ZappCon year 3

5 Nov

Last month we had the opportunity to attend the third year of ZappCon. This is still a small regional convention in Central California, but since it’s first year it has grown nicely- without getting two big for its britches.

Back in the 80s, Fresno was host to a small convention every year. Usually, we could count on at least some decent stars- for instance, many of the cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation popped in over the years. I can’t remember the last year the convention happened, but I do remember it basically just being a single room event that was FULL.

The main space was redesigned, turned on it axis, and this made the space feel bigger and fuller. Upstairs, the panel rooms were prepped for lines- we did not see any but it was a nice upgrade from the previous years because it clearly designated paths. Also, the game and activity rooms were full and bustling with activity. We liked that instead of just one large game area, there’s a room designated for DnD and Infinity, as well as a few others.

Quite a few cosplayers wandered around. With a superhero meet-up on Saturday (it was a labeled as Marvel, but there were quite a few DC characters in the mix). Loved seeing families cosplay together. Though I’m not sure about toddlers dressing as the ladies from the recent Suicide Squad film…

Of importance- this is the first year we’ve purchased anything at ZappCon. One of the reasons was there were more comic booths. Not to say we only buy comics but the multiple booths inspired us to look. Multiple booths of local artists with their wares. Though a few that we usually see were absent. Fresno Ideaworks booth presented visitors opportunities to play giant jenga or giant connect four. Brilliant. I officially need both for my yard. Ideaworks provides locals with classes or other chances to create. If you’re in the area- check it out! There was also a DJ in the main hall spinning some nerdy tunes- pretty sure we caught the Mario Bros theme and some of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog.

Some things we missed this year include a lack (or limited number) of guests- for example, Gigi Edgley from Farscape and several Power Rangers were in attendance in previous year. There were a pair of voice actors this year, but neither really caught our attention- and you know NerdLush loves voice actors! Come to think of it, Tara and Yuri would be great additions next year Course I said that last year…). We saw no artists that stood out. Previously, ZappCon has provided fans opportunity to meet comic artists whose names we recognized. We also have yet to be interested by any panels at ZappCon. Though I think we may be biased due to attendance at larger conventions. We want major Q&A’s with celebs or panels about fandom. Perhaps we’ll see if we can get any NerdLush pals together and do a panel next year. Can’t complain if we aren’t willing to jump in, right?

All in all, the folks behind ZappCon put on a solid show. We continue to enjoy attending each year and look forward to 2017.

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