Th e ina u g u ral Wi z ard Wo rl d R e n o C o m i c C o n b ro u g h t o u t & Photo fa ns o f al l d e s c ri p t i o n s —an d s p e c i e s Story by Anna Hart
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n a space filled with wandwaving, sword-wielding, capeflinging villains, warlocks, heroes and anime princesses, the inaugural Wizard World Reno Comic Con was an exhibition of some of the most recognizable icons in pop culture. From steampunk jewelry, to fantasy and horror books, to superhero emblems, it seemed every cultural niche was represented. Many of the small vendors brought booths packed with buttons, T-shirts, toys, and of course, comic books. Most ventured from out of town, traveling from convention to convention selling their custommade goods, comic collectibles, or simply obscure paraphernalia, like T-shirts for grammar aficionados. Outside of perusing all of the odds and ends for sale, the three-day event was packed with activities, ranging from sitting in on celebrity panels, to participating in a costume contest, to playing one of the board games in a game library set up in the middle of the room. A few of the events held were in conjunction with popular reality television shows. Conventiongoers had the chance to be tattooed by the cast of A&E’s Epic Ink or participate in sci-fi speed dating, a trend chronicled in TLC’s Geek Love. Even in the midst of all of this, there was still a local presence. One Northern Nevada influence came from a performance by the Tomo Club, one of the smaller groups formed from the Reno Video Game Symphony. Another came from R.S. Archey, a Reno author who brought his two selfpublished books, The Seven Spires and Crucible, to his booth. With
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elements of Arthurian legend, fairy tales, and even vampires in his works, Archey received a warm reception. “A lot of people came over just because I’m a local author,” said Archey. “But many are interested in the fantasy genre and others, when they hear the word ‘vampire,’ their eyes light up. Here, I feel like I’m with my people, like I’m right at home.” Cosplayers were everywhere. Cosplayers are those who spend hundreds of dollars—or the equivalent in blood, sweat, and tears—forming themselves into the likeness of their favorite fictional characters. Some, like Lady Snow Bird, dressed as anime character Princess Euphemia, commissioned someone else to make her costume. But many made their own. Keith, an engineer in the Army, spent more than a year and more than $2,000 making a Ghostbusters cosplay. Armed with resin, fiberglass and blueprints found online, Keith made his own replica of the suit and proton pack. Keeleigh West, in her first endeavor to craft a cosplay outfit, created a pair of mechanical wings out of PVC pipe, wire mesh and feathers. Functioning with a hidden lever system, West’s homemade wings raise and lower to complete her outfit as the character Castiel from the show Supernatural. Cosplay at the convention granted adults the chance to dress up in costume and have it be socially accepted. Ranging from Frankenweenie in a stroller to two vibrantly-youthful grandmothers dressed as Catwoman and Spiderman, costumes saw no age limit, gender, or even species. The convention’s greatest strength was the emphasis on socializing and
