From the obscure Airboy to the widely popular and well-known X-Men, comic fans from all over the region will be packing through the doors of the Crown Complex on Oct. 14th and 15th for Fayetteville Comic Con.
Tickets are currently on sale online at www.fayettevillecomiccon.com. Those planning on attending are encouraged to buy their tickets early. There are several ticket options, each offering a different kind of experience.
Attendees looking for the full experience are encouraged to purchase a fan sponsorship package. Packages include weekend passes, early access, merchandise, special guest experiences and more. Fayetteville Comic Con owner and producer, Keith Gibbs, is excited to announce a couple of new events at this year’s show.
Along with over 100 vendors, cosplay competitions and fan panels, there will be a small film festival that will take place on Friday, Oct. 13th. The festival will be followed by a special “curated” screening of Friday the 13th Part lV with the film’s writer and director, Tom McLoughlin. Tickets for the film festival and screening are $10 online. All proceeds from these ticket sales will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
There will also be a new competition called “Cosplay’s Got Talent” which will “combine Cosplay and performance”, and winners can expect “significant cash prizes” according to Gibbs.
The Variant, an online community all about comics, cosplay, and conventions, will be on-site taking pictures and running the photo booth at this year’s convention. RJ Marchese, owner and editor in chief, is thrilled to be back at this year’s convention in their role as photographers.
“We have worked with Fayetteville Comic Con in multiple capacities over the years as cosplayers, media and celebrity photo-ops. It has definitely become one of our con homes away from home,” he said.
The Variant will be offering several different services to convention-goers this year.
“Attendees of FCC can come by the photo booth at any time during convention hours and take cosplay photos with our team of professional cosplay photographers. We also have our Cosplay Spotlights at the booth to meet and greet everyone, as well as sign prints. The money for the prints goes right back to the cosplayers so they can make more cosplays,” said Marchese.
“Some of our cosplayers sell stickers as well as merch too. We always have a ton of action figures at every show as well. GI Joe, Star Wars, Marvel, and Masters of the Universe are the main brands we stock. Some of our cosplayers also run the Cosplay Repair booth. They use their crafting expertise to help anyone who needs it. If you’re gonna have a cosplay contest, having a repair booth is vital because sometimes cosplays go awry,” he said.
“Fayetteville holds one of the best contests in the state and will be branching out to a circuit soon. We also help facilitate the adult and children’s runway competitions as well as the Master Class contest on occasion.”
Those who are looking to have their cosplay professionally photographed need not worry about cost ranging in the thousands, The Variant promises to keep prices low and the quality high.
“We give people an option to purchase their pictures immediately at an extremely affordable rate, or if they wait two weeks the photos will be available for free on our website,” said Marchese. “We won’t inundate the photos with huge watermarks either. Our logo houses the convention’s logo so it’s a nice aesthetic to commemorate their time at the convention. It allows people to post their pics on social media while also supporting the conventions.”
Unlike mega events like San Diego Comic-Con and Dragon Con in Atlanta, Fayetteville Comic-Con is a “Fan Run Show for Fans” and “If It’s Geek, We Got It!” local event. Keith Gibbs who started as a volunteer back in 2016, eventually took over as owner.
“[I] guided the show into becoming a registered business entity, maintained our brand through the pandemic, and after buying out the company from the original promoter, led the expansion to two shows a year,” Gibbs said.
The Fayetteville Comic Con brings 6,000 to 8,000 people to the Crown twice a year. While the vendors number in the hundreds, Gibbs wants people to know that the convention isn’t just for businesses that center around comics or cosplay.
“We have over 6000 - 8000 customers in regular attendance who all need banks, and pediatricians and mobile phones,” said Gibbs.
Gibbs encourages all local businesses to consider sponsoring the Fayetteville Comic Con. He has no big dreams of making the convention a mega event.
“We really strive to make sure that the guests we bring in are approachable and that their offerings are affordable to our attendees,” Gibbs said. “We don’t try to make people wait in long lines, and we really want our celebrity guests to be part of the whole show…We maintain an affordable price point for vendors, artists, and fans, and strive to pack as much into the weekend as we can.”
The small, hometown feel that you get from Fayetteville Comic Con is one of the reasons it’s a favorite of so many. It is why attendees usually become regulars and become involved in some capacity with the convention.
David Probus has been attending the convention since 2017 and is an avid cosplayer. Attendees can usually catch him in video games, Marvel or Star Wars cosplay. This year Probus will be debuting a new look, paying tribute to WWE legend, Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt).
“I love the community and friends I’ve met over the years. It’s also such a cool opportunity to meet and connect with people I’ve watched, heard and seen in various shows, movies, etc.,” Probus said.
It is his reason for returning every year. Another Fayetteville Comic Con regular and sometimes volunteer is Sarah Mills. Mills has attended the convention since day one and eventually became a recurring guest for a few years. Her cosplay is 99% handmade, as well as her props.
“For the Fayetteville Comic Con this year I think I’ll replay my Tim Burton styled Madd Hatter...but the comic con is in a few weeks. And I have enough time to change, so I probably will,” Mills said. “As an artist, this is how your mind works. Once you think you have something down or perfect, you’ll nitpick it to death.”
Mills does both canon costumes — any cosplay or costume that precisely recreates an outfit worn by a character at a specific point of time within a story — and original characters.
No matter what or who they are cosplaying, both Probus and Mills spend months planning, piecing, buying, sewing, and hot gluing to create their signature looks that Fayetteville Comic Con attendees have come to recognize and love.
This event will have something for everybody.
”This the best convention for those just starting out, it’s not overwhelming and is great for those who may have a little anxiety,” Mills said.
Probus is excited about this year and offers this advice for first-time convention goers, “If this is your first con, pace yourself. Even at our con which isn’t huge, it can be overwhelming for a first-time con-goer. Take your time, go to some panels, meet some of our guests, and do not hesitate to ask a cosplayer to take pictures with you. We love it! Above all else, have fun!”
How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
