Denver Comic Con 2016 - Day Two Recap

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Every single con that we geeks attend with glee, has a certain feel and a certain atmosphere to it. You simply know what you're getting when you walk through the door and there's nothing wrong with that. After all, there's a reason we attend these events, because they evoke a certain memory or feeling.  

But is it entirely possible for a convention to reinvent itself out of the blue? Can a con create new feelings and new memories all in the span of a single year? The answer is yes, because Denver Comic Con managed to pull off such feats this past weekend and in the process make itself it a bigger and better convention and truthfully, I hadn't quite noticed the evolution of DCC until Saturday afternoon when I looked out at the endless rows of artist and vendor booths; all packed to the brim with smiling and happy attendees.  

That was of course the first real big change that I noticed for DCC this year, the fact that I have never seen it this busy, and with a preliminary number of 114,900 in attendance, I shouldn't be that surprised, but there was something incredible about seeing that many fans packed into one place, all of them searching for that perfect gift or collectible, or autograph because Celebrity Summit was equally as busy. I can't think of a celebrity guest line that wasn't spilling out onto the floor anytime I walked by, and while often times busy often results in frustration from attendees unable to get to where they need to go, that was another change I noticed for this year's show...it was extremely relaxed.

Yes, despite the fact that the con was in the midst of its busiest year to date, it was more or less entirely stress free. I knew where everything was, I knew exactly how and when to get there and in a way, the crowd energized the experience. Everywhere I turned there were giant smiles to be found as people took in the sights, marveled at amazing cosplays and the fact that no one else seemed rushed, or flustered only helped contribute to the relaxed atmosphere of the day and well, I think the credit for creating an environment such as this goes to the Denver Comic Con volunteers and staff because without them, none of this would be possible. Their tireless work and endless planning brought forth the final big change I noticed for the con this year; the fact that although this is only the fifth year of the show, this weekend it felt like it had been around for so much longer.

From the look of the show, to the knowledge of the people working it, you'd never know this was such a young con if you were a first year attendee and well, I have to say I'm impressed. When I got home Saturday, I felt excited and energized for Sunday and most importantly, I was in awe of the fact that a convention I have attended since day one could make these kinds of incredible leaps and bounds in such a short time and it only means that DCC 2017 and beyond...are only going to become all the more incredible. But before I get too far ahead of myself, there was still one day left of this amazing show to attend, and that's where we will pick up next time. Until then. 

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