#inform-video-player-1 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }
#inform-video-player-2 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }
A combination of hobbyists, artists and vendors took the exhibit hall at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds by storm this weekend, transforming it for the annual Shenandoah Comic-Con.
Although comic book superheroes and supervillains were a significant focus, anime, video games and other art forms were also welcome.
While some attendees just came in street clothes, others dressed as their favorite characters, like heroes, villains, monsters, swordsmen or science officers.
Colby Lowry, 32, came to the convention dressed as a Ghostbuster. Lowry, a senior finishing the semester at James Madison University, said the event gave him a much-needed break from final exams.
“This is my first time,” Lowry explained. “I heard about it on Instagram and thought I’d see what’s up. It’s small, which is great. I like finding niche items but also meeting other people with similar interests.”
Around midday, Lowry was stopped by a young girl named Sophia, who asked for a photo with him. He gladly obliged.
Megan Coish, 19, of Waynesboro, said it was her second time attending the convention. She said she liked to see her hobbies represented in her community.
“They have a lot of neat variety,” Coish said. “It covers a lot of different interests. A lot of stuff, you don’t really find it anywhere else.”
Logan Ralston of Harrisonburg came to meet up with friends from live-action roleplaying, or LARP group. Kitted out in the outfit he usually wore to LARP with his friends, including a cloak and a large foam sword, Ralston said he came to Comic-Con to find inspiration for new costumes.
“This is the first year we don’t have a booth,” Ralston said. “I like looking at other costumes for gear ideas and telling people about the LARP group, trying to grow it.”
While attendees like Ralston come to have a good time, conventions like this one are a way of life for vendors like Hope Haizlip, owner of Hope’s Toytopia. Haizlip said she spends much of her time traveling to conventions like this one, selling vintage toys from series like Power Rangers and Star Wars. Although she is based out of Clinton, Md., Haizlip said this was her second time at Shenandoah Comic-Con.
“This is a nice crowd,” Haizlip said. “A little smaller than I’m used to, but still a good turnout.”
In addition to traveling vendors like Haizlip, local businesses like Rocktown Games and Halcyon Games came to offer their wares to customers from near and far. While comic hunters sought out new additions to their collection and cosplayers looked at jewelry sellers to see if they could find the one final touch they needed for an outfit, Haizlip had a much simpler goal in mind.
“I’m just hoping to make as much money as possible,” Haizlip explained. “The less I bring home, the better.”
#inform-video-player-3 .inform-embed { margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 20px; }