On the weekend I attended OZ Comic-Con. It was the first OZ Comic-Con held in Brisbane. While I’ve attended many conventions over the years it was nice to attend the first Comic-Con in the beautiful city of Brisbane. The other bonus, I had been selected as a volunteer for the event. Everyone knows my belief in giving back to my community or my passion for no other rewards but the experience and enjoyment. Well, this type of convention is a passion of mine.
The term pop culture was conceived in the 19th century. The ideas, attitudes and beliefs within popular culture change all the time. Today I believe there is more physical interconnectedness between organised subcultures. The realm of the collective experience has evolved or perhaps some might say mutated into huge urban gatherings of innovators, creators, actors, musicians and fans. Other people say conventions are simply the new age of fan-based consumerism. For me that’s not the case, however, many times over the past weekend at the Oz Comic-Con people said “I’ve spent so much money today.” I always ask if there were other things they enjoyed or experienced. Almost every time people said “meeting the guests”. The children always said “playing the games.”
Children playing Super Smash Bros
I find these events are always bubbling with a fun energy. People seem happier, laughing and enjoying themselves, whether they are in cosplay or not. I’ve been told many times over the years it’s the only place where random strangers hug each other in cosplay. “We all love the characters and the stories,” one young lady said to me. And believe me, fans are huge followers of the storylines. Whether it’s anime, television series, games, comics or feature films, a true fan will know the storyline back to front and front to back. Then comes the cosplay and the creative expression of fans and how extremely talented some people are making all of the components of their costumes.
XZaena attended Comic-Con Brisbane in costume as the Vocaloid character Meiko (Camellia)
The top two responses when I asked what they had come to see today was “meet the guests” or “attend the panels”. As someone who constantly seeks out new experiences and inspiration from the world, I have to say people will always provide both if you take the time to listen to them.
From the seed of an idea to watching the creation grow and then be embraced by a legion of fans can be as powerful as watching a child grow. However, today it’s not enough to be on-trend with popular culture because creators and innovators have to be one step ahead of the rest. Fans won’t know what will be the next big thing, due to the fact, it probably hasn’t been developed, discovered or released yet. But one thing I do know is when a fandom begins to grow there’s no stopping the momentum.
A more in-depth review written by myself can be found on Geeks Unleashed UK here
I leave you with a quote from Corey Feldman. ~ You have to stay updated on trends, social things and pop culture, you need to stay with the times and keep evolving.
So until next time. Be brave and bold in your chosen field of creativity. And never be afraid to explore new techniques.
Sounds like you had fun! I want to volunteer at a Comic Con one day. 🙂