Starting today, people dressed as Superman, Spider-Man, Darth Vader and other characters will be prowling The U of M campus for the second Memphis Comic and Fantasy Convention.
The convention, which focuses on comic books, fantasy and sci-fi novels and pop culture, will start today at 1 p.m. and last through Sunday evening. Admission is $35 for the weekend or $15 per day, but discounts are offered for those in costume. Last year, the convention was held at the Cook Convention Center, but this year it is being held at The U of M Holiday Inn.
"This venue works better for what we're trying to do," said Joe Thordarson, founder of the convention. "It's more central in the city, there's free parking nearby. We have such a heavy emphasis on educational programs, we want to be near The University, and we want to, over time, build a relationship with it."
The convention has a variety of events, including costume contests, celebrity panels, artists who will draw requests and laser tag, which will be open all weekend.
There will also be a screening of a new movie by locals that is being submitted to Sundance and other film festivals. Thodarsan said he cannot reveal the name of the film due to publicity rules put in place by Sundance. Another guest, University of Memphis graduate Spencer Reese, will host a talk about Harry Potter and Christian reactions to it.
"He has taught about the mythology in Harry Potter in Scotland, and gives different talks on Harry Potter and the deeper themes in the books," Thordarson said. "He's pretty much a Harry Potter expert"
Other guests include Chang Tseng, a Hollywood producer filming the movie "MUD" here in the South, Jason Craig, artist of "Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash" and Jackson Bostwick, who played Captain Marvel in the 70s TV show "Shazam!"
"One of our guests, Eric Stuart, is a voice actor and musician; he recorded with Ringo Starr, Chicago, Peter Frampton and other people you've heard of and he will be doing an acoustic performance on Saturday night," Thordarson said.
The convention hosted a field trip Thursday morning for local students called "Geek 101" which featured interactive panels with actors, authors and artists and a visit to the Artist Alley and Exhibitor's Room, allowing students to buy collectibles.
"We had 1,200 local students from grades 4 through 12 at the con," Thordarson said. "They met comic book artists and we had a presentation using comic books, sci-fi and fantasy to get kids interested in the arts and being creative. We also had an art contest, writing contest and a Skype conversation with Tom Kenny, who plays SpongeBob. The students asked him questions and learned about animation and acting."
Thordarson said he is in talks with DC Comics and others about getting similar activities included at other conventions. According to Thordarson, the "Geek 101" activity was an idea he had based on his daughter's art classes.
"So this is my attempt to use the medium that I'm interested in — comic books, sci-fi, fantasy — as a way to celebrate the artistic elements that go into it," Thordarson said. "Kids are interested in art of this kind anyway. It works real well, and hopefully will spark interest in being creative. Maybe paint or write stories or create. I want to encourage them to be creative."
Zack Parks, sophomore film major, said he is interested in the convention because of its location on campus.
"I haven't been to a comic convention before, and this one is close...so I can just park my car and go right over," he said.
Brett Smith, sophomore business major, said he will attend if he has the time and money.
"I like the culture, I don't want to dress up or anything, but I want to see what people are dressed up as," he said. "I just want to look around, see what's for sale and have some fun."
