Fans unite at SLC Comic Con

Hello readers.

I hope everyone is warm and dry after the unusually wet, cold week we just had. I feel the chill in the air that signifies the onset of autumn and although it is my favorite season, it is sad to see our brief summer season draw to a close. There are many traditional reasons a person my enjoy fall: sweaters, the changing colors of the leaves, football, the approach of the holiday season, and, of course, pumpkin-flavored everything. I, however, have another reason to greet autumn with excitement.

Milling through a huge crowd, I noticed Hermione Granger keeping pace with Boba Fett and Lieutenant Uhura. Chewbacca’s towering height greets Spider Man as an old friend. All incarnations of the Doctor pass one another with a dignified greeting “Hello Doctor,” a slight nod of their heads in recognition of one another and universal attendees that surround them. Orcs, Predator, and other creatures that go bump in the night, mingle with Pokémon characters, Princess Bubblegum, and mermaids. You guessed it, I’m talking about Comic Con!

Salt Lake City Comic Con will take place Sept. 4-6 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. For those of you who may not be familiar with this event, it is a comic book convention, or at least that is how it began.

For three days, fans of all things nerdy can wonder in amazement in an awe-inspiring marketplace, attend celebrity panels, and of course, you’ll want to dress as a favorite character.

The first annual SLC Comic Con event hosted more than 70, 000 people, making it the largest inaugural Comic Con event in North America, as well as the largest convention ever held in Salt Lake City.

The April 2014 FanXperience event hosted more than 100,000 people, breaking its own previous records as well as making it the third-largest Comic Con event in the United States.

On the third and final day of the event we attended this past September, when my son and I got off the downtown transit, the lines to get inside the event wrapped around the convention center, twice.

The guest list for events like this can boggle the mind. Previous guests include, but are not limited to, Adam West (Batman 1966), William Shatner (Capt. Kirk, Star Trek), Stan Lee (comic book creator of Spider Man), Lou Ferrigno (The Hulk), and Patrick Stewart (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation).

Fans of iconic comic creators Marvel, DC, and many others are well represented. The convention is a celebration of comic books after all, as well as a celebration of our favorite superheroes and perhaps even super villains. The AMC mega hit “The Walking Dead” originated as a wildly popular, on-going graphic novel series. Other familiar characters started in some other format such as movies or novels and have been treated to the graphic novel/comic book makeover. Some examples of that include, “The Game of Thrones,” “Doctor Who,” “Maximum Ride,” and even “The Babysitter’s Club.” It comes as no surprise then to see authors, video game creators, artists, actors, paranormal investigative teams, and much more.

By far, one of the most popular attractions at an event of this caliber are the cosplayers. Cosplay is the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game. Traditionally the term applied to Japanese genres of manga and anime but that has expanded to include representations from all sources of pop culture.

I will dress up just for fun, but many dedicated fans will sink tons of time and money into elaborate and impressive cosplay designs. Those people will enter the cosplay contest to earn prizes and glory. Just to get an idea, I have planned out three cosplay designs.

On day one I will dress as Raphael, a member of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” On day two I will be Mario from “The Mario Bros.” video games. On day three I will be Princess Vanelope Von Schweets from the movie “Wreck it Ralph.” Because nobody wants to dress the same for all three days, and I’m a super fan of so many different topics.

If you can, attend this event. I recommend it for all people of all ages. If you can’t attend, I encourage you to watch for news coverage about this event as it unfolds. In the meantime, stop by the library to find your fan experience.

Whether it is zombies, fantasy, or gaming tips you seek, the Sweetwater County Library System is the place to discover what you’re passionate about.