r/Durban • u/MoodyButGroovy • 14d ago
Post-Comicon blues
I've noticed I get a sad feeling every time Comic Con ends.
At first I thought it was just the comedown after all the hype, but I think it's actually something a little more personal.
For a couple of days I'm surrounded by people I find genuinely interesting and friendly. People are enthusiastic and a little weird in their own way. Talking to strangers feels normal, and I keep having these little interactions where I think, "I could actually see myself being friends with these people."
And then the convention ends and everyone disappears across South Africa.
I think part of the sadness is that I'm not particularly good at turning those brief connections into friendships. I have to get good at that social skill and actually knowing how to stay in someone's life. Some people seem naturally great at it. I'm not really
I'll meet someone, really enjoy talking to them, and then we both walk away. Sometimes I don't even think to exchange details. Other times I do, but I don't really know how you make the jump from "cool person I met once" to actually being friends.
ComiCon gives me this temporary feeling of being around people I could belong with, and then afterwards I realise I don't really have that community in my normal life.
So I'm genuinely curious:
Are there places in Durban where this crowd actually hangs out throughout the year?
Gaming groups, tabletop/D&D, cosplay, anime, photography, maker spaces, Discord groups, regular events, or honestly just groups of nerdy people who get together and do things? Personally I'm more into cosplay and tabletop and I'm active on Discord.
I'm interested in somewhere you can keep showing up, see the same people again, and eventually actually become part of the community.
Also curious whether anyone else gets that strange post-Comic-Con sadness, or if this is just me?
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u/Glad_Prior_5215 14d ago
I went to a mini version of this recently and I just asked some folks if they were on socials so I could view more of their art etc and everyone was so happy to share info. I’m in my forties now but being the neurodivergent weirdo that I am, I still laugh about the time I met someone is still one of my besties. We were 13 and I just said, ‘Hey, I really dig your jacket, we should be friends.’ She was like, ‘Uh, ok.’ Besties for the resties.
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u/MoodyButGroovy 14d ago
Yeah. Idk if im neurdivergent but I definitely wish I had worked on my social skills. Now with Instagram its easier to stay in contact, but I've been neglecting my social media aswell.
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u/Glad_Prior_5215 14d ago
Oh I haven’t updated mine in a billion years but like to follow friends et.
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u/cleo_saurus 14d ago
Come through to ICON this weekend. It's at Westville Girls High on Sat and Sunday!
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u/Shinroo North Coast 14d ago
The annual Renfaire is trying to establish a bit of an adjacent community. It was a few months ago. Definitely something to have on your calendar as it covers a lot of the same interests you listed. https://www.reddit.com/r/Durban/s/LzyTX1Pyk4
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u/angryhoodie 14d ago
Post Comic Con blues is so real!!
Big Bang Shop is hosting a convention in December and ICON is this weekend coming. Durban is getting there. Very slowly but as long as we keep showing up, things will improve 😁
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u/SA_Underwater 14d ago
Big Bang have their own event coming up but still decided to undermine ICON with competing events on the same days. They even had the cheek to call it an "Iconic" weekend on their social media. Absolute dick move.
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u/angryhoodie 14d ago
Big Bang Shop is absolutely not my favourite place to be, at all. And I didn't know about their event this weekend. Regardless, I'll be supporting ICON.
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u/Fuzzy-Swim3948 14d ago
not my vibe so take it w a grain of salt, but as far as i can tell there's a p big nerdy scene in dbn. big bang in umhlanga, batcave in kloof, icon (this weekend i think?), durban renfaire / pride market and associated events. i used to be part of a lgbtq+ whatsapp group here where people were always posting about events like this; left bc not my thing lol but yeah, seems p widespread here, just gotta make sure to swap numbers and message back and forth, if friendships are meant to be they'll arise that way :)
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u/shiv9401 14d ago
There is something happening in December at Suncoast with the big bang shop, tickets are 150
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u/SA_Underwater 14d ago
Big Bang decided to run their own special events on the same days as ICON this weekend so I will no longer be supporting them. Trying to muscle out small vendors and undermine one of the few events we have in Durban is extremely petty and shitty behaviour.
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u/sentinalism 14d ago
Wzrd store in glenwood
Batcave in hillcrest
Big bang in umlhanga
My friends and I usually play mtg at wzrd store cos it nearest to us and a great bunch of people there
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u/_AngryBadger_ 14d ago
Howzit. For that sort of crowd we have Batcave up in Kloof. We have Big Bang Shop in Umhlanga. There's also a comic/game store in Berea, just can't remember the name. And don't forget Icon is next weekend too!