Clarksville Con came to Riverview Inn with many guests, panels and fun activities fans of anime, manga, comic books and pop culture on Saturday, March 7.
Guests of this event included Fabian Nicieza, the co-creator of the “Deadpool” comic series, Guy Gilcrest the creator of The Muppets daily comic strip, Wrestler Greg Valentine and professional mermaid and cosplayer Ms. Faelyn.
There were many tables throughout the convention where fan groups of a specific series were represented during this time such as the 501st Legion Midsouth Garrison representing the Star Wars series, the Tennessee Ghostbusters table showcasing many gadgets and even a Batmobile supported by Bluff City Batman for children to sit in and take pictures of.
Many fans of these conventions, both locally and out of town, came to partake in the fun this convention had to offer.
John Pyka, known by his stage name as “Big Daddy Cool” was also one of the guests at the convention. Pyka is a professional entertainer, author and podcaster who has been professionally entertaining for 40 years.
He became a published author in 2007 and has been podcasting for 15 years.
“I was one of the first 300 podcasts on iTunes,” Pyka said.
During the event, Pyka went under his alias “The Shaman,” a member of “The League of Impossibilists,” who were also present in the event.
According to Pyka, “The League of Impossibilists are a group of time traveling paranormal heroes dedicated to protecting the timeline against supernatural forces.”
This group is also part of a book series created by Pyka which will be coming out soon.
In regards to any advice to fans of pop culture, Pyka had this to say.
“Just do and consume what you love, just let that freak flag fly and be the geek that you are.”
Two students of APSU, Sarah Waltz and Skyla Adcock, also attended the convention with this being their first convention.
Sarah Waltz, a freshman with a major in art who was cosplaying as Professor Franken Stein from manga and anime series Soul Eater, stated that it was nice to see other people with the same interests.
Skyla Adcock, a freshman with a major in Liberal Arts with interests in psychology who is cosplaying as Medusa Gorgon who is also from Soul Eater, says that it is very interesting to interact with others that have interests in different fandoms.
Waltz believes that conventions such as this are important for those who are fans of pop culture media.
“It’s important to connect with people, some do it online through apps with the ability to get into fandoms but it is also good to be in person and to cosplay and share your interests with people,” Waltz said.
“I think it’s very interesting because you also get to meet everyone who has the same interests as you and you are also being recognized to who you are cosplaying as and it’s a really great opportunity to meet new people,” Adcock added.
Ms. Faelyn, professional mermaid and cosplayer, has worked as a professional mermaid for about five years.
“I love the creative freedom of being a mermaid, it differs a lot from cosplay because with cosplay you have to try to fit the mold of the character but with mermaiding you come as you are or whoever you want to be,” Faelyn said.
When it comes to cosplay, Ms. Faelyn has been cosplaying for about eight or nine years with her favorite cosplay being Marvel’s Black Cat.
“If I am not a mermaid you can most likely find me as Black Cat,” Faelyn said.
Ms. Faelyn enjoys the convention due to how many children are present because as a mermaid she came in order to bring magic to the con.
“I’m really enjoying seeing all the little kids faces light up when the turn the corner and say ‘it’s a real mermaid’ and it’s been ‘mer-mazing,’” Faelyn said.
Clarksville Con has been quite a blast with the inclusion of many guests and vendors and with the amount of people that have been present.
With cosplays ranging from Star Wars to Marvel and DC content to anime, many fans have showcased their talents and pride of cosplaying.
Those who have missed this recent event can partake in the next one this year on December 12.
