Many of you know that I am featured as a main character in Fabien Toulmé's new French graphic novel "Et Travailler Et Vivre."
Therefore, this past Saturday July 20th I decided to act like a comic book character and join the festivities at Greater Austin Comic Con.
Greater Austin Comic Con promised celebrity one-on-one photo opportunities, cosplay costumes, video games, shopping and more and was held at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, located 30 minutes outside of downtown Austin.
General admission tickets were $61 (including taxes and fees) and parking at the venue cost $8.
As I arrived and walked into the arena where the Texas Stars play their minor league hockey games, I noticed about half of the attendees were in costumes ranging from Marvel comics to kung fu to Star Wars and everything in between.
In fact, according to the organization's website:
Greater Austin Comic Con encourages costumes and cosplay. Please make sure, though, your costume follows our costume and cosplay policy.
Attendees who do not follow to these guidelines may be required to modify their costumes, refused entry, or asked to leave.
Please note that H-E-B Center has a clear bag policy similar to many venues here in the Austin area, so be prepared.
As I made my way past the Cosplay lounge, I noticed a video game lounge replete with young gamers and some free pinball machines sponsored by local gaming venue Pinballz.
I then went onto the floor and joined the crowded throngs of convention goers who perused $1,000 comic books and other similarly-themed merchandise.
Among the celebrities in attendance, Weird Al Yankovic was by far the most popular, with an hour line for his meet-and-greet session.
Never had I seen so much enthusiasm for nerd-dom!
After spending a few hours soaking up the atmosphere and achieving a new personal best at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball, I headed home, more excited than ever about the health of the Central Texas comic industry.
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I am working on a new TikTok and YouTube series about my involvement with Fabien Toulmé's new French graphic novel, and the first video is now available on each platform.
Alternatively, you can read more about my amazing comic book adventure with Fabien Toulmé in Austin, Texas here.
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