Comiccon 2016 was probably one of the most well organized geeky convention yet. The panels and presentations were (mostly?) fascinating, the vendors were (finally!) varied and were not all selling the same items, the artists and their gorgeous pieces were simply remarkable (I bought a painting :p), and some unique nerdom elements, such as The Doctor’s TARDIS and the Ghostbusters’ Ecto-1, were present for fans to enjoy. Though sometimes the volunteers didn’t really understand what they were doing (they try their best!), signs were badly posted leading to misinformed guests, and the schedule was as unpredictable as ever (the website lies), I do feel sorry for those who missed the event.

As cool as everything was however, seeing the effort Ottawa convention goers put into transforming themselves into the amazing personalities residing within them is the best part of attending Comiccon. I realized that these heroes, villains and idols, on a daily basis, cannot reveal their amazing identities and live among us, incognito. They come out for conventions to meld into the crowd, mingle with their peers, and meet their adoring fans.

Vincent Valentine was outside, as usual, avoiding crowds, but didn’t mind posing with me! This is Kait Merciless, Cosplay Artist (facebook.com/KaitMerciless, twitter.com/KaitMerciless) This was my favorite picture of the weekend!

I of course stuck around for the main event of the convention; the Masquerade. I saw plenty of other nerdom super stars, intricately made outfits and many with original presentation styles. I must comment here on the fact that this costume contest was very poorly organized and felt more like a high school pep-rally than a professional event. The hosts, two ladies who I supposed were thrust on stage without much direction, were dragging on the event with improvised jokes that never seemed to end. What should have been minimal and entertaining banter between co-hosts, turned into nothing less than stealing the spotlight from the cosplayers. Only my interest in seeing the final contestants kept me in the room until the end.

Comiccon in Ottawa has improved with each coming and I certainly plan to attend in the next years. The fans and those who enjoy transforming into their favorite characters to bring cherished stories to life, I am sure, will be waiting eagerly for Comiccon 2017.