Superheroes descended onto the streets of Nashville last month at Comic Con, presented by Wizard World. Thousands of Nashville natives and aspiring fans of movies, TV shows and comic books all flocked to the Music City Convention Center. Many of them dressed as their favorite characters.
So, moment of truth: there’s a little geek in all of us, and being at Comic Con was like walking into a world where your interests become a lifestyle. There was no judgment and only acceptance from the people around you. Seeing a seven-foot tree man walking around wasn’t unusual. High-fiving with the cast of Futurama was commonplace.
At one point, I saw Bob Ross painting Thor while Nightcrawler ran from the Ghostbusters. Believe it.
Our fellow superfans got together for more than dress-up. There were more celebrities in tow than any Hollywood TV show could shake a stick at. Who was there, might you ask? I saw Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden and Michael Dorn (all from Star Trek: The Next Generation), LeVar Burton (Reading Rainbow, as well as Star Trek: TNG), Eliza Dushku (Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jason David Frank (Tommy on Power Rangers), Michael Rooker (Merle Dixon on The Walking Dead), and William Shatner (like you need me to tell you who he is).
Fans were able to browse hundreds of booths and buy comic books, costumes, show and movie merchandise, bumper stickers, towels, pictures, paintings, autographed head shots, key chains, trophies, swords, T-shirts even a sugar bear pet! During every minute of the convention, you could also sit in on a seminar involving famous actors, creators, illustrators, choreographers and various aspects of the entertainment industry.
So, you might be on the fence about attending an event like this, or just think you’re too old, young, straight-laced or whatever. Well, every walk of life was represented at Nashville Comic Con and all were accepted. It was a wonderful culture where people put aside work and enjoyed the one thing they had in common—fandom.
Next year, as Comic Con comes through town again, you should certainly gear up, dress up and pony up, and go have a wonderful time.
For more information on Wizard World and the conventions it produces all over the county, visit wizardworld.com.
