I’ve been going to conventions since the late 1970s. I’ve gone to small, one room gatherings, to the World Science Fiction Convention and every size Con in between. And every year, the one that consistently gets my nod as the Midwest’s best is Kansas City’s Planet Comicon. This year’s event was no different.
What makes Planet Comicon so special, and it was true again this year, was the variety of guests the show attracts. Besides perennial fan favorites from film, television and comics, they always bring out big guns with guests not only making their Kansas City convention debut but, on occasion, their very first convention appearance ever. This year, Planet Comicon treated it’s attendees with the chance to meet film stars John Cusack, Jason Mamoa and musical legend Alice Cooper. Not a bad trifecta of guests, especially when you pair them with other fan favorites in attendance, including Danny Trejo, Michael Rooker and Alan Tudyk. They were among the nearly 40 celebrity guests on hand this year.
Also popular, as has been the case in recent years, was the amazing cosplay participants who once again spared no expense in honoring their favorite characters. For the newly initiated to cosplay, there were several tables in the dealers area that were more then equipped to get you started on your way. The days of poorly made costumes and rubber-band held masks are long gone as cosplay continues to dominate the convention floor.
We at MediaMikes would like to send out a special “thank you” to Chris Jackson, Tracy Jackson and their incredible staff for their constant kindness over the years. I’ve attended every Planet Comicon since it began and it has amazingly not only gotten bigger every year but better. Next year will mark the 20th Anniversary of Planet Comicon and I can only imagine what kind of a celebration they have planned for 2019!
Photos by Dan Lybarger
