This year I went to my first Momocon — my second ever con. When trying to find the convention center, all I had to do was follow the cosplayers. Deadpool and Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle were my tour guides.
The Georgia World Congress Center was double booked on Friday. One half was Momocon, and the other half was a high school graduation. I watched one grandparent look very alarmed when she walked into the bathroom and saw two girls cosplaying as Titans from Attack on Titan. She was so confused and very terrified. Who were these creatures graduating with her grand baby? Grandma learned what a cosplayer was that day.
When I entered the Vendor section, I was very overwhelmed. There were so many stands with anime, video games, and animation merchandise. I didn’t know where to start. I just wanted to throw my money at all the vendors and take everything. Unfortunately, I’m on a college budget and vendors don’t appreciate when you throw things at them. I ended up caving to a Jigglypuff sports bra. Pokemon athletic apparel is extremely hard to find.
There was also a gaming section, which had to be my favorite. There was a specific area for board games — and there is never a section for board games at parties. You got to play unusual board games such as Avalon. Monopoly was nowhere to be found, except for the Game of Thrones edition. There also was a section for RPGs, card games, laser tag, robot battles, a dance arcade, and various game tournaments. I may or may not have lost to a fourteen year old in the dance arcade.
The panels were amazing, and all of the speakers were compelling. The brochure is filled with so many panels that I had a hard time choosing. I wish I had a time turner, so I could see them all.
Overall the con reminded me of this quote from Jesus’s Son (a book that’s not the sequel to the Bible):
“I had never known, never even imagined for a heartbeat, that there might be a place for people like us.”
Momocon is that place. It’s a place for the nerdy to feel at home.
