Steel City Con’s summer event was held on August 9-11, 2024, at the Monroeville Convention Center in Monroeville, PA. Once again, thousands of attendees packed the convention center for three days of comics and pop culture shopping and celebrity meet and greets.
The convention hosted a large group of celebrity guests, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman and Cobra Kai stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Martin Kove, and Yuji Okumoto. Other celebrities in attendance were Jared Padalecki (Supernatural), Helen Hunt (Mad About You), Martin Sheen (West Wing), Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing), “Weird Al” Yankovic (singer), Elisabeth Shue (Adventures in Babysitting), Priscilla Presley (actress, Elvis Presley’s widow), Dennis Rodman (pro basketball player), Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911), John C. McGinley (Scrubs), David Howard Thornton and Amelie McLain (Terrifier 2), Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad), Billy West (Futurama), Tom Welling and Erica Durance (Smallville), Steve Lavigne (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic letterer and colorist), Todd Langen (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie script co-writer), plus others.
Steel City Con hosts a mix of collectors who offer vintage collectibles and the latest releases. Several dealers had toys from the 1960s to ‘80s, especially movie and TV related toys, dolls, boardgames, action figures, and playsets. The original run of Star Wars toys, Barbies, G.I. Joe figures, 1980s wrestling figures, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys from the ‘90s, and others from that period were offered. The latest Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and horror action figures, and Funko Pops also filled the booths. One was packed with gacha machines filled with everything from sushi keychains to mini Godzilla figures.
The show welcomes more comic book dealers than most pop culture-focused conventions. Some had one or two tables while others had large booth spaces offering thousands of comics. Long boxes were filled with everything from $1 books to those in the $50 range, they had trades and graphic novels, and keys in the $100 to $1,000 range on their display walls. The comics spanned Golden to Modern Age books with loads of superhero books, as well as horror, science fiction, romance, family-friendly, Westerns, and more.
In addition to the comics and toys, Steel City has a mix of vendors selling leatherworks, LEGOs, ceramic mugs, wall décor, movie posters, art prints, stuffed animals and pillows, jewelry, statues, masks, purses and wallets, shadowbox art, prop weapons, plus fudge, hot sauce, moonshine, and ice cream.
For years Steel City Con had a deal with the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel next to the convention center where some of the guests, particularly the reunions, were held. When the hotel announced that it was closing in early 2024, Steel City adjusted their set up for the spring 2024 show by converting the panel room into another celebrity signing room. A large event tent was constructed in the parking lot to hold the panels, cosplay contest, and other events. That format continued for the August convention, which not only provided more space for guests inside, but also allowed for more room in the entire building by having hundreds of attendees in the tent at any given time.
Steel City also tried to combat the summer heat by installing portable air conditioning units in the celebrity signing area. With thousands of fans lined up to meet guests, the two large signing rooms can get rather warm. The air conditioners couldn’t quite keep up with the heat during peak signing hours Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, but they were a big help in improving the conditions during the rest of the show.
The convention was open all day each day of the show with hours on Friday and Saturday going from 10 AM to 8 PM and Sunday at 10 AM to 5 PM. Given the long hours and large celebrity guest list, the show could easily charge more for tickets like similar shows of the size, but it does not. A weekend pass bought in advance is only $50.
The next Steel City Con will be held on December 6-8.
To see more photos from Steel City Con, jump to our In the Limelight section.
