TAZEWELL, Va. -The Tazewell Comic Con got its start ten years ago when the library wanted to create an event to combine books and pop culture fandoms. Since then, it has grown, moving from the library to Nuckolls Hall and now expanding to another fairground building as well. It has also grown in attendance… attracting hundreds of guests and around thirty vendors, some even from beyond the Tazewell County area.
“I think people are just learning about it more. I find out that people are actually wanting to know the address to get to here now because people don’t know where Nuckolls Hall is, so they’re coming from outside Tazewell County, spending money on local vendors and artists and authors,” says Chris Wilkes, an organizer from the Tazewell County Public Library.
In addition to the shopping, convention attendees could enjoy games, activities, and even cosplay, that’s dressing up as your favorite characters from the page or screen, with awards given to those with the best costumes.
We spoke to recent area resident, Jason Jones, a cosplayer who made his own Ghostbusters costume, viewing the role of a Ghostbuster as one that anyone could become. This was his first year at the Tazewell Comic Con after seeing the event on Facebook.
“Friendly atmosphere, lot of cool people, cool costumes, everybody seems to be very open and, like, appreciative of everybody’s costumes. If you can’t afford to go to one of these big ones out in Richmond and Charlotte or wherever, I mean, this is the perfect, perfect idea…” describes Jones.
But he wasn’t the only new person here. We spoke to N. B. Heywood, another newcomer, who drove three hours to bring his independent book and tabletop game business, Vaporous Realms Publishing, to the convention. However, he says it was worth the drive.
“It’s what I’d hoped. It’s everybody, you know, lots of folks dressing up, it’s a lot busier than some larger conventions and things that I visited and attended at, so it’s just good to see everybody enthusiastic, and the other vendors are real nice, and, yeah, it’s a good time,” says Heywood.
Besides their ten year anniversary, the Tazewell Comic Con has another reason to celebrate… with last year’s convention winning “Outstanding Young Adult Program” from the Virginia Public Library Directors Association this spring.
Wilkes says they plan to continue the Comic Con in future years and plan to make it even bigger than it is now.
Those we spoke to encourage others to take part… whether as a vendor or just to connect with others who share your interests.
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