By: the Collectress & the Collected Mutineer
We attended the first-ever Comic Con Revolution a few weekends ago, and thought the brand new addition to California cons was (for the most part) a great success! Read on for our highlights of the Ontario event.
PILLOWS. Yes, pillows.
come join the Revolution!! Ontario Convention Center @comicconrevolution #comicconrevolutionIf you’re familiar with our blog, by now you must know that I have a deep love for all things Loki, Tom Hiddleston, and squishy. Yes, squishy. I love cute and comfy things, and the Collectress and I even obtained adorable Supernatural pillows at the last SPN convention we attended. Imagine my delight when we encountered Epic Pillow Fight’s booth at CCR.
Artists’ Alley is always one of my convention experience highlights, as I have an ever-growing fan art collection—but these adorable pillows created by Cha just blew me away. She’s got everything from Loki (complete with headpiece!) to Wonder Woman to Deadpool. These one-of-a-kind pillows are incredibly soft, super cute, amazingly nerdy, and Cha was a delight to talk to. Be sure to check out her website, and find her behind booth K27 at Anime Expo 2017.
Cosplay Scene
At CCR, I decided to forego my usual role of photographer and just immerse myself in the cosplay scene for the day. Every person the Collectress and I came in contact with was wonderful and courteous, and we even met up with some cosplay friends. I was curious, however, how a brand new con would handle the usual problems that tend to hound cosplayers. We’ve written in the past about “cosplay is not consent” and how conventions with lots of signage regarding harassment tend to be more cosplay and family friendly. Although neither of us encountered any problems beyond one or two people taking photos without asking, we did hear a story from one cosplayer about how she was felt up and nearly accosted by an inebriated con-goer. Luckily, her friends and some surrounding people got her away from the situation and to a safer location. We aren’t sure what happened to the drunk man, but no further incidents seem to have been reported.
Regardless of the con you visit, as an attendee or a cosplayer, it’s important to remember that if you see something, you need to say something. Every convention is bound to have a few rotten apples, and it’s our duty as decent people to help prevent others from feeling harassed or uncomfortable. Overall, my experience at CCR was positive and my fellow cosplayers were great to be around—but I do hope that next year, the peeps in charge will do more to ensure a great time for everyone.
Parking
@covervephoto
(@comicconrevolution) on May 17, 2017 at 1:28pm PDTWith nearly 6,000 attendees, Comic Con Revolution swung big in its first year and hit a homerun. However, with 6,000 attendees at a smaller convention center (the Ontario Convention Center is little more than a quarter of the size of the Anaheim Convention Center), this means that the halls can get packed, and quickly. The Mutineer & I live barely ten minutes away from this convention center, so we took our time getting ready that morning and assumed that parking would be as simple to find as it had been at Anime Los Angeles, the only other convention we’ve attended at this location.
We were very, very wrong.
Arriving at the convention center scarcely an hour after it started proved to be the time when everyone else was arriving also. Whereas at ALA we parked only a few meters from the door, at CCR we had to park across the street and through the woods, halfway to Mordor. Later, we found out that there was another event being held in the convention center, so by the early afternoon the other event had ended and the convention hall was much roomier.
Next year, however, we’re getting there earlier.
Prism Comics
I first discovered Prism Comics at Palm Springs Comic Con last fall, and as one of the few LGBTQ+ comic publishers I’m aware of, I was drawn to them like my gay bestie is drawn to brunch. Read: it was irresistible. Though many of the works displayed at their table in the exhibition hall were comics, I was compelled to purchase this book of indigenous LGBT scifi.
I also bought a book about cats for the Mutineer because, well, her Patronus is a cat.
Aaaand I also bought this super awesome shopping bag.
Prism Comics has some amazing works, and if you’re interested in seeing more of their stuff, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter.
Defense Against the Dark Arts Panel
The Collectress: Since we spent a good portion of the morning looking for parking, we did not have the opportunity to attend as many panels as we would have liked. After spending a few hours of the afternoon chatting with other convention attendees and touring the convention floor, we made it to the panel titled “Defense Against the Dark Arts”, which was not about Harry Potter, we discovered. Instead, it was a discussion on how best to avoid creepers and dangerous situations at conventions. As cosplayers, we had a keen interest in this topic.
It was interesting to note how many attendees of the panel were unfamiliar with conventions, or proper cosplay etiquette. Most notably was a father and son duo who were first-time convention-goers, and asked the panelists many questions on convention and cosplay culture. The panelists answered all of the father’s questions, and also gave him tips and advice for making sure his son had the best time possible at the convention. It was really heartwarming to see such generosity and a welcoming atmosphere to newcomers because that isn’t always the case.
The Collected Mutineer: It’s always both validating and disheartening to hear people talk about their experiences with creepers. While it’s somehow strangely comforting to know that my friends and I are not alone in what we’ve dealt with at conventions, it’s also frustrating to see how many men and women in our community still have to deal with these problems despite all the progress we’ve made. The panel did a great job of discussing real life issues and explaining the best solutions in a convention environment. The presence of two male panelists, one of whom recounted his own experiences with being inappropriately touched while in costume, was a good reminder that creepers aren’t just weird men who grab girls—it happens to men, too, and more often than we might think.
acollectivemind.com 