By Katherine Vasper
A Wookie, a clown and a ninja walk into a room.
No, this isn’t the set up for some joke—rather it is what you can see walking into a comic convention (or Comic Con, according to its attendees). February 16-18th marked the continuation of one of Kansas City’s longest running comic cons, Planet Comicon Kansas City (PCC), held at Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. PCC has been in operation since 1999 and is still the largest comic convention in the Midwestern area. This Con draws in a large audience with meet ups and photo opportunities with such famous actors as Michael Rooker, star of AMC’s The Walking Dead and Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and Matthew Lewis—Neville Longbottom of the Harry Potter series.
PCC allows its attendees not only to meet actors, but to unleash their inner “nerd” self by means of cosplay. It is this ability to showcase a person’s talents of sewing and craftsmanship that makes comic cons such a fantastic experience. To watch this artists of all ages and backgrounds as they show off months of hard work is a truly wonderful and worthwhile experience. Planet Con embraces all aspects of the pop culture universe, addressing topics such as gender/sexuality in movies and how the various industries of television, comics and movies have progressed alongside the world. This freedom of expression allows for incredible displays from talented cosplayers. In some cases, Cosplayers have even made their fun hobby into a productive business, traveling across the country to participate in other comic cons and photo opportunities with their fans.
Dennis Butt, owner of Butthead Studios, had this to say about his experience as a cosplayer: “I started out as a cosplayer making foam armor and props—now I’ve moved on to making costumes and props traditionally sculpting in clay and molding in silicon and casting in resin or whatever material fits this job. My passion for cosplay has led me to get a job for a local company in Overland Park called Dimensional Innovations as a foam sculptor and mold maker for them, and working there has allowed me to flex my skills and learn totally new ones . . . I’ve had to take it slow with cosplay for the last year while my wife finished college, but you best believe next year I’m going to hopefully make another award-winning costume.” Dennis was unable to attend PCC this year, though he assured us that he is working hard to prepare several workshops for his next comic con.
Planet Con, and other large conventions, are a wonderful part of the complex organism that is pop culture. As Sophii Effin Donnay (Oh My Sophii on Facebook) says: “Cosplay is for everyone! My favorite part of cosplay is by far the people I get to meet across the country—seeing people of every age, race, gender, creed come together to share this thing they love so much is an overwhelming experience. It’s a community that has a positive impact on peoples’ lives daily and being able to share that with them and hear their stories fuels my passion for this art form every day!” It is this bond that makes comic conventions more than just a group of “nerds” getting together. It is the coming together of like minds, bringing fantastical creations to life for all to see.
To learn more about Planet Comicon Kansas City, visit their website at http://planetcomicon.com/. PCC 2019 will be held March 29-31, 2019.