CHAPEL HILL – After a year of waiting, it’s back. Only now it’s called Galaxycon, not Supercon, and it’s got a revamped website.
But that don’t matter much. It’s still the same four-day pop culture festival with the same owners, offering an all-star lineup of celebrity guests, professional wrestlers, cosplayers and more.
Thousands of fans in dress up expected to descend on the Raleigh Convention Center starting today, and it promises again to be a spectacle of fun.
Last year, I was a newbie. A Supercon virgin. A GenX soccer mom living with a kid obsessed with Fortnite, kind of clueless in the ways of new-age gaming. This year, I’m a convert with a game plan.
Here’s what’s on my hit list:
Day One:
First stop, the Runway Costume Contest on the mainstage.
If you like to people watch, this is your jam. Billed as a “lighthearted and fun contest,” cosplayers of all kinds – portraying characters from manga, animation and science fiction — will parade in colorful ensembles and face paint for a prize.
It’s a family affair .. Aaron, Meredith, Jill and Greg Grouse.
“Letting their geek flags fly” … Jessica Sullivan, Bryan Carmella and Aileen Carrier as characters from “Voltron”.
Next stop: a Q&A session with Fantasy Super Cosplay Wrestlers. World Wrestling Entertainment’s Universal Champion Seth Rollins, Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Braun Strowman will all be there, giving some behind-the-scene insights about inside the ring.
Day Two:
Today, I’m taking my 9-year-old son with me. He tagged along last year, and hasn’t stopped begging to go again since.
Of course, this means checking out all things gaming in the Marriot Ballrooms.
Gaming is provided by Carolina Games Summit, which will offer all the favorite platforms, including computer, console, mobile and VR games with both tournament and free play options available — including around-the-clock Fornite competitions.
There’s also a meetup with Epic Games’s user research team, offering gamers the chance to play games and get paid. What’s that all about?
Competing in Supercon’s Fornite competition … Hadrien Garza as his father, Benito Garza, looks on.
Then it’s off to my personal favorite: the autograph signing sessions. Of course, as an 80s kid, I’m dying to shake hands with John Cusack of “Say Anything” and “High Fidelity” fame and have a giggle with Anthony Michael Hall from “The Breakfast Club.”
But the biggest draw? A group session with the cast members from the Office: Stanley (Leslie Baker), Meredith (Kate Flannery), Creed (Creed Bratton) and Nellie (Catherine Tate).
FYI, anyone can get up close and personal with a celebrity, but it comes at a cost: $40 and up for a single autograph. If you’re a real diehard, you can skip the photo op lines and purchase a VIP pass to attend a cocktail party with the celebs.
GalaxyCon, formerly known as Super Conventions or Supercon (legal name GalaxyCon, LLC), is a privately owned company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that organizes comic book and anime conventions in the United States.
Events currently include Florida Supercon in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale metro areas, GalaxyCon Raleigh (formerly Raleigh Supercon) in Raleigh, North Carolina, GalaxyCon Louisville (formerly Louisville Supercon) in Louisville Kentucky, GalaxyCon Richmond in Richmond, Virginia and GalaxyCon Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
As of 2019, the “Supercon” trademark only applies to Florida Supercon. All other conventions have been renamed GalaxyCon.
From Fornite to cosplay: The Supercon pop culture education of a newbie
