One of Amarillo’s biggest events for fandoms of all kinds, the Yellow City Comic Convention (YC3), is set to open for its 10th run later this month.
Organizers are excited to host the three-day event, set for April 17 through April 19 at the Amarillo Civic Center. The convention’s large lineup of entertainment options includes comics, celebrities, vendors, panels, games, costumed fun for all ages and other activities this year for the community to enjoy.
“This is our 10th event. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been putting this event on for more than a decade,” says YC3 co-owner Travis Tidmore in an announcement. “In that time we have built a community that welcomes everyone and has become a safe space for the marginalized communities in this town. We are all very proud of what we’ve built and hope to continue building on that community in the years to come.”
Event proceeds will benefit the Mission 2540 charity.
The board members have worked to bring in a wide range of guests and fun events. The event will feature seven celebrities from anime, television and film who have appeared on such popular series as “Supernatural,” “The Mandalorian,” “My Hero Academia,” “Attack on Titan,” and “Pokémon: Horizons.”
“We’re always excited to bring a variety of amazing and creative vendors and artists to our community,” says YC3 co-owner Chris Anderson. “It’s fun to see exhibitors that have come every year since the beginning, and we love to welcome those that will be joining us for the first time. Even after 10 years, YC3 can still bring something new to our fans, like this year’s Swap Meet on Sunday. Just fans trading their fandoms with other fans! Just another way we continually try to build this incredible community.”
7 special guests announced for this year’s convention
YC3 is welcoming back two previous special guests, DJ Qualls and Andy Merrill.
DJ Qualls made his feature film debut in “Road Trip” before moving on to star in the comedies “The New Guy” and “Delta Force.” His television work includes spots on “Supernatural,” “Monk,” “My Name is Earl,” and “The Big Bang Theory,” among others. He studied in the UK at King’s College, University of London before returning to Tennessee to pursue local theatre — where he was discovered by photographers David La Chappelle and Steven Klein, which led to modeling work for Prada. Qualls is a proud cancer survivor and an advocate for cancer research and awareness.
Merrill, an actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer, will be hosting the celebrity panels. He is best known for voicing Brak from “Space Ghost Coast to Coast,” “Cartoon Planet” and “The Brak Show.” He also played James in “Adventure Time” and Oglethorpe in “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and “Spacecataz.” He co-created “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” and was an integral part in the creation of Adult Swim.
Emily Swallow, an accomplished American actress best known for her work in television and theater, has garnered acclaim for her diverse roles across various genres. She is celebrated for her portrayal of Amara/The Darkness in “Supernatural” and The Armorer in “The Mandalorian,” and she has also performed on Broadway. Swallow is an advocate for mental health awareness, using her platform to support various causes and initiatives.
Joining Swallow is Osric Chau, who also was on “Supernatural” as Kevin Tran. His acting credits also include “Arrow” and “The Flash” as part of the television Arrowverse, “Dirk Gently’s Hollistic Detective Agency” and “2012.” A passionate supporter of geek culture, cosplay, and gaming, Osric is a familiar and much-loved presence at conventions around the world.
YC3 is also bringing in three acclaimed voice actors for its 10th run: Clifford Chapin, David Matranga, and Kristen McGuire.
Chapin, a voice actor best known for his work in animation and video games, began studying the ins and out of filmmaking at a young age which led to him beginning his freelance career at 16-years-old. He discovered his passion for voiceover while in college. Chapin has voiced hundreds of characters across animation including Katsuki Bakugo in “My Hero Academia,” Connie Springer in “Attack on Titan” and Caba in “Dragon Ball Super.” For video games you can hear Clifford as Billy Kid in “Zenless Zone Zero” and Proton in “Pokémon Masters EX.”
Matranga is an American voice actor who primarily works for English dubbed anime for Funimation and Sentai Filmworks. He is best known as the voice of Shoto Todoroki from “My Hero Academia,” Bertholdt Hoover from the “Attack on Titan” series and Ghost from the Halo Legends movie.
McGuire, a professional voice actor, artist, and ADR director, is also a script adaptor with over 400 credits across anime and video games. She is most well known for her work as the playable character Ye Shunguang in “Zenless Zoe Zero”, Biscuit and Rouge in “NIKKE: Goddess of Victory”, Sarah Connor in “Terminator 2D: No Fate”, Penny and Tatsugri in “Pokémon Horizons”, Isabel Magnolia in “Attack on Titan”, and Tatami akagame in “My Hero Academia”. An award-winning anime artist, McGuire draws all of her own autograph prints and offers anime-style caricatures of attendees at conventions.
A fully loaded schedule of fun and features
YC3 will also be welcoming back cosplay guests Children of Proteus, who will be joined by returning cosplayers from Venomous FX & Cosplay as well as Susie Creates, Illuminatikittn, ModernAntique and Wattashock.
The adult cosplay contest will be held on Saturday, with the kid’s cosplay contest being held Sunday after the vendor hall closes.
“Cosplay is always a highlight of the event,” says YC3 co-owner Jon Barnes. “Whether it’s our professional cosplay guests, our dedicated cosplay competitors, or just the casual cosplayers out to show off and enjoy the con, attendees will be blown away by the skill, creativity, and passion of our community. I for one am always in awe of what they bring to the event and can’t wait to see what new costumes make an appearance this year!”
Options for gamers this year abound once again, with both competitive and casual play.
“YC3 is always excited to welcome our community partners to the Olivia Austin Memorial Gaming Hall! Our convention would not be the same without the gaming events and experiences provided by GameQuest, Day2, Badger eSports, the Kingdom of the Golden Plains, and our new addition, The Tabletop Tavern!” says YC3 co-owner Brandon Biggers. “Whether it’s TCGs or DND, modern PC games or retro consoles, YC3 is the place to get your game on!”
New this year for YC3 is a swap meet, to be held Sunday, April 19.
Mission 2540, this year’s beneficiary for YC3, was founded in 2004 and is a nonprofit 501(c)3 apartment ministry serving families in low-income multi-housing units. They work to meet their physical, spiritual, and emotional needs through after-school and summer activities, resident assistance, and a variety of outreaches of camps and other programs throughout the year.
Additionally, pet adoptions will be taking place over the course of the weekend. Guests can donate blood with Coffee Memorial Blood Center’s mobile blood drive to receive a discount on Saturday tickets.
Tickets for the convention are available online or can be purchased at the front door.
Single day passes for adults are $20, and weekend passes for adults are $45. A one-day pass for children ages 6-12 is $15, with weekend passes available for $35. Admission for children ages 5 and younger is free with an adult ticket purchase. Active-duty military and service personnel are given free admission.
Admission to the afterparty is free with a YC3 2026 badge. It will feature Karaoke DJ BadAsh, custom cocktails, Pondseta on tap, and wall to wall arcades and pinball machines.
Due to the sheer volume of activities planned over the weekend, convention attendees will need to visit the YC3 website to find a complete list of all the fun. Visit YellowCityCon.com or go to YC3’s Facebook page for details.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Excitement builds for 10th Yellow City Comic Convention in Amarillo
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
