By Christian Warren Freed
Once upon a time, say about a hundred years ago, the term geek was not a good thing. Generally associated with carnivals and sideshow freaks, geeks were those unfortunates determined to have little to no societal value and turned into ravenous creatures biting heads off birds and small animals to the horror and delight of audiences nationwide. Let’s face it, without the internet or television there really wasn’t much entertainment going on.
Flash forward a few decades and geeks became those kids in school with the thick Coke-bottle glasses. The friendless who enjoyed such off-topic things as fantasy and science fiction. Anything to escape the nightmares of two World Wars and an escalating nuclear arms race. Far from being embraced by the mainstream, geeks often hid out of embarrassment. (Let’s not even mention the 80s games of Dungeons and Dragons rumored to be played in basements or behind locked doors.)
But then something unexpected happened. Hollywood tapped into a vein of geekdom that rocketed it into the public eye. Movies like Star Wars certainly helped, but even that was before its time. Over the past twenty years, we’ve been inundated with theatrical adaptions of once marginally popular books. Thanks to the millions of moviegoers clamoring for the source material, epics like “The Lord of the Rings,” “Wheel of Time,” and I daresay “A Song of Ice and Fire” (“Game of Thrones” for you HBO types) are selling like wildfire. (What’s a guy have to do to get on that list?!)
We have entered a new age where people of all ages are encouraged to let their geek flags fly. And why not? We all have a right to live our lives. Where am I going with all this seemingly pointless diatribe? I’m glad you asked.
Every year, millions of people—young and old—dress up in their best costumes, drive their parents crazy with their obsession with anime, fantasy, and science fiction and gather in arenas and convention centers across the globe to mingle with like minds, meet the celebrities of their obsessions, and snap pics with characters and vehicles brought to life at the fabled, and oft-misunderstood comic cons. There, among the vibrant costumes and elaborately constructed armor and what-have-yous, are endless crowds of children dragging their confused and intimidated parents through a weaving maze of booths, tables, and displays. Fun fact: No matter what city or event you go to, for some reason, you’ll always find a lady selling homemade soap. I’ll just leave that there.
The comfort zone for this Holly Springs writer has always fallen somewhere between “Star Wars” and “The Lord of the Rings.” They were among the first movies I remember seeing back in the 70s… yes, I said it… and they have stuck with me since. That love never dissolved. Sure, it faded from time to time, but it was always there, as I’m sure it was for many of you. (That’s okay. I won’t tell.) Now that my Army days are long behind me, you’ve seen my stories in Suburban Living’s pages for several years and I have written almost 30 sci-fi and fantasy books. But until 2021, I had never even considered attending a con, much less being a vendor at one.
Fayetteville Comic Con was my first live experience, an experiment if you will, and I spent half of the first day with my mouth open asking my 21-year-old daughter, “What the… (you know)?” It definitely wasn’t my scene, but once I got accustomed to it, I dove in and got to work. I met people from all walks of life—a lot of them from Holly Springs. While I don’t pretend to understand any of the anime stuff or the dedication these folks have to their costumes or favorite characters, I noticed they all have one thing in common: they are comfortable and happy being around like people.
Turns out, these things weren’t so bad. Sure, the town the con is in determines how popular or what kinds of stars show up. William Shatner is a constant draw to Galaxycon in Raleigh each summer. There’s a hardcore group of “Star Wars” cosplayers, calling themselves the 501st Legion, who show up everywhere. We’re talking movie-grade costumes here. Aged wrestlers seem to love these things, too.
Covid-19 slowed the roll for a few years. The events I went to in 2021 (from Fayetteville to Greenville) had limited attendance and the usual safety protocols. That didn’t stop anyone from having a good time. Unlike many events, there were no outbursts of anger. No violence or foolishness. There were massive numbers of parents either attempting to make their teens happy by awkwardly dressing up or going full bore along with the ride.
I know a lot of you great readers have children and are probably, secretly, frustrated with their obsessions with anime. You don’t understand it. I get it. That’s fine. Neither do I. My own teenager at the time loved the stuff and she couldn’t explain it to me. That didn’t stop me from tossing her in the car and heading out. I may have been going for work, but she was there to have fun.
If you think you haven’t come across any of this, you’re probably wrong. You’ve seen the fans here in this community. Walking in stores wearing a black robe-like shirt with strange red symbols, or dangling earrings that look like they might have come from a board game. I’m willing to bet plenty of you have stared at your child with a confused look as he or she tried explaining their favorite characters or episodes.
The internet and streaming services have exponentially grown the con industry through new shows, movies, and cartoons. At each event I’ve attended, I’ve watched thousands of people of all ages, some in costume, most not, stroll through the aisles of nick-knacks, crafts, and (ahem) books. Announcements are made on loudspeakers calling fans to meet their celebrities and get autographs or have their pictures taken.
Each event is similar but decidedly different. There is an innocence among the aisles and booths we seldom find in the real world. If you’re like me, you have most likely dismissed your kid because you don’t understand any of it and think they are wasting their time.
But are they? What makes what they are doing any different from hitting the links, going to the bar for a drink, or any other endeavor adults do? It took me a while to understand this, but when I finally got it through my thick skull, I was able to grow a stronger relationship with my kids.
I’m not saying this is the place for everyone, though I’ve certainly met plenty of Holly Springs folks at the events, but I am saying it might not be such a bad thing to have an open mind toward. Being a geek has never been more mainstream than it is today, and that’s no small feat. Perhaps it’s time to look inward and acknowledge those secret thoughts you have carried since childhood.
Who knows, you might just stumble upon me at my booth. If you do, stop by and say hi. We are, after all, one of the best family-friendly communities around. See you there.
To check out the list of events here in North Carolina go to: https://fancons.com/events/schedule.php?loc=usNC
