Comic Con–Why I Don’t Think it is a Waste to Go

For his birthday this year, my husband got a pass to go to the Salt Lake City Comic Con. We had gone last year and really enjoyed it, so at the last minute (after finding out I could get a discounted ticket because of him) we decided to go together on Friday, even though I had a list of things to do about as tall as the Empire State Building. However, I think it was worth it. Here are some reasons I don’t find things like Comic Con a waste of time and money.

1- You find you are not alone. Sometimes you start feeling like you are the only one who really likes Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings, or whatever your fandom might be. You feel like maybe you should have outgrown it by now, or you should hide it from others. When you go to Comic Con, you are surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands (or maybe hundreds of thousands) of people with the same interests, and most of them are your age or older! And best of all, they are not afraid to show it. It’s a very reassuring feeling.

2- It fuels creativity. You can get all sorts of inspiration at Comic Con. I get inspired by all the different authors there. I also feel the creative juices flowing by all the awesome costumes I see. I didn’t dress up this year for multiple reasons, but I would like to some day. I daydream about the day that I will go to Comic Con and see people walking around dressed as characters from Aviandria. I think that would be just about the coolest thing ever.

3- Experiences you can’t find just anywhere. It’s hard to forget that moment when an adult lady in a perfect Wonder Woman costume walks up to a little girl dressed as wonder woman and asks to get a picture with her, or the look on the face of a little boy dressed up in a Darth Vader jacket see his very first real-life stormtrooper. Those are moments those children will never forget. My husband got the opportunity to meet his very favorite author and actually talk with him for a few minutes. I didn’t get to meet any of my very favorite authors there (most of them are rather dead), but it was still kind of awesome to be among some of the great ones.

I don’t regret the time I spent at Comic Con. It was a fun adventure for our family and it is something we will remember for a long time yet. Maybe someday I will be a featured author there (I wish) but until then, I will go to visit and have fun for myself.

What places or events do you go to for fun? What is your favorite thing about them?