep for several hours on Saturday to get their entrance wristbands.
Cosplayers
The Midwest’s largest pop culture convention kicked off Friday afternoon. With attendance lighter than the rest of the weekend, we easily moved about, chatting with vendors and cosplayers (fans who dress as a character in their favorite genre). Cosplayers dress as anyone, from the leads in “Wicked” to cowboys, in honor of the “Young Guns” actors.
Some of our favorite cosplayers were new to us: Vox, aka Vincent Whittman, who is a major antagonist in the TV series “Hazbin Hotel.” Yes, we’re old people and don’t have youngins, who are into all the youth-appealing programs. Now, if someone were dressed as Dateline’s Keith Morrison, Sam Waterston of “Law and Order” or Fred Flintstone (yes, thinking of you, Pat Palmer), we’d be all over that.
One character I definitely recognized was Reed Richards from “Fantastic Four.” A cosplayer, dressed as the group’s leader, complimented my “Fantastic Four” hoodie. So, of course, with “Fantastic Four” being my all-time favorite comics series, we took a photo together. The sweatshirt is one of the best gifts I’ve received. It quickly became one of my favorites to wear.
Drag show
Opening night featured a drag show, which is common at several comicons. “Witches, Please!” combined drag queens dressed as the three sisters from “Hocus Pocus” with “American Idol,” as performers danced and lip synced to popular tunes. “Contestants” included Q (Robert Severson), an Emporia, Kansas, native who performed on “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” in 2023.
Vendors
Visiting with vendors, it’s fun to learn their origin tales. From the Stan Lee doppelganger with Iron Brothers of Topeka to an Omaha-based woman selling emotional support pillows featuring “Supernatural” actors, we’ve learned a lot over the eight years we’ve attended Comicon.
Bruce Holt, who hails from a small town in southwest Missouri, has created movie-caliber costumes for more than 50 years, beginning when he was 14.
Following his parents’ divorce, Holt spent time with his father in California, whose girlfriend created costumes for plays and other productions. Holt learned to cut material, size outfits and sew costumes.
He went on to create costumes for himself to wear in cosplay competitions. He’s enjoyed a successful side career at comicons and other costume contests. At 65, his probable final performance netted the “Best in Show” award at Salt Lake City’s Fan-X comicon last year.
He’ll continue to create custom-made outfits for others, while the itch to perform one more time may need to be scratched, Holt said.
Celebrity panels
Meanwhile, celebrities open up a lot more than you may think they would in a fan-facing session. While most stories shared were family-friendly, the actors joked about late-night – or, early-morning, in the case of “Lost Boys,” which filmed mostly at night – partying and other socializing.
As one of the older actors on the “Lost Boys” set, Sutherland found himself responsible for babysitting “the two Coreys.” Corey Feldman and Corey Haim were each about 15 at the time of filming for the 1987 movie. The actors were known for their wild streaks as youths.
“I spent a lot of time hunting down their parents,” Sutherland said.
Acting beside his dad in “Forsaken” was special, Sutherland said. They each had roles in “A Time to Kill,” but didn’t act together, he said.
His dad helped solidify his acting career, Sutherland said. While at theater camp in Canada, Sutherland said his father asked him if he’d like to be an extra in a movie filming at a Los Angeles high school.
During filming, the younger Sutherland was given a couple lines to say.
A week later, he received a check for $6,000, payment for acting. Typically, extras get paid if they say lines.
“I looked at the check, and said, ‘(Forget) theater! I’m going into movies,'” he said.
Sutherland’s 114 acting credits include “Stand by Me,” “Flatliners,” and “A Few Good Men,” as well as television series “24” and “Designated Survivor.”
La Bamba cathartic for family
While Phillips had acted in five productions beforehand, it was 1987’s “La Bamba” that launched his career. He portrayed early Rock-n-Roll star Ritchie Valens in the biopic.
“La Bamba” brought to life the story of the teen-aged pop star, Phillips said. Valens was one of three performers, along with their pilot, to die in a 1959 small plane crash north of Clear Lake, Iowa. Buddy Holly was the star at the time, while the “Big Bopper” was the third performer killed, after performing at the Surf Ballroom’s Winter Dance Party.
“‘La Bamba’ kept Ritchie from becoming a footnote in history as part of the crash that killed Buddy Holly,” Phillips said.
The movie, for which Phillips was paid $5,000, proved cathartic for the Valens (real name was Valenzuela) family, he said. Family members embraced him as Ritchie, sharing stories about the singer.
“Bob Morales (Ritchie’s older brother) picked me up at the airport and took me to the house that Ritchie bought for his mom,” Philips said. “I slept in the same bed that Ritchie slept in.”
The slug to the heart came when they filmed the airplane scene, he said. Knowing Valens would die a few minutes after takeoff, family members were on set for filming, Phillips said.
Valens’ sister, Connie Lemos, became overwhelmed emotionally, knowing she never got to say goodbye to her brother.
“‘Lou,’ she said. ‘Can I give you a hug?’” Phillips said. “She’d never called me ‘Lou’ before. It was always ‘Ritchie.’ She hugged me and then started hitting my chest, ‘Why did you have to get on that plane?’ she cried.”
Phillips has enjoyed a solid acting career since “La Bamba,” with 168 acting credits. From “Stand and Deliver” to the under-appreciated “Sioux City,” Phillips has appeared in several films, while really enjoying a career in television, with roles on ‘Longmire,” “NCIS New Orleans,” “George Lopez” and Law and Order: SVU.”
Keith David
I remember Keith David from the movies “The Thing” and “Platoon.” Then later as a police detective on “NCIS New Orleans.”
Younger people at his panel wanted to know a lot about his voice acting, in roles from “Hazbin Hotel,” “The Princess and the Frog” and “Gargoyles.”
David, who has an impressive baritone singing voice, records albums, with a new one due out within a few months. He’s performed on a dozen movie soundtracks.
With more than 400 acting credits over a 47-year career, David doesn’t waste time sulking over roles he didn’t get.
“When I’m not working, I could sit at home and worry about why I didn’t get a part,” he said. “Instead, I attend plays, watch movies. I’ll look at a performance and think about how I’d do it.”
William Shatner
Not much needs to be said about Shatner’s career. After all, the 95-year-old legend will always be Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the USS Enterprise. But, you may recall him from “TJ Hooker” or “Boston Legal,” even the short-lived comedy, “Sh*t My Dad Says.”
During a 50-minute session, Shatner answered three questions – none related to “Star Trek” – spending 10-15 minutes on each, weaving multiple tales with each response.
This was the second time we’ve seen him at a celebrity panel. In both cases, he came across as friendly and affable.
Having competed at the American Royal, Shatner had great things to say about Kansas City, including its steaks and barbecue.
Injured shoulder repaired
He had full use of his left shoulder, only two weeks after surgery repaired an injury he sustained several years ago when he fell off a horse.
At 95, he wasn’t sure he wanted to have the procedure or just live with the pain. A common notion among older people.
“I wasn’t sure about anesthesia at my age,” Shatner said. “But they had a new procedure. I was in at 8 and home by 5.”
At 95, when most people 30 years his junior are afraid of falling and breaking a hip, Shatner said he’s pain-free while holding the reins of horses that he still rides. Imagine, nearly a century old and the guy still rides horses. Impressive!
Legacy
Someone asked him about his legacy, Shatner replied that legacy isn’t physical, it’s life-impacting.
“Signatures in gold or ink fade,” he said. “There’s always someone to take your place. Legacy is how you leave the world. Extending your hand to someone in need, hopefully with a dollar in it to help them, or holding the door open for someone. It’s how people will remember you.”
For Shatner, life has been long and prosperous, in more ways than just material.
As for the 2027 Planet Comicon, it’s never too early to start planning your visit. The pop culture event will be April 2-4.
