With Florida Supercon quickly approaching this week, I thought I’d give my opinion of comic con’s and why I enjoy attending them. Oftentimes people ask me why I go or what I find so fun about them. For those of us submerged in the geeky culture, there is no question, but for others that are unaware, I thought I would shed some light.
The atmosphere at most comic book conventions is very accepting and loving. For many of us geeks, expressing ourselves fully is not always an option. Either we do not know people with similar interests or in my case, our busy schedules get in the way of being a full-time fangirl/boy. At conventions, we are free to be ourselves and embrace full blown geekery 24/7. It’s truly a thing of beauty. I have yet to meet someone at a convention that judged others or was not 100% smiles. There is full freedom of expression, and honestly, there are very few places or events that can say the same. It’s almost like being at a huge geeky frat party (sans high-levels of douche).
For those that are a little less apt to approach others, I feel like a convention opens doors to better socialization. You are less likely to feel intimidated to compliment someone when you are both wearing Doctor Who shirts, right? I mean, right off the bat, you know someone shares a similar interest, which is always the most difficult aspect to pinpoint when chatting up a stranger. With the bigger conventions, you are also able to meet some of your favorite vendors and artists. This is personally one of the highlights of my con experiences! You can read about all the amazing people I met at MegaCon here.
Finally, you get to shop till you drop! Conventions are prime real estate for geeky memorabilia you can’t find elsewhere most of the time. Depending on the size and popularity of the convention, you can find some pretty amazing vendors, like my personal favorite, We Love Fine! Since it is a special event, they also tend to throw in either discount for current purchases or future ones, or have exclusive items that you will only be able to find at that particular convention. Definitely something to get excited about!
So there you have it: some of the reasons I love convention season!
If you feel the same, I hope to see you this weekend! I’ll be cosplaying for the first time, so make sure to say hi if you see me!
