From Sept. 18-20, crowds of people across all fandoms traveled from all corners of the state to attend Arkansas Comic Con in Little Rock. This is the ninth annual Arkansas Comic Con in 10 years, and it was a completely sold-out event. 

Stretching from Friday to Sunday, attendees experienced everything the fandom community has to offer. Held in the Statehouse Convention Center, the building was filled to the brim with vendors, contests, panels, and cosplay.

Vendor booths sold a variety of merchandise, including posters, figurines, jewelry, woodwork, shirts and even LEGO figurines of almost every character imaginable. Some offered services like building your own lightsaber, caricature drawings or autograph authentications. Vendors were selling collectibles and retro items that cost more than a monthly mortgage payment. 

Alongside the shopping experiences, this year’s Comic Con hosted several famous names, including Peyton List, Ming-Na Wen, Danny Trejo, Dee Snider and more. Attendees got autographs and took photos with these celebrities or heard them speak in the various panels happening throughout the day.

Some of these panels included Q&As with the celebrities, but beyond that, sessions went over different aspects of fandom content creation. From “Wig Styling for Beginners” to “Pixar Villains who Weren’t Wrong” and “Introduction to Fiction Writing,” the panels covered a variety of topics for everyone to enjoy. 

Besides what the event has to offer, one of the biggest parts of the convention is the freedom to cosplay as your favorite character. Whether it was a solo, couple, or group costume, attendees put together their best outfit to show off their passion for their fandom. For tangible rewards for their cosplay, the event also hosted costume contests for people to enter their outfits and win prizes.

One attendee dressed as Toji Fushiguro from the hit anime “Jujutsu Kaisen” said that he greatly enjoyed his first time attending, noting the numerous costumes. 

“I’ve had fun from the moment I parked my vehicle, seeing everybody dressed up and recognizing a lot of my favorite characters. The best part is getting to take pictures with everyone who is dressed up,” the attendee said.

This is the second Comic Con that I have attended, and I am happy to say my expectations were exceeded both times. The atmosphere of the room is fun and vibrant, with people excited to express themselves and hang out with people who have the same interests as them. 

I think that the most exciting part of Comic Con is the cosplay. Cosplay tends to have a weird connotation for most people, but the reality is often much different. Some costumes are incredibly intricate and appear to have taken hours upon hours of work. Cosplayers commonly handmake their cosplays, and they take great pride in it. 

My favorite thing to do when I attend is to ask to take photos with my favorite cosplayers. You can visibly see someone’s eyes light up in excitement at the recognition of their character. This year, I asked a woman dressed as Ms. Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus” for a photo, and when she put her arm around my shoulders, it felt like being hugged by my childhood. 

The convention allows for attendees to let loose with some fun throughout the weekend, but there is some responsibility you may need to take to ensure you leave the event without consequence.

It’s very important to set a budget, however, because it’s easy to go a little crazy with all of the items for sale. My cousin went with me, and he spent close to $400 in just three hours. I managed to restrict myself to just $60, buying some LEGO figurines and a retro Tamagotchi Pet. 

If you’re looking for a great place to nerd out on all your favorite shows, movies, and video games, Arkansas Comic Con is the place to do it. 

Categories: Arts & Entertainment