Ever since I started getting into fandom life, I've wanted to go to a comic/sci-fi convention. They always seemed like a really, really fun place to be, surrounded by fellow fangirls who for once aren't being judged for loving a fictional universe. Unfortunately, despite being a fangirl for almost three years, and getting myself involved with multiple fandoms in the process, I had never been to one.
That changed this weekend, when I went to MegaCon 2016 in Orlando, Florida. One of the biggest fan conventions in the state, MegaCon is where fans, celebrities, cosplayers and vendors come together to celebrate fictional universes from multiple different entertainment mediums. There were fans of different comic books (and their movie adaptations), sci-fi/fantasy TV shows, anime, video games and more. It was like stepping into a different world, one where it was actually okay to be a fangirl. Here's a rundown of the different things that I saw in my first fan convention.
The Cosplays
Cosplaying has become a staple at most comic/anime conventions. People come together to dress up as different variations of their favorite characters, and some dressed up as iconic objects from their favorite comic/TV show/movie/etc. Many people came as Deadpool or Spider-Man (and one couple dressed as Deadpool and Spider-Man), and all of the costumes ended up being incredibly detailed and well-done. At a panel regarding cosplay, high-profile cosplayers Ireland Reid and Leanna Vamp discussed the amount of time, energy, and money that goes into making costumes for their cosplay (as well as trying to get props through TSA). For me, the most impressive cosplays were the ones where they looked almost exactly like the person they were trying to convey.
Celebrity Guests
Convention Q+As are the closest the majority of us will ever get to meeting our favorite celebrities. It's also where many celebrities will announce their latest projects, secrets about past projects and more. There were voice actors, sci-fi icons like William Shatner, and stars of popular TV shows and movies.
The highlight of my MegaCon experience was seeing Billie Piper in her Q+A Friday night. She is someone who has a reputation of being polite and really sweet during panels, and I was surprised by how accurate that reputation is. It was an example of what I had always dreamed a panel would be like. During the panel, she admitted that John Barrowman (Jack Harkness) was the prankster on the set of Doctor Who, and she admitted that she would love to do Big Finish (the Doctor Who audiobook series) with David Tennant if given the chance. At the end of her panel, she announced that she would be with David Tennant at the MegaCon convention in Tampa. Nevertheless, it was pretty hard to contain myself throughout the entirety of the panel.
Vendors
Because there's nothing more fun than spending all your money on unique and cool manifestations of your fandom(s). And the things sold (and made) were really unique, things that you could never find at your typical Hot Topic or Game Stop. In the back of the vendors area, there was multiple people selling homemade art, figures, and more. One of these people were "Punk Rock White Trash", where characters from different TV shows and movies were handmade via knitting (seen above). Also sold were books about being in a fandom, sketches of different characters, and homemade figures. It was amazing seeing people make money off of creating fanart, something that is a major part of fandoms.
I would highly recommend going to a convention like MegaCon, especially if you're new to fandom life. It's one of the only places where I've been where I am fully surrounded by those just as nerdy as I am. Conventions are magical, and it was one of the best experiences I've had since I started blogging about fandom life. It's where creativity and fandom life thrives, and I can't wait for my next convention.
