Recently, I was able to enjoy a day at Greensboro Comicon 2018 with a good friend and her daughter. Initially, I was anxious because while I have attended quite a few cons at this point, my friend and her young daughter have not. Greensboro Comicon was located in the Greensboro Marriott in the heart of downtown.The major appeal of the con was special guest Greg Cipes, the voice of Beast Boy in Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!.
The convention area was very small and at moments too crowded, but the small size of the venue made it easy to navigate which was important since we had a child in toe. After walking into the first major exhibit area, it was easy to see just how accessible creators were to fans.
Traditionally, I do not attend a lot of panels during conventions and prefer to enjoy the action on the exhibition floor. Greensboro Comicon had a few different rooms with exhibitors with the first hall holding most of the major guests and subsequent halls for toy and comic vendors, and an artist alley for non-industry creatives.
While on the convention floor I got to converse with Rico Renzi, colorist of Marvel’s Spider-Gwen and Vertigo’s Goddess Mode. The laid back feel of the con made the conversation feel less rushed as opposed to other, larger conventions. While at Mega-Con I rushed to think of a sentence to even say to Scott Snyder since the organizers gave fans a time limit with creators. Instead, I was able to gush about Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, how much Spider-Gwen means to me with Renzi, and how excited I am for his newest projects.
Similarly, I got to have a conversation with Jeremy Whitley and speak candidly about the experience I have had reviewing Rainbow Brite. Small conventions like this are a great way to remind fans and creators how small the geek world really is despite how much it continues to grow.
The almost intimate nature of this convention was a great way to put faces to Twitter avatars. While I did not visit Greg Cipes’ booth, his infectious voice could be heard across the room. Outside of his panel, he was enjoying visiting with fans by taking pictures and video.
The convention was very kid friendly and most of the staff, exhibitors and cosplayers were very welcoming. Despite being a smaller convention, I saw a lot of elaborate cosplays. The hall even had a booth specifically acting as a cosplay hospital for fans in need a repair.
However, I will say since I have had to navigate cons using a mobility device before, I do not think the convention was wheelchair friendly enough and I do not think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much if I was using a chair. I do hope to see more accessibility in the future.
Overall, Greensboro Comicon was an exceptionally fun time and well worth the low price of admission. It was unfortunate the event staff had to cancel the last day due to inclement weather but I look forward to seeing what future guests take part in next year’s event. This is a fantastic convention for families as well as those new to the convention scene. Starting with a smaller con like this is less intimidating than trying to see all of a larger convention.
