I’m a homemade cookie kind of grandma not really a pop culture grandma. Nonetheless, I was among the thousands of comic con fans, cosplayers, podcasters, and vendors who descended on the Mid-America Convention Center on July 13, 2018, for Omaha, Nebraska’s O Comic Con.
My first ever comic convention brought a culture shock similar to my move to Germany—a whole new world.
What drew me there? My oldest son, Matt, had been hired to take convention photos.
Matt is the owner of GregRon Photography in Colorado Springs, CO, and having him only 2 hours away instead of 9 was an opportune time to see him. My daughter and grandson drove up from Arkansas and we made the weekend a family event. My youngest son joined us for his first time at a comic con as well.
If you’re not familiar with comic conventions, they started as a way to enjoy comic book culture and connect fans with creators and other experts.
Superheroes are big business, from comic books to movies to retailers. Vendors and artists selling their wares filled the convention center arena. Fans come dressed as their favorite characters. Meeting creators and getting their pic taken with their fav creator or superhero cosplayer is an event highlight for them.
O Comic Con
Today’s cons aren’t restricted to comic book culture but encompass everything pop culture, from comic books to sci-fi to anything animated. Kids galore scurried through the hallways, many of them decked out in superhero costumes. Even the dogs were decked out.
Plenty of adults dressed up, too. And my grandkids and kids patiently fielded my constant “Who’s that?” and “What show is that character from?”
Fans take this seriously. Very seriously. The event boasted a costume contest on Saturday night. Cosplayers strutted their stuff on the catwalk and many yelled out their character’s standard lines to impress the judges. The audience rewarded them with plenty of cheers.
Among the creator guests was Nebraska native, artist and writer Bob Hall. I admit, I was clueless (sorry, Bob).
But fans would instantly recognize his name as he has drawn, at one time or another, Marvel’s Captain America, Spiderman, Thor, and The Mighty Avengers. He also created a series of Batman graphic novels for DC Comics.
Other creators present were Phil Hester, and Bruce McCorkindale who has done work for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
(I should have read the official program while I was at the con! Would have loved to see these artists’ amazing work.)
Do Klingons Like Chocolate?
While I’m not so much into superheros, I am a fan of Star Trek and Star Wars. I cleaned up at the Klingon Jeopardy event.
I was 10 when Star Trek released in September 1966. Had I read any Ray Bradbury at that point in my life? I doubt it. But I had my first crush on Captain Kirk. Only one other person playing Klingon Jeopardy had grown up with the original Star Trek. We both came away big winners of Klingon chocolates.
I’m not in the habit of taking selfies (I’m 62, I forget my phone is also a camera), and the thought never even occurred to me. But now, I regret not getting a photo with Darth Vadar or the Klingon. Don’t ask me his name. He said it, but I couldn’t pronounce it, let alone spell it.
I hung out in the game room with my grandkids. We enjoyed supper at restaurants I’d never been to. I tagged along with my photographer son and met the friends he’s made who work in this industry. I came home having enjoyed a new experience and precious time with my kids and grandkids who I don’t see often enough because we live so far apart.
If I attend next year, I might splurge and dress up as Captain Janeway.
My Take Away
Why have I written all this? Besides having a little fun, I wanted to show how what we write can impact those who read, view, or listen to our creations.
Did Gene Roddenberry imagine the world of science fiction movies and TV shows that his creation Star Trek would birth? Did the Marvel and DC Comics creators realize how their comic books would impact readers and today’s entertainment media?
Be encouraged! Write the words God has given you to write. Whether fiction or nonfiction, faith-based or general, your words have an impact beyond any you might ever envision.
Visit GregRon Photography to learn about hiring them for your event. All GregRon photographs from this event are copyrighted, but available for purchase.
Loved your sharing and pictures! Thanks for the judge to hit, “Publish”.
That is so true! I know I need to guard my tongue more! This article was definitely thought provoking. We all need to remember to “write the words God has given you to write.”
Catherine, glad you liked it. And whether we mention God or not in our books, they can still be the words He has given us to write.
Looks like a fun time. It reminds us of the various ways of expressing with words.
Sheriena, it was fun. It really did drive home to me that while we hope our words will impact lives, those words can have an impact we never could imagine. The goes for the words we speak. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21 NASB).