It might not seem like the most natural match: libraries and comic-cons. If people even know what a comic-con is, they might think of huge, sprawling events like San Diego Comic-Con where breaking movie and TV-show news is announced, and where a ton of famous people attend and mingle with the masses.
In fact, the name “comic”-con is a bit of a misnomer now, dating back to the earliest conventions. While comics remain an important component, comic-cons as a whole are a celebration of all things “geeky” or “nerdy.” So, imagine Trekkies and Marvel heroes partying alongside Mario, Gandolf, and Pikachu, and you’ll begin to get the idea.
Obviously, a library can’t provide the wow factor of those huge, international events. But what we can do is bring the feel (or, as the kids say, the vibe) of a comic-con to your backyard through a variety of activities that celebrate all things geeky.
When planning for BeebeCon started almost six years ago, the goal was to simulate a comic-con, but on a smaller scale that would allow us to keep the event free, like all of our other programs. The price point of most comic-cons can be a real hardship for many people and that’s not even including the cost of travel and accommodations. We wanted to offer a day of nerdy fun without all the expense.
The Library’s focus has always been events and activities that spark creativity and celebrate the power of stories. We take care to include a wide variety of fandoms (fandom: fans of a particular fictional series, video game, etc. regarded collectively as a community or subculture ) and keep the offerings fresh every year, just like a true comic-con.
We hope you’ll join us on October 21 between 10am and 4pm to try out an event or two. There truly is something for everyone at BeebeCon. Some activities are aimed at kids, but there’s lots of fun for adults too. Come in costume as your favorite character – or not – we’ll be excited to see you either way. And, it’s our 5th anniversary, so if you haven’t yet made it, we hope this is the year you stop by. You can register here for a reminder or just stop by anytime that day!
