Star of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown tells the audience that she can't hear their cheering. Photo: @Lmsorenson

Salt Lake Comic Con 2016

SLUGmag


Salt Lake Comic Con 2016, the massive biannual event that has proven that Salt Lake City and Utah is a boiling hotspot of geekdom, movie buffs and fantasy, kicked off Sept. 1 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The reported hundred thousand of fans, cosplayers and special guests made their way to the city center and pour into the massive convention center at every angle while avoiding stairs and low ceilings to preserve their elaborate cosplay props.

With three days of activities to sort through in this weekend of chaos, guests have many choices. There are hundreds of shops selling merchandise such as T-shirts, hats, model weapons, video games and, of course, comics! If books are more your thing, you will not be let down: Row after row of authors have their works for sale, ranging from fantasy sci-fi to straight-up fan fiction from established favorites. You can also make your way to artist alley, where many talented painters, illustrators and handmade craft artists have a plethora of one-of-a-kind pieces on display and for sale.

If you are the diehard type, you can purchase autographs from a wide selection of special guests, or you can pony up a few bucks more and snag a photo op with your favorite TV or movie actor or an acclaimed fantasy author.

While all was fun and good, some people definitely got exhausted while walking the miles and miles of attractions with young ones in tow. These folks were welcome to head to KidCon, a special section of Salt Lake Comic Con specifically catered to the youngest of fans. Kids can run amok in this area’s castle structures, get their face painted, pose with professional cosplayers for a photo, get a balloon animal or even make their own foam sword. Giving parents and guardians a quick break from the convention, this is a most appreciated feature of the Comic Con floor area.

For many, the real meat and potatoes of events such as Salt Lake Comic Con are the panels. With anticipated and sometimes surprise appearances by famous actors and Q&As with some of the most well-known geek personalities, web stars and authors, every room in the hallways of the Salt Palace had something special to offer each fan.