For nerds of all kinds, Memorial Day weekend doesn’t just offer an extra day off school—it’s the weekend of Denver Comic Con (DCC). Spanning from the opening ceremonies on May 22 to the festival’s close on May 25, this convention promises a plethora of booths, panel presentations, celebrity photo ops and outrageous cosplays.
The event brings together fans of comics, TV shows, movies, sci-fi and fantasy, gaming, anime and more. Last year, about 86,500 people attended, making it one of the largest comic book conventions in North America.
Throughout the weekend, there will be presentations and discussions on everything from the musical score of “Doctor Who” to gender bias in NASA. Meetups will also occur throughout the convention allowing attendees of the same fandoms to gather together. A full schedule of the weekend’s events is now available online and through the official app.
This year, notable guests include Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth, “Game of Thrones”), Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson, “The Breakfast Club”), Karen Gillan (Amy Pond, “Doctor Who”), Cary Elwes (Wesley, “The Princess Bride”), Alan Tudyk (Wash, “Firefly”), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee, “The Lord of the Rings”), Amy Acker (Lin, “The Cabin in the Woods”) and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura, “Star Trek”). Autograph and photo op prices range from $20 to $60.
Because it’s independently run, DCC is highly rooted in the local community. It features many local artists and over 75 percent of its merchants are Colorado-based. Hundreds of artist, merchant and gaming booths will be set up on the show floor, free for browsing and chatting with creators. Some of the comic book creators attending are Max Brooks (“World War Z”), Neal Adams (“Batman”) and Tommy Lee Edwards (“The Question”). DCC will also feature performances from the musicians Protomen and MC Lars.
DCC is a program of Pop Culture Classroom, a Denver non-profit that focuses on pop culture-based educational programs. This means that in addition to meeting celebrities and buying local comics, comic con-goers of all ages can go to the Pop Culture Classroom Laboratory. Here, they’ll have the chance to meet talented artists and scientists as well as get hands-on experience with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) activities and with making their own comics, games, robots and animated shorts. Surprise guests will be appearing at the PCC Lab throughout the weekend.
While it is by no means a requirement, dressing up as a favorite character can add a lot to the comic con experience. Many fans go all out perfecting their costumes, and a major part of attending is seeing the wide range of impressive cosplays people have created. There’s even a cosplay contest to see whose outfit is truly the best. Fandoms often gather for group photos of everyone who has cosplayed characters from their universe.
Opening ceremonies at the Colorado Convention Center start at 7 p.m. on May 22, and the show floor opens at 10 a.m. each day. Three-day tickets for the weekend are sold out, but single-day tickets are still available through the DCC site.
