A hit at the Phoenix Comicon
DAMSEL OF THE HAWK
Curse of the Lost Isle Book 7
by Vijaya Schartz
If
you like Sci-fi and fantasy, you are probably a geek, and you are not alone. On
June 2-5, over 90,000 people braved the 115-degree heat to attend the
2016 Phoenix Comicon, and discover their inner geek. And it was worth
it. The city had to close some roads for the block parties, and the
heavy construction on 7th Street made traffic a nightmare, but that did
not stop the fans.
I
attended as an exhibitor, signing my novels at a small table with my
author friend in geekdom, Linda Andrews. This was our third Phoenix
Comicon together, and it has been the best so far. We were ensconced
between two booths with tall displays of graphic art, with the artist
selling on one side, and another drawing caricatures as your
favorite character. For four days, we watched the crowd, many in full
costumes, cruise by our modest display. Many of the vendors sold
costumes, wigs, light sabers, and all the geeky paraphernalia you can
only find in specialized shops and at Comicon. And among all these
convention goers, there were readers. Some only stopped to admire the
covers, but others actually liked to read good sci-fi or fantasy books.
You meet some interesting characters, some funny, and some scary. I particularly liked these two:
Fans
could take selfies with their favorite DC character in authentic
costume, there were contests for the largest group of the same character
Cosplay. Fans attended panels with their favorite sci-fi movie stars.
Everyone had a blast. This is heaven for gamers, artists, writers, readers, and
fans.
I
was honored to be singled out by a famous Cosplay character, the best
in his trade, a local celebrity in full costume, impersonating "Ex
Excessive." I love the concept as well as the costume. Who wouldn't fall
for these gorgeous black wings. He is local, his name is Trevor Gahona,
and he gave me one of his roses. You can see it as a red dot of color
on my table. Here is one of his official pictures in costume taken at
the convention. What did I tell you?
In
other words, I had a fantastic Phoenix Comicon, and I'll be back next
year for sure. This event is a highlight of the year. I loved it. Hope
to see you there next year.
Vijaya Schartz, author
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
