Denver Pop Culture Con 2019: Shae’s Recap

Written by Shae Rufe 

This year we saw several changes from the con we know and love. First, Denver Comic Con became Denver Pop Culture Con, encompassing more of the pop culture we all find ourselves drawn to. Second, Pop Culture Classroom moved from the side of the con, to become the centerpiece. If you didn’t notice, it was also close to the food court, and really, that is just genius. The set up was much larger than it has been in previous years, allowing more space for the kiddies and their activities.
 
So, Pop Culture Classroom helps promote literacy and it brings pop culture into schools, as well as the community. They provide camps, workshops, and after school programs that help children explore comics and pop culture through various avenues, such as art, and they do all this through various schools in Colorado. So, it was only fitting that their area has grown and will hopefully continue to do so. Kids were not only able to play around, draw, and test their Parkour skills this last weekend; they also got to meet celebrities and interact with them in ways most cons do not allow. While Sean Gunn offered acting advice, kids were able to ask him all sorts of questions about his career, including whether or not he knows all the Avengers and the Guardians. Later, Tara Strong did voices for characters, kids helped to create, bringing a new avenue for kids to explore their creativity.

While this is the first year of a new name, the con has been around for quite some time now. Being one of the largest in the country, you expect a certain feel for a con to have. Yet, the feel of this con was completely different from previous years. With layout and entrances changes, there was a lot more space to work with, but even that wasn’t truly it. The overall feel wasn’t necessarily ‘family’ in the traditional sense of the word. It felt more of a coming together. While DPCC is family friendly and bringing the kids is highly encouraged, this year felt as if the community itself came together. The weekend yielded a happy, togetherness, vibe that I didn’t know I was missing until this year. The happy aura of the con wasn’t just felt by me; many had commented throughout the weekend about how happy everything felt. As if some strange vibe had invaded the space. It was absolutely wonderful.

Beyond that, I noticed a lot more cosplays this year. Yes, there have been plenty of those through the years, and while the con still had its number of cosplay guests, this year also felt different on that. As if cosplay had transcended from all generations. The diverse range of cosplays was something I genuinely enjoyed seeing. From the most elaborate to the more simple, every cosplay looked stunning. Above all, every cosplayer looked to be having the time of their life. I’m not one to normally compliment strangers out of nowhere (this is indeed a boldfaced lie. I compliment everyone and have actually stopped complete strangers to ask where they got those cute shoes), and this year I spoke my mind and complimented every costume I could. The looks and smiles I got in return made the weekend completely worth it. Many cosplayers spend countless hours on their costumes, working hard on them, and even if they don’t make them from scratch, often enough the costume is modified somehow. This year all cosplayers put on their A game and were so proud to display their works!

From the celebrities, panels, authors, artists, merchants, and displays, this DPCC was the best I have ever had the pleasure to attend. There’s so much potential for even greater things and I cannot wait to see what more this con has to offer.

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