Monroeville Convention Center hosts Steel City Con April 8-10

Organizers of Steel City Con, the official pop culture extravaganza at the Monroeville Convention Center, are preparing for their biggest show yet.

About 15,000 people are expected to descend upon 209 Mall Blvd. between April 8 and 10.

“The demand for Steel City Con is better than it’s ever been,” Steel City Con co-owner Bob Stein said. “Celebrities are very excited to come to our shows. Word of mouth has gone a long way. We normally would have one or two headliners, and we have six now. So that’s pretty big.”

First among the big names listed is Chevy Chase. The multi-Emmy Award winner and former “Saturday Night Live” star is scheduled to be present April 9 and 10 for autographs and photographs, with a plastic barrier separating him from fans to help keep the line moving.

No selfies will be available. People seeking his signature will need to pick up their autograph tickets at the will-call booth outside the center. Professional photo opportunities still are available.

Horror legend Robert Englund, best known for playing Freddy Krueger in the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise recently added to the Netflix series “Stranger Things,” returns to the convention with his infamous razor-sharp glove. He also is not expected to take selfies, but is scheduled to participate in a “Nightmare” question-and-answer panel with Brook Bundy, Amanda Wyss and Heather Langenkamp at 11 a.m. April 10.

Hollywood icon Christopher Lloyd — “Taxi,” “Back to the Future” franchise, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”— is scheduled for all three days. Lloyd’s question-and-answer session is planned for noon on the final day of the convention.

Model, actress and entrepreneur Christie Brinkley joins Chase, her fellow “National Lampoon’s Vacation” star, in Monroeville. She has been on more than 500 magazines and is often regarded as being the first supermodel. Her talking session is set for noon on April 9.

Jon Bernthal — “Fury,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Marvel’s “Punisher,” AMC’s The Walking Dead— is expected to be present each day of the convention. He was one of the headliners scheduled for the past two years, but various conflicts pushed his appearance to this April. His Q&A is set for 3 p.m. April 9.

One of the most recognizable faces of the 1990s, Christina Ricci, also is scheduled to appear all three days. She stars in the upcoming Netflix comedy horror “Wednesday” with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman and Jenna Ortega. Her Q&A is 4 p.m. April 9.

Other “Vacation” stars on the ticket include Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn, Marisol Nichols, Anthony Michael Hall, Ethan Embry and Jason Lively.

Acclaimed Canadian actor and voice artist Steven Ogg — “The Walking Dead,” “Snowpiercer,” “Solis” — is scheduled for all three days. Gamers will recognize him as the voice of Trevor Phillips in “Grand Theft Auto V.”

Professional wrestler Sting and his protege Darby Allin both will be in full makeup. Darby is planned for all three days. Sting is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 9 and 10.

The card is subject to change.

This year’s convention layout has been slightly modified to accommodate for the additional guests and to help keep lines moving. The professional photo area by the loading docks has been expanded.

Patrons will need to get their wristbands at the outside booths prior to coming inside. There will be a Delorean and an inflatable RV outside the center for “Back to the Future” and “Vacation” fans.

Steel City Con has teamed up with Stanger Comics and artist Caanan White to create an exclusive variant of vampire hunter “Niobe.”

Featured artists include Sebastian Jones, Darrell May, Jason Keith, Dominic Glover and Megan Withey.

Artists will take part in a quick sketch event for charity from 6 to 6:45 p.m. April 9, with proceeds benefiting Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.

About 600 vendors are expected to participate. Stein said that number is a 100% renewal of sellers from last year, a first for SSC, and about 200 others are on a waiting list.

For more information, visit www.steelcitycon.com.