The Wild Ones....
A long time ago, in a land far, far away, you were a kid who
lived in an alternate universe – a place where you could die a thousand times
in an afternoon and still be home for dinner, where tooth-fairies
were real and a towel tied around your neck made you a superhero. But as you grew up, you may have convinced
yourself that those things, that time, and that place weren't real.
But at a sci-fi /comic convention, you get it all back.
For two, three, or four days, at a convention center near
you, dragons fly, monsters rage and superheroes save the day, one snapshot at a
time. It’s a place of magic you will
recognize and wonders you can still behold, a place where you can remember the
best of what you once believed. And as
you try to remember how to dream again, no one will think you’re crazy because,
once you’re inside those convention doors, there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of other people dreaming
right along with you. And if that’s not
reason enough to take a peak inside your local sci-fi/comic convention, here’s five
more.
1. It’s Not All About Comics. If you like sci-fi movies, anime, or just
popular fiction on the big or small screen (exclusive TV show and movie sneak peaks,
anyone?). You will find something to enjoy.
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| Game of Thrones Fan? These folks go to sci-fi conventions! |
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| To see more pics, click here. |
3. There is Something for Everyone – For the hard-core comic
book geek, there are dealers who specialize in the rare, mint-condition
collectibles. For the parents who are only
there because of their kids, you can find workshops and seminars on writing,
art, story-telling and the impact of comics on culture that will blow your mind
and pique your interest. And for the
little ones, Sunday is usually Kids’ Day, which can feature a costume parade,
special meet & greets with superheroes and displays that kids can get at
while parents take a break.
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| All Dressed Up and It's Not Even Halloween! |
4. Find The Next Cool Thing. If you like to get in on the goods before
everyone else, sci-fi conventions pride themselves on featuring some of the
best artists in a variety of fields, from hand-drawn art so detailed it will
leave your mind spinning to the latest graphic and sci-fi novels by up and
coming authors, you will find a cross-section of talent that is new, exciting
and accessible.
Illustrator
Extraordinaire Jason Lenox and I admiring the mad skills of Painter Extraordinaire Kyl El
5. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. Let loose. Put on a helmet. Ask a complete
stranger about their costume. Try
something different. One of the absolute
best things about comic/sci-fi conventions is that weird is normal and
unconventional is expected. It’s one of
the only places I’ve ever been where you can wear your insides out and be
celebrated for it. This is not a place
where you need to conform. In fact, you
are encouraged to bring your unique world view to the event, in the form of
your favorite anti-hero costume or a t-shirt that simply says “Leave Me Alone!” Whatever you want to do, whoever you want to
be is fine with us. Now where’s the last
public place you went where you could say that was true?
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| Me in a helmet, just because.... |
If you decide to take the plunge, the only survival tip I would give to you is this – decide your crowd-tolerance level and plan accordingly. If you don’t like crowds, early Thursdays and/or
Sundays are going to be the days for you. If your middle name is pandemonium,
then by all means, join the Saturday crush.
Either way, I hope to see you there!
Still feeling angsty? Ask me a question and I'll try to answer it below. :-)
* All pictures, except for the GoT folks, are my personal
photos from New York ComicCon, AwesomeCon DC, Baltimore ComicCon and C2E2 in Chicago.
**I will be exhibiting at Baltimore ComicCon from September 5-7th and New York ComicCon October 9-12th. Hope to see you there!
**I will be exhibiting at Baltimore ComicCon from September 5-7th and New York ComicCon October 9-12th. Hope to see you there!
