Many of you may not know this, but I am a total geek…and proud of it!
Growing up, my middle brother and I collected comic books. We used to earn an allowance and our allowance money always went towards comic books and candy – in that order.
As kids growing up in the 80s, watching Saturday morning cartoons with a bowl of cereal in hand was a ritual for us. That was back when there were good cartoons on TV on Saturday mornings.
I was part of a generation that watched Star Wars, WWF (World Wrestling Foundation and not World Wild Life Fund, though we were also supporters of the latter). and collected action figures, comics, collectors’ cards, and other paraphernalia. 
I grew up playing video games and our first game console was a COLECO Vision. We used to go to our friend’s house to play because he had a brand new Atari! Back then, we thought the graphics were incredible. We didn’t imagine how far graphics would go in the span of a few decades! We were just interested in playing on our COLECO. The Smurfs, Donkey Kong Jr., and Zaxxon. COLECO was a step up from the computer games we played where we had to use the keys on the keyboard to maneuver. I remember playing the Olympic Decathlon game on our first PC. To do the long jump, high jump, shot put and other events, my brother, cousins and I would have to use team work. One of us would press the keys for speed while another would press a key to either jump or throw. That was back in 1982. My, how times have changed!
There are times I when I think of our childhood and really miss those days. I am one for nostalgia, and when I’m presented with things from my childhood or teen years, I get excited.
The Graphic-Con: Homage to Film, Graphic Novels, Comics, and Fan Culture
When I found out that the city of Sudbury was host to the Graphic-Con, I was a tiny bit extremely excited. To me, conventions like Graphic-Con are a walk down memory lane for me. At the same time, I get to check out all the current films, graphic novels, comics and elements of fan culture.
Upon arrival at the Sudbury Arena, I was pleasantly surprised to see the magnitude of this event.
I wasn’t sure what to expect since I had never been to an event in Sudbury before. I know, I know. I moved up to Manitoulin Island from Toronto almost twelve years ago, and I haven’t really explored any Sudbury events yet? I now know that Sudbury has so much to offer in the way of events and culture. Reading through tweets and events online, I see that there is so much going on in Sudbury! I just never had the opportunity to delve into it more.
With over 70 vendors, artists, and a list of celeb guests, the event itself was impressive. 
It was great to see so many people in attendance, and almost everyone was in costume! It was great to see Sailor Moon, Waldo (Yes! We found Waldo!), Mario and Luigi, Harry Potter, and other fan favourites.
I enjoyed chatting with Valentina Carias from Because Geek. She’s a popular Game of Thrones YouTuber. One of my favourite parts of Graphic-Con was the Game of Thrones panel that Val was on. I’m a big Game of Thrones fan, so Val’s insight into all things Game of Thrones quickly captured my attention.
I also learned about the film, REZilience. My friend, Dylon, who was my Graphic-Con buddy (we drove from the Island to the event together) was a zombie in the film! How cool is it that there’s a zombie film that was filmed in Northern Ontario? It’s also the first-ever First Nation’s zombie thriller! Did I mention that my friend, Dylon is in the movie?! 
You may also recognize him as the chainmail guy! Dylon is an artistic, creative person and has been busy with several exciting projects (a Manitoulin colouring book, as well as his books on The Art of Chainmail).
I totally forgot that my friend, Dylon had his Go Pro on the entire time! This video he put together sums up the convention quite well!
Of course, when at Graphic-Con, you simply must get your photo taken with Storm Troopers!
The Graphic-Con proved to be a well-attended event, packed with lots of things to see and do. I’d even go as far as to say that it’s a mecca for fan culture lovers in the North. Nothern Ontario, that is!
Disclosure – This post was written in partnership with Sudbury Tourism. All thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.
This is always something I wish I had done.I think it would be fun to collect comics and trade them.My hobby was collecting stamps from different countries.
This would definitely be a blast for my hubby! He’s a total nerd lol
Oh what fun! I love comic con in Toronto!
That looks like lots of fun! I had no idea there was something like this in Sudbury! Who knew cool stuff like that happened in Sudbury!?
Thanks, Janie! It was LOTS of fun! I had no idea either, but I am discovering that Sudbury has got a lot of fun events and places to see/things to do for families, tourists, etc!
That is so cool! What fun! I like the retro comics and toys! Must have been like reliving your childhood!
Thanks, Eva! Yes! I love all the retro comics, toys, and video games/computer games! I felt like a kid in a candy store! So much fun.