Recently, we attended Motor City Comic Con and
I have to say that I don’t remember it being so insane. The last time we attended, 5 or so years ago, I felt the convention was a good size with a great guest line up. Flash forward to 2017 and Motor City Comic Con can give the conventions on the coasts a run for their money.
Motor City Comic Con has an impressive list of guests from both the comic industry and television/movies. Though not the crush of humanity that is New York Comic Con, Motor City was very crowded. The lines for some of the media guest were ridiculously long but it is worth waiting to give fans an up-close meeting with their favorite stars. As press some of the lines were too long to even consider waiting just to snap a quick photo and ask a question or two before moving into the next line.
Aside from all the guests Motor City Comic Con has a massive dealer’s area where you can pick up anything from back issues of Spider-Man to real swords. I have to say that I am tired of Pop figures. Almost every dealer was selling those little pieces of vinyl crack, some as low as 5 bucks. I guess if you are into them you may have thought you died and went to Heaven, but I digress.
One of the most enjoyable things about attending a convention, at least for me, is looking at the cosplayers. There were so many people in costume I could have spent the entire day just snapping photos. There were several Spider-Man (Men), 8 Star-Lords, a couple of Hellboys and a large number of Star Wars cosplayers. I believe for the most part the Star Wars folks were with the group from the 501st. Personally, I still don’t know how you can be comfortable in Stormtrooper armor.
The best thing about Motor City Comic Con was seeing the families walking around the convention floor. Some of the families even managed group costumes. I was glad to see parents who want to share their geekiness with their children. There was one little guy about 5 years old who obviously came up with his own costume idea. He wore a nice Batman costume but instead of the cowl this kid wore a Darth Vader helmet. I guess being the Batman isn’t good enough; the kid wanted to be Darth Batman.
Motor City Comic Con has an anime screening room, panels with the guests who talk about their shows and books. One of the events we sat in on was Dirk Manning’s talk about getting into the comic biz. According to Mr. Manning, sometimes all it takes to be an overnight sensation is a decade or so and a set schedule. Also, having a little talent doesn’t hurt either.
In all seriousness had I realized the convention was that large I would have taken all 3 days for coverage. Next year I will plan accordingly and book a hotel. Motor City Comic Con happens at the best time of year, not too hot or too cold. If you have always wanted to go to one of the “Big Shows” but it is too far to drive to the coast, consider Motor City. Keep an eye on their website to see what guests will be in attendance next year and I hope to see you there.
