Girls With Comics

This past weekend Baltimore played host to BronyCon 2013, a convention centered around My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

There were thousands of people (around 8,400 came to this con) coming to celebrate a common thing. What strikes most as odd about this con however is that the show has attracted a large number of older men as fans. Frankly I didn’t spend a lot of time wandering around the convention. I do enjoy the show. I’ve seen a number of episodes, I like what it teaches it’s target (and not so target) age groups, and the characters are diverse. However a con like this could not attract me as an attendee. I worked at the con as a guest handler, and spent most of my time either sitting in the green room or taking my guest around the con. I also can’t ignore the fact that many Baltimoreans were dismayed and annoyed that this con came here. The negative connotations this con has also can’t be ignored, but frankly that’s another topic for some other blog.

My guest was a total blast to hang out with. In fact every VIP I spoke with was gracious, kind, and enjoyed themselves at the con. The team I worked with was also fantastic. I’ve worked at many cons, but this was without a doubt the best team I’ve ever worked with. Everyone got along and knew what they were doing, and if they were just pretending they did you would have never known. Communication between team members was outstanding, and any problems we may have had were taken care of right away. Every attendee we came into contact with were polite and not intrusive. While I may have gotten around 5 hours of sleep the whole con I would happily work in that department again. The team leaders we had were also top knotch, and I would love to work with them at any con regardless of the subject matter. Even if I may not fully understand the point of the con. They were just that good.

Will BronyCon be back in Baltimore? I’m not sure. If you went, I hope you had a good time. Below are the few photos I took of the rather diverse crowd I ran into. 

-Lauren

I grew up in the world of comics. My dad would take me to small cons and shows across Maryland. Eventually I started attending conventions with my friends, and some shows I do solo. There had been times where someone would make some off color comment, but I could never let one bad apple ruin my love for this hobby. Recently there has been a large outcry from the women (and men!) in this fandom about how they are being mistreated at conventions. From sexist remarks to blatant sexual harassment, it seems everything is imploding on itself.

Like I said, I’ve had some rather rude remarks come my way. I’m not here to divulge my dear readers into that. What I am here to share with you is this; Women and men and everyone in between are capable to enjoy and love this and any nerd fandom as they see fit. The idea of a “fake geek girl/boy” is not for any single one of us to decide. If someone doesn’t know everything about the Platinum Age of comic books, who cares. If someone doesn’t know every little detail about the TARDIS, it is not the end of the world. That does not give you permission to belittle a person.

If a man or woman is cosplaying and they so happen to be in a skin tight costume, that is also not an excuse to harass said person. If you happen to see a lady wearing a Witchblade costume, guess what, still not grounds to make lewd remarks to her. As a cosplayer I can assure you we know we will get looks. If you have something to say that may even remotely offend the person in question…keep it to yourself.

If you have been a target (be it in cosplay or not) report it to a staff member or con security. If you see something happen, get con security. If you have to intervene do not get physical. Look out for one another, and keep in mind that everyone will express his or her fandom in different ways.

In a nut shell, live and let live.

-Lauren

I get asked by people all the time “How did you get into comics? Why is Batman your favorite hero?” stuff like that. At the root of it all it the same answer “It’s what my dad liked.” My dad was born in 1950, and thus grew up in the Silver Age of comics. He read Superboy, Superman, Captain America, and Archie. He also got heavily into sci-fi and proudly ran his college sci-fi club. He attended a few cons and was overall dedicated to it. And then I was born. Now was his chance to rub some of his nerdness off onto me. (As far as his SA comic collection goes, my grandmother threw them away.)

I don’t remember a time in my life before comic books. When Batman came out I was 3, and Batman was everywhere. I would come home from preschool and watch the Adam West show. If we went out and I saw anything that resembled the Batsymbol, it was imperative to my life to obtain it. When Batman Returns came out in 1991, my dad took me to see it. My mom was less than thrilled. “She won’t sit still.” She insisted. My dad knew better and sure enough I sat through it with a possibly glazed over look. Batmania had hit me hard. I gobbled up comics, toys, and whatever I could find on T.V. In my first grade Halloween party I insisted my parents buy me a Batman costume. I broke the belt and cried the whole day because of it. When I got home dad stapled the belt back together which ultimately saved the day.

We started going to a local comic shop, Alternate Worlds in Cockeysville Maryland, when I was 6. Before then we had been to other shops but now we had a place to go every week. Dad still read his Superboy and Captain America comics (and anything else that caught his eye), while I focused on the Batfamily, Archie, and eventually manga. My dad never understood the manga thing (and still doesn’t) but it made me happy so why not. In 1999 he even took me to my first Otakon! However that was a little much for my dad (something I can’t really understand) and I’ve been gleefully attending anime cons without him since. But we still went to small comic shows and sci-fi shows since that was still in the scope of things he liked. His last convention was Baltimore 2008. He got himself an Amazing Fantasy #15 and Amazing Spider-Man #1, and left a happy camper. That was also around the time we got into collecting key books, specifically Silver Age DC books. My dad still gets a kick out of buying a book he had as a kid. My grandmother kicks herself for throwing away his books when she finds out how much their worth now.

I still attend conventions, and I still read comics. My dad doesn’t read comics or attend cons anymore. He still loves the medium and enjoys it from the comfort of his own home, but the torch has been passed. If it weren’t for my dad I would have never been as involved with the wonderful world of comics like I am. Thanks dad, for fostering such a deep and passionate love for a truly wonderful medium in me.

And a Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads out there!

-Lauren