Barb finds justice at Comic-Con International
With her appearance at Spa-Con in Hot Springs just a couple of months away, Shannon Purser made news over the weekend with an appearance at the granddaddy con of them all — Comic-Con International in San Diego.
Purser, who portrayed the ill-fated Barbara “Barb” Holland on the hit Netflix show, made a surprise appearance Saturday as a fan during a question-and-answer session featuring a panel of her “Stranger Things” co-stars. The cast was discussing season 2, which premiers on Halloween this year.
With the crowd cheering in the background, Purser, in a video posted to YouTube, took to the mic as a fan to ask, “I was wondering, I was wondering, is Barb going to be in season 2?”
As the moderator, actor Patton Oswalt, introduced her to the crowd, she headed to the dais to join her co-stars.
“Yeah, I can answer that; ‘no,’” said David Harbour, who portrays Police Chief Jim Hopper on the Netflix series, as cries of “harsh” rang out from the panel. But, Harbour said, “there will be justice for Barb. Barb will be avenged.”
Bill Solleder, special events manager and marketing director of Visit Hot Springs, noted Monday that Comic-Con featured both “Stranger Things” and “Twin Peaks” panels that drew massive crowds, and said “we expect the same reception here at Spa-Con.”
Sherilyn Fenn, who portrays Audrey Horne on “Twin Peaks,” will join fellow series star Sheryl Lee, who portrayed Laura Palmer, as a celebrity guest at 2017 Spa-Con in September.
“It’s proof positive that Spa-Con is on the cutting edge of what contemporary sci-fi audiences are looking for, a story that is smart, strange, and challenging,” Solleder said.
The creators of “Stranger Things,” the Duffer Bros., were joined at Comic-Con by director Shawn Levy and stars Millie Bobby Brown, Matthew Modine and the crew of young actors who play a group of friends searching for their buddy, Will Byers, who mysteriously disappears, The Associated Press reported.
The Upside Down is an alternate dimension where Will spent time during his disappearance. It’s similar to the characters’ everyday world in the fictional town of Hawkins, Ind., except more creepy, rendered in grayscale and inhabited by a multi-limbed monster, the AP reported following the panel.
Purser received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category for her portrayal of Barb.
Spa-Con, a multiple-genre comics and science fiction convention that Visit Hot Springs sponsors in partnership with the Garland County Library, will be held at the Hot Springs Convention Center Sept. 22-24.
Last year’s inaugural Spa-Con drew nearly 5,000 fans of comics, science fiction, gaming and cosplay, according to Visit Hot Springs. Spa-Con weekend passes are available for $25 at spa-con.org. The price will be $35 on the weekend of the convention.