Fort Collins Comic Con 2019 – John’s Recap

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

Sometimes, the changing of the seasons makes one wistful and reflective, and as the convention season begins its proverbial sunset in 2019 and summer prepares to make way for fall, I find myself pondering upon all the cons I’ve attended this year. But as I reflect upon another magnificent year of nerdiness and autographs and vendor rooms, I also find myself thinking about what exactly it is that draws me to a particular convention. Because I did attend far fewer cons this year, simply because not every single one of them had me as excited as the handful that I went to.
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That’s not meant to be an insult by any means, because I know I’m not alone in picking and choosing where I spend my time since there are so many cons to attend in the state of Colorado. But to have the fun I had this year and find great joy in the ones that I attended, means that the ‘chosen ones’ were truly something special. Which really begs the questions, what is it that keeps us coming back to a particular con year after year? What is it they do that is so supremely unique and special? Well I’d wager that results vary based on an individual’s nerdy needs but for me, it comes down to two key elements; the experience as a whole and a sense of belonging.

Which is why I’m such a fan of Fort Collins Comic Con because it accomplishes both of those things in my mind. For it creates a grandiose experience by prompting myself and my friends to plan for a baby road trip up north, the kind that means snacks and drinks and music and good conversation and that in turn, builds anticipation for FCCC since the topic eventually turns to the con and what we will find there, prompting one to count down the minutes until you see the Fort Collins exit on the highway and let’s be honest, what nerd doesn’t feel butterflies as they get closer and closer to their geeky mecca for the weekend?

But it is what causes those butterflies that matters the most since the con itself is what we live for, especially when it feels like you belong there and that’s really the best part of Fort Collins Comic Con. Because the instant I walk through those doors everything feels like home, and that’s compounded by the fact that I have old friends to visit with once I step onto the vendor room floor and well, you can’t ask for much more than that from a convention. Because that sense of wonder is what we all experienced at our first convention, and it’s one we wish to replicate when we go to a new one and any event that can make that happen is worth its weight in gold in my opinion, and that’s why I keep taking the time to come back to this con year after year.

Because it just reminds us of why we go to conventions in the first place, and its down-home feel and relaxed environment make it a mid con-season palate cleanser. The kind that re-energizes a con goer and gets you ready to roll when it comes to whatever show is on your agenda next and that’s why this convention is important in its own right. For in the midst of a world of conventions that cater to every sub-genre and topic known to nerds and geeks, it’s necessity to have one that reinforces our love of fandoms and conventions and everything in-between and that’s why I’m thankful we have Fort Collins Comic Con in our proud state, since it accomplishes all those things, and I’ll definitely be counting down the days until it returns next year. 

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