Comic convention brings celebrities to Tampa Bay

From Hobbiton in the Shire to Tampa in the United States: The hobbits are coming.

Three of the four actors who played the little people on an important quest in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings will make appearances this weekend at the Tampa Bay Comic Convention, at the Tampa Bay Convention Center.

Actors Sean Astin, Dominic Monahan and Billy Boyd – a.k.a. Sam, Merry and Pippin – are among the celebrities who’ll be available for autographs and photo ops.

Monahan also starred as Charlie Pace on TV’s Lost.

These interactions come at a price – autographs average $75, and photos with the group cost as much as $300 – on top of the convention admission ticket.

The guest roster for the Friday through Sunday event also includes M*A*S*H stars Loretta Switt and Jamie Farr, Walter Koening of the original Star Trek, legendary Hollywood DJ and Newlywed Game host Bob Eubanks, Corey Feldman (The Goonies), Grant Gustin and Danielle Panabaker (The Flash), comedian Pauly Shore, Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movies), Richard Karn and Debbie Dunning (Home Improvement) and others.

Certain celebrity appearances are limited to specific days. View the full list here.

Comic artists, authors and voice actors will conduct panels during the weekend, and there will an expansive vendor floor.

The Tampa Bay Convention Center is at 333 South Franklin St, Tampa. For all information, click here.