Bay-Con

It was a last-minute decision for me to head over to Bay-Con. The family was going to be gone for the afternoon and I figured I could spare an hour or so to check out this new micro-convention.

Jeff Ritchie is a regular at Carol and John’s comic shop, and has done a number of pieces of art for events such as free comic book day and the Christmas party. This was his brainchild, and he gathered together some familiar faces and a bunch of the usual suspects to set up a little family event in Bay Village. It’s a very small affair, and reminds me a great deal of some of the library events that we’ve seen of late – things like WEPLcon or Geekfest.

As I approached I stopped and chatted with Stephen from the Ghostbusters: Cleveland division. I hadn’t realized they were going to be at this event and I took the opportunity to take some photos with his Ecto-M car. When I entered the building, I was warmly greeted by a storm trooper. At first I figured it was my friend Jonathan, but soon realized I didn’t actually know this person. He was just a really friendly welcoming presence that  made you feel very at home coming into the convention. On the walls were various artworks by the students of BAYarts, showcasing the talent of the area. Inside the Bay Arts Centre, I saw Rick and Jason set up in the alcove to promote their American Knight comic book, right next to Carol and John’s table where they were trying to get the word out about next weeks Halloweenfest promotion. Inside the building, about half a dozen vendors and crafters sold wares while a snack bar supplied concessions. In one corner easels were set up for people to come and sketch a Jedi who was graciously modelling for them. The convention spilled out into the patio area where NEOTACC had a table set up to sell toys. There were additional tables for painting and carving pumpkins as the hosts from Attack of the Podcast emceed trivia and panels.

This ended up being a charming little event. It’s a nice way to dip your toe in the culture and spend an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon. It’s got potential and is definately headed in the right direction. I’d love to see this grow and expand, and  I’d love to come back to another one.

 

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