As a rookie of covering events of its kind and an outsider to the comic book world, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center to cover Boston Comic Con 2015.
The first thing that struck me was how into it people were. Everyone knows these kinds of conventions attract die-hard fans and that these fans show up in full costumes. But knowing that isn’t the same as actually seeing it. There was something enchanting about actually seeing these people who weren’t just people, but warriors, animals, fairies, superheroes and more. Each outfit was more intricate than the next, and as much of a die-hard fan of some shows as I am myself, I couldn’t fathom spending however much time or money on a costume for one weekend, then having the courage to wear it, critics be darned.
And speaking of critics, there’s a stigma about these costume-wearing Comic Con goers (especially those known as Cosplayers) and the fact that they’re dressed up. They’re geeks. The full costume is strange and excessive. But whatever you think about it, consider this: their decision to spend money and time on going to the convention and donning a costume to experience it in that way comes from one place above all: a place of passion. And whatever form it takes, passion is nothing to frown upon. Pursuing our passions makes us happy and the happier each individual in a society is, the happier and friendlier a society.
Just a little more in that philosophical and perhaps over-analytical line of thinking…
If someone asked you to describe an image of a Comic Con geek, you’d probably say something like “a skinny white pre-teen with glasses and social awkwardness.” Sure, there’s some that seem to fit the bill, but there’s more to them than that and there’s more to the Comic Con attendee population than that. This is the second thing that struck me — that despite what you might think, the people I saw there ran an incredible gamut. There were white people, Asians, Indians, African-Americans, Latinos. There were men and women. Big people, small people. Children, teens, young professionals, Baby Boomers and elderly folks. People who looked like they could be jocks, goths, average Joes. Couples, friends, families, people flying solo, like myself. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many different people in one place — as is the case not only with the whole convention but even just within one particular panel. The fact that Comic Con has brought together so many different-looking and different-seeming people is remarkable to me.
A third observation I find intriguing, which was made by a friend, was what Comic Con means for the people who are more of the stereotypical Con geek — those socially awkward people who can spit out show/comic trivia for hours but don’t know when to not do so or what else to talk about. Comic Con enables them to be as social as they want to be. For one, because they’re surrounded by others like them so they don’t have to worry about going off on a Star Trek tangent. In one of the events Friday, Geek standup comic Tom Franck joked, “Conventions are where people go to escape a place where people in their lives don’t understand them, so they can hang out with like-minded people — the conventions have become a gay cruise.” Franck was specifically talking about Anime conventions but I think it works for Comic Con too.
And the second reason Comic Con helps the socially awkward be more social is because, as my friend said, their costume provides them confidence and perhaps a shield. Through that persona, they are better able to talk to the many people eager to meet them — whether they’re Spider-Man, Superman, an Anime character, a Batman villain or whoever.
Other observations
1. Comic Con attendees can dance. There was a free party Friday night in an outdoor space of the WTC. Superman was the DJ and the dance floor was busy all night. Spider-Man and the Flash had a dance-off, two Flashes had a dance-off. Deadpool broke it down. Yellow Jacket got in on the action at some point, too. Everyone danced the night away and many of them could legitimately move quite well. And when people weren’t dancing, they were swapping pictures with their favorite other characters. (Mine was Alex Vause, from Orange is the New Black). Poison Ivy got a lot of photo attention from partiers.
2. The most popular costumes, as far as I’ve seen, appear to be Deadpool and Harley Quinn. There are also a ton of Agent Carters, Dr Whos, and of course Spider-Mans, Captain Americas and other avengers.
3. There are not only A LOT of attendees, there are also a lot of artists. On the ground floor of the WTC convention center is where the artists and merchandisers are. The room is massive. You could probably spend the whole day there alone, walking up and down the aisles of vendors offering comic books, comic book art, photographs, clothes, toys, and so much more. It’s there that the people behind these great stories, the comic book writers and artists are interacting with fans, selling their creations, signing autographs and just sharing their passion and expertise. When I discovered this section of Comic Con, I was blown away. It may not be my speed, but it was pretty awesome to see the size of the comic book industry and what it contains. I couldn’t tell you how many vendors there are, but suffice it to say it’s a lot — and that’s only at this particular convention. I can tell you this: if you’re interested in the idea of comics but haven’t been exposed to it, there’s a big world waiting for you. All you have to do is dive into a new experience and if my first-time Comic Con experience is any indication, you’ll be happily surprised at what you find.