Atlanta Comic Con presented its first annual show at the Georgia World Congress Center July 13 to the 15.
Proving successful in other states, Imaginarium Agency was excited to bring the love of comic books down to Atlanta. Atlanta Comic Con had a large exhibit hall featuring celebrity guests, legendary comic book creators, comic books, toys, artwork, apparel, arcade games, and extensive programming. Highlighted features for Atlanta Comic Con consisted of the Cosplay Contest and the Film Festival, where local talent have the opportunity to showcase their work.
Celebrity guests included Sean Astin, Nichelle Nichols, Matthew Lewis, Lea Thompson, Ty Templeton, and many more.
Atlanta is quickly becoming the Con Headquarters of the South. Momocon, Dragon Con, and Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA) have long been staples in the city, bringing cosplay, panels, and special guests to the masses. Now we can officially welcome our fourth, Atlanta Comic Con.
Being the only one of the four Cons with a heavy focus on comic books, the best part of the convention was the massive amount of indie comic books available. Dealers and independent comic books stole the show and I was happy to be a part of it.
My favorite vendor was Alley Cat Comics from Chicago. Usually, it’s suspect when you hear about comic books for $1 because they’re never ones that you want. Not with Alley Cat Comics. They had a mix of both classic comics and recent ones. I snagged a few back issues of Black Panther and one of Spawn.
There were so many independent comics in the house that I didn’t get a chance to speak with all the creators, but two series stood out to me: The Elements and Native Comics. It is very rare to see comic books geared toward black people and before my eyes, I had two. To learn more about The Elements and Native Comics check out our podcast:
Then, of course, you can’t talk about a Con and not talk about cosplay. There were so many good cosplays that I’ll just list my top five:
#5 Gamora
#4 King Joffre
#3 Bishop
#2 Spawn
#1 Jason & Pennywise
All of the cosplays were great so check out the link to the rest of the pictures from Atlanta Comic Con.
For its first year, I’d say it went pretty well. The panels were decent and I think for its first time out, a solid two days was an appropriate length of time. I was extremely impressed with the variety of vendors there. Between the comics, accessory shops, and the artists themselves, there was something for everybody.
This was a good start for ACC and I hope they continue to grow and keep the love of comics alive! They promised a convention that was heavily focused on comic books and the industry and I can confidently say that they delivered!
-Jon J.