Ralph Macchio Added To Wizard World Comic Con NYC Experience Sunday

'Karate Kid,' 'My Cousin Vinny' Star To Make Rare Appearance At Basketball City (Pier 36); Also Scheduled For Wizard World Chicago Comic Con In August

NEW YORK, June 24, 2013 – Ralph Macchio, known to millions for his roles as “Daniel LaRusso” in The Karate Kid series, “Eugene Martone” in Crossroads and “Billy Gambini” in My Cousin Vinny, will make a rare appearance at Wizard World Comic Con NYC Experience on Sunday at Basketball City (Pier 36) in Manhattan.  Macchio, 51, will also appear at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con in August at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.

A Long Island native, Macchio first hit the national audience as “Jeremy Andretti” in the finals season (1980-81) of the series “Eight is Enough.”  He then appeared opposite young future stars C. Thomas Howell, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and Matt Dillon in The Outsiders before hitting it big with The Karate Kid in 1984.

His first significant adult role came in My Cousin Vinny (1992) and was followed by strong performances in the film Naked in New York and the musical How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  In 2011 he competed on "Dancing with the Stars," placing fourth overall in the competition, and last year appeared in the film Hitchcock.

Macchio will greet fans, sign autographs and pose for photo ops in New York, where he joins an all-star celebrity roster that includes comics legend Stan Lee, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” icon Patrick Stewart, four prominent cast members of “The Walking Dead,” including Norman Reedus, Laurie Holden, Michael Rooker and Chandler Riggs, “The Fonz” Henry Winkler and WWE® Superstar CM Punk®.

Wizard World Comic Con NYC Experience will be the fourth of eight events on the 2013 calendar, which also includes shows in Chicago (Aug. 8-11), Columbus, Ohio (Sept. 20-22), Nashville, Tenn. (Oct. 18-20) and Austin, Texas (Nov. 22-24).  Wizard World has also scheduled four 2014 dates: Portland, Ore. (Jan. 24-26), New Orleans (Feb. 7-9), St. Louis (April 4-6) and Philadelphia (June 19-22).

Wizard World events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, music, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD) produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, creators, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, workshops, and costume contests.

The full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

***** SAVE THE 2013-14 DATES *****
June 28-30 – Wizard World Comic Con NYC Experience
August 8-11 – Wizard World Chicago Comic Con
September 20-22 – Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
October 18-20 – Wizard World Nashville Comic Con
November 22-24 – Wizard World Austin Comic Con
January 24-26, 2014 – Wizard World Portland Comic Con
February 7-9, 2014 – Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con
April 4-6, 2014 – Wizard World St. Louis Comic Con
June 19-22, 2014 – Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con