Sean Astin at New York Comic Con

SEAN ASTIN TO APPEAR AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

Other Entertainment Guests Include Josh Gates

Norwalk, CT, June 28, 2012: New York Comic (NYCC) officials have today announced that Sean Astin will be a guest at the show where he will be appearing Friday, October 12 – Sunday, October 14. Astin joins recently announced TV personality and "Monster Hunter" Josh Gates as an entertainment guest at the show. In addition to featuring top artists and creators from the world of comics, NYCC is a showcase for celebrities from all corners of the entertainment universe including film, TV, books and music. In Fall 2012 Nickelodeon will relaunch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a new animated series and Sean Astin will be voicing red-masked Raphael. Astin, of course, is also well remembered for his role as loyal Samwise Gamgee in the universally acclaimed Lord of the Rings; his role as Mikey in the 1980's classic The Goonies; and his title role as the American working class hero in Rudy. He will be signing autographs for fans as well as doing a Q & A panel.

New York Comic Con, which attracted over 100,000 fans last year, is one of the largest annual conventions to take place in New York City. This year's event will take place October 11 – 14, 2012 at the Javits Center. Tickets are selling quickly and may be purchased at www.NewYorkComicCon.com.

"We look for guests who span the artistic universe and who contribute to the growth and evolution of pop culture in its many forms," notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for NYCC. "Sean Astin is a great actor who is solidly established in the pop culture world yet extremely well respected for his roles in some legendary movies. He has a huge following and we are pleased to be providing this opportunity for thousands of fans to meet him in person."

ABOUT SEAN ASTIN: Sean Astin was "Mikey" who helped find pirate treasure in the 1980's popular classic The Goonies. He's remembered as loyal Samwise Gamgee in the universally acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy and is singularly identified with the story of an American working class hero, Rudy. His performance captured people's imaginations, inspiring them to Work Hard & Dream Big.

The actor demonstrates wide range. In Where the Day Takes You he's an anguished, homeless, drug addict & then a slapstick lisping, muscle bound fop in Adam Sandler's blockbuster 50 First Dates. His recognizable films include: The Final Season, Memphis Belle, Click, Courage Under Fire, Toy Soldiers & Encino Man.

Astin appears on TV shows including 24, Law & Order, My Name Is Earl, Monk & recently NCIS. He starred as Harrison Bergeron in Kurt Vonnegut's adapted story of the same name & became Two-Flower in Sky Television's adaptation of Terry Prachett's fantasy/satire epic The Color of Magic. Sci-Fi fans praise his Mr. Smith in Showtime's series Jeremiah.

Sean's voice is familiar, narrating Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor, as Disney Channel's title character Special Agent Oso & now as Raphael in Nickelodeon's NEW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Animated Series.

Sean has directed TV (Angel/Perversions of Science) & published a bestseller There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale. He graduated from UCLA (History & English), studied with legendary acting teacher Stella Adler & currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife of 20 years, Christine & their three daughters, Alexandra, Elizabeth and Isabella.

As noted, tickets for New York Comic Con in 2012 are currently available for purchase at http://www.NewYorkComicCon.com. Anyone interested in exhibiting at New York Comic Con should contact Larry Settembrini, [email protected]. Other information about the show, as well as news about ReedPOP, which organizes a range of pop culture events, is available at Lance Fensterman's blog, http://www.MediumAtLarge.net. Organizers note that many more guests will be announced over the next few weeks and months and fans should keep their eyes on NYCC's website and blog for additional comics, entertainment and anime announcements.

ABOUT REEDPOP: ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration, Fantasy Football Fest and the UFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.