BY TYLER MEDEIROS
The fourth annual Kitchener Comic Con took place on March 3. The event was a two-day experience that brought artists, fans, gamers and writers to Kitchener City Hall.
“I travel around these cons a lot but it’s always nice to come to Kitchener because everyone just gets so into the nerd spirit,” said Laura Suen, owner and founder of Fire and Steel, a premium retailer for specialty blades and traditional weaponry.
The Kitchener event featured free admission and was a place where you could dress up as your favourite character or just walk around for an hour or two buying paraphernalia from your favourite shows or books. If your feet got tired you could also sit back and relax while playing a wide variety of fighting games supplied by KW Gamers.
“It’s so nice to see people who are genuinely interested in the gear I am selling. I honestly love talking to people in-depth about a specific sword when they actually care about it,” Suen said, adding, “The con experience is a very gratifying one as it shows that other people are just as nerdy as you are and there is no reason to feel embarrassed about it.
The 31 Canadian Brigade Group, an army reserve formation of the 4th Canadian Division, also attended the event alongside Flag Raiders Paintball to ask for support by either signing up for the reserve or making a donation to help our troops.
Artist Jonathan Barker said, “People have an open source for sharing their talents at this event, it’s why I am able to sit down at a table and sell my art. It is important for people to be able to see that there is a way to interact with the people that are buying your art.”
Having a place to go where no one will judge you is exactly what most cons strive to achieve. They want everyone to come out to the event and feel free to be themselves and interact with other visitors.
People were also encouraged to sit in on multiple panels that covered topics including writing comic books, drawing art and even how to make your own costume. Even Conestoga’s very own CJIQ was reporting live from the event and giving away a basket of candy to one lucky winner.
Two gaming tournaments were held during the event where gamers could compete head to head and show off their skills at Dragon Ball FighterZ and Super Smash Bros. These tournaments were held by KW Gamers and offered a nice challenge to all who entered.
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