Barry Bostwick among early guests at 2017 Wizard World
By Alex Lloyd Gross
The phone rings in my office and it,s the former Mayor of New York. Barry Bostwick. He wants to chat about Wizard World.com Okay, he might not have been an actual Mayor of New York, but he did play one on TV. Think back to Randall Winston, on Spin City. He also played George Washington in the CBS miniseries by the same name. “Where can I go in Philly, it’s been so long since I’ve been there?” he asked. He was told about Pats and Geno,s steaks. “i’ve not been to Philadelphia since I’ve played George Washington. “I look forward to visiting some of George’s old haunts”, he said.
Bostwick is at the pop culture convention all four days. He is well aware that the opening day, he might be hard pressed to get a good crowd. However, Friday through Sunday, he should be slammed. “I like slammed, slammed is good”, he said. He is best known as Brad Majors in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. There is a screening of this movie on Saturday night. Those that have seen this in theaters know what to expect.”I classify this into two categories. , first are virgins who have never seen this movie before and those that have seen it 100 times”, Bostwick said. At the Saturday night screening, look for fans to dress up in costume.If you have never seen it, Bostwick urges you to watch it in your home on DVD.
This years Wizard World combines a horror fest which features some of the actors like Kristy Swanson and musicians like Don Dokken who will be hosting their respective movies. “It’s a new concept we are trying out, if you want to see the movies you can buy the Horror Fest pass or the four day Wizard World pass, which get you in to those events. People like Kristy Swanson , she will be on our main floor so there will not be an additional charge to meet her”, said Wizard World spokesman Jerry Milani. (autographs and photo ops may be extra).
Rockers can also say hello to Gene Simmons from KISS. He will be flying in direct from a European KISS tour. Gene is going to be there on Friday and Saturday only. look for Thomas Ian Nicholas, best known from Rookie of the Year . Did you ever see Monster Squad? you can meet Andre Gower and Ryan Lambert. They are both making an appearance together. Remember the original version of The Hitcher? C Thomas Howell, (Jim Halsey) will be there. During the making of that movie, he admitted that he was intimidated and nervous about Rutger Hauer who gave an intense portrayal of John Ryder, the sociopath who he had the misfortune of giving a ride. Ralph Macchio, from The Karate Kid and My Cousin Vinny is right next to him.
This show is a bit different, security wise, as fans will have to walk through metal detectors. It’s an unfortunate sign of the times. Fans can leave and return. Speaking as Mayor Randall Winston, Bostwick was informed of the beverage tax in Philly. “I think it’s a horrible idea, it’s bad”. Even a TV Mayor can have an opinion .At his booth, he is selling photos and DVD’s. Also, underwear from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. he will even write the signature line “Dammit Janet, I love you”. on them.