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ComicCons the world over serve many purposes. But the main purpose, and one that reaches us to the core here at Yell! Magazine, is that they, like us, provide a place where all realms of subcultures collide. Whether you’re into superheroes or Manga, Horror or Sci-Fi, comic books or graphic novels, board games or card games, or just video games, you can find it all at a comic convention. Even for those of you who are only minimally into any given subculture, you’re sure to find a beloved celebrity guest hanging around to snap pics with, get autographs, and even a hug to last a lifetime (this hardcore fangirl nearly cried when she got to hug one of her movie heroes, Tom Savini).
And though the halls are often filled with fans lining up for hours in order to sneak a peek of a childhood hero, or celebrity crush, we know that at their core, ComicCons are for those of us who love all aspects of the subcultures, not just the cute actors. It is for this reason that after spending a rewarding, but exhausting three days at the Montreal ComicCon, I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 reasons we love ComicCons, that will satisfy hardcore and lightweight nerds alike.
Enjoy.
[Editor’s note: This list of the Top 10: Reasons We Love ComicCons is also a very nerdy Top 10: Reasons That Start With The Letter ‘C’ We Love ComicCons.]
No.10 Celebrities
I don’t care if you’re a horror buff, a Sci-Fi nerd, or a closet cheesy TV show addict, there will be someone for you to geek out over at your local ComicCon. While you won’t find Brangelina here (and who would want to, anyway), there are always big names within our realms that provide enough excitement to have even the most stoic geek (I know, total oxymoron right? Heh, heh, heh) creaming his or her Superman jammies (if that happens though, don’t worry! You can buy a new pair a few booths down).
There are a few celebrity staples that hit up the Con circuit every couple of years. This list usually include Elvira, Bruce Campbell, Tom Savini, Lloyd Kaufman, and Gunnar Hansen, but every so often, we can catch a glimpse of someone like William Shatner or Malcolm McDowell. They don’t do Cons often, but when they do, you better get in line early, and make sure your wallet is full, because they’re only available for autographs and pics for a limited amount of time, and they can be quite pricey.
No.9 Collectibles
Vendor booths abound at ComicCons, and you can find everything your geeky, little heart desires. And I’m not even talking comics here. You want a $400 limited-edition Jason Voorhees hockey mask in an oak showcase with glass viewing window? Done! Vintage Star Wars action figures still in the original packaging? No problem! Three-foot Buffy The Vampire Slayer Spike statue? Absolutely! There are discontinued Living Dead Dolls, superhero body jewelry, T-shirts, hoodies, bathrobes, slippers, pillows, and jammies galore.
If you can dream it up, you can be pretty much guaranteed to find it at a ComicCon.
As with the celebrities, though, you better make sure that you have enough cash to go around, because a collector geek can get lost in a world of wondrous things at conventions and go broke in a matter of minutes (I’ll be eating ramen noodles for a week…).
No.8 Chicks
Ah, the female form. It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it? For the male (or lesbianic) geek, ComicCons are a literal wet dream come true. Have you ever wondered what your favorite (read into this whatever you want, perv) female video game character would look like in real life? Well, at a ComicCon you can fill your dirty little mind, and camera, with a year’s worth of stimulation inspiration. I promise! There are babes of every color (and trust me, I don’t mean black or white), height, weight, and bra-size, walking around in costumes that are either barely there or painted on.
See our ComicCon gallery for some glimpses of the latex ladies Montreal had to offer this weekend. They’re all ready, willing and able to give you a little dry-hump if you get your picture taken with them. They eat that shit up. ComicCon ladies: We salute you! [Writer’s note: You would not BELIEVE the number of websites devoted to masturbation euphemisms!]
No.7 Q&As
(Ok, so it doesn’t start with C, but phonetically speaking, it sounds the same): For those of us whose geekity goes deeper than just watching what’s on the screen or reading what’s in the books, throughout any ComicCon weekend you can find numerous panels to whet your nerditite.
You can get up close and personal with your favorite actors, as most celebrity guests will do Q&A panels, where you can ask whatever questions have been burning deep inside your brain. That way, when you get home, you can spout your uber-geek knowledge to all your friends who weren’t cool enough to attend the celebrity panels. There are few things in this world that make a super fan happier than being able to show up other friends with useless trivia that no one else knows. True fact. I do it too. But I’m getting away from the topic here.
There are a lot of other cool classes and shows you can find at any ComicCon. These include things like comic book drawing classes, movie and TV show screenings, fashion shows, droid-building courses, and a whole whackload of other cool shit.
No.6 Costumes
Until you’ve actually been to a ComicCon, you will never be able to fully understand or appreciate the amount of time and effort the majority of cosplayers put into their costumes. They, in themselves, are a reason to shell out the cash for a day at a Con.
You haven’t lived until you’ve been chased through a group of people by a guy in a life-sized Dalek costume (if you don’t know what a Dalek is, shame on you! Go look it up), or felt like an ant among giants as you passed beneath the elbow of an 8-foot tall Incredible Hulk who’s stopped in the middle of a packed room to smile as people take pictures. This ain’t your grandma’s costume ball. This is Halloween on Steroids with a protein shake thrown in for good measure. The costumes are dazzling, overwhelming, and holy-fuck-how-did-they-do-that-ing.
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