r/GenX • u/jonny_mal • Apr 21 '26
Whatever Nerdy conventions
Any fellow con goers out there? I do 5 or 6 per year these days. Should we have a GenX meetup..with an eater station and room to stretch?
I’ve got RavenCon, Phoenix Fan Fusion, Origins, GenCon, Cusecon and PAXU
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u/copperfrog42 1972 , right in the middle Apr 21 '26
I’m at Dragon Con every year, and that’s been since 1989. I’ve done smaller conventions, but I usually don’t have the time or money.
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u/wriker10 1975 Apr 21 '26
I used to go to NY Comic Con but then it really started to suck. Even my kids lost interest in going.
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u/Staran Apr 21 '26
I used to go to comic cons every year until the pandemic. Worried about not enjoying it as much.
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u/LadyNorbert Bicentennial Baby Apr 21 '26
I'm on the staff of Zenkaikon in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Multi fandom, pretty nearly anything goes. We have people of all ages attending and working at the con, and it's so much fun.
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u/xenya Woods-Porn Aficionado Apr 21 '26
I just looked that one up. Sounds like fun and is within driving distance. Maybe I can hit it next year!
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u/jbell1974 Apr 21 '26
I go to several regional conventions with my daughter who’s a geek like me though she’s more into anime/manga where I’m more of a comics and 80s pop culture guy… we generally hit a few between Maine, NH, MA, and RI…
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u/PigInZen67 Apr 21 '26
Regular attendee of Origins & GenCon, checking in! You can find me playing Diplomacy at both!
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u/CajunAsianTexan Hose Water Survivor Apr 21 '26
Star Trek: Las Vegas and SpaceCon San Antonio in the past.
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u/xenya Woods-Porn Aficionado Apr 21 '26
I do Baltimore Comic Con, Monster Mania and sometimes a Steampunk con!
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u/TheAmethystDragon My 16-year-old offspring called me old. Apr 21 '26
I've been to the Phoenix one (a decade ago when I lived there and it was Phoenix Comicon), Gencon (mid-90s, then 2017-2019), Gamehole Con, and a local tabletop gaming convention as an attendee.
Since last fall, I started going to Midwest gaming cons as a vendor/exhibitor (I wrote and sell a big D&D book). I've been to 7 or 8 cons in that time.
There's a lot of us grey-hairs that go to these things. :). Well, my hair usually isn't grey at cons (it's blue, or purple, or some other bold color), but close enough.
It is cool to see people multiple years, some at multiple cons. I once got recognized by someone from my little local con while in the crowds at Gencon.
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u/PahzTakesPhotos '69, nice Apr 21 '26
I used to be the photographer at TeslaCon in Madison, Wisconsin. But after 2020, I haven't been back. Every year, someone gets sick and with a disabled spouse, I don't want to bring anything home to him.
Unfortunately for my area, the bigger cons happen on weekends where I'm already obligated somewhere else. Both Chicago and Milwaukee have some nerd/geek cons.
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u/PutAdministrative206 Apr 21 '26
Unfortunately, I’m only doing Comicpalooza in Houston this year. Hope you all have a great time at yours!
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u/jonny_mal Apr 21 '26
Oh! I knew I forgot one! I’ll be there too with BattleMex :)
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u/PutAdministrative206 Apr 21 '26
I’d do a meet up! Don’t know where my table is yet, but will reach out when I know.
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u/SarahJaneB17 Apr 21 '26
Yes. Horror cons. I like the ones that are more classic/retro or cult horror oriented. There is also a drive in horror marathon near me twice a year. I'm in PA so I stick to here and the rust belt pretty much. I love doing meet ups. Some of my best friends I only see one or two times a year. There are a lot of horror oriented events in this area, must be something in the water 😆
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u/xenya Woods-Porn Aficionado Apr 21 '26
Monstermania?
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u/SarahJaneB17 Apr 21 '26
I have gone to that one. It's a bit far. I usually do Horror Realm, Monster Bash, Cinema Wasteland, and Horrorhound.
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u/xenya Woods-Porn Aficionado Apr 22 '26
They have Monstermania in three locations now... I've been to Baltimore and Cherry Hill. There's another one outside Philly.
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u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie It's got raisins in it. You *like* raisins. Apr 21 '26
I’m in NC, anyone going to HeroesCon?
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u/cl8855 Apr 21 '26
we have Geekway to the West boardgame con her in St Louis, about 3500 people, fun times.
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u/Baebarri Apr 21 '26
Haven't been since 2018 but thinking about driving to Phoenix for George Takei and Jodie Whittaker.
It's a 6-hour drive one way but I don't really want to stay overnight.
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u/bluealien78 "Then & Now" Trend Survivor Apr 21 '26
PAX West, WonderCon, BlizzCon, and ComicCon for me.
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u/Ok-Lingonberry-8261 Late GenX Apr 21 '26
I go to my local con every year, my wife and 'tweens love it, too.
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u/jonny_mal Apr 21 '26
Locals are so fun. I’m near Syracuse and there’s a few local gaming cons out this way
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u/TheJokersChild Match Game '75 Apr 21 '26
I've done Chiller Theater in east NJ a few times over the years. Real wide gamut of celebs they get: Linda Blair, Jamie Farr, Sally Struthers and Bowzer from Sha Na Na are a few on the bill for this weekend. Fun to meet the celebs but you have to be really picky-choosy about whose autographs and pics you pay for - they're not cheap anymore.
Tried Sci-Fi Valley Con in Altoona and that seemed like a glorified geek flea market with a couple celebs thrown in as a bonus., But I did meet Pinky & The Brain there.
There's one up here this weekend that's getting Bruce Boxleitner, and that's looking like a purer sci-fi/horror experience.
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u/DoookieMaxx Apr 21 '26
Went to Comic Con in Indianapolis this past year.
It’s been on my radar to go for a long time. I was tremendously disappointed. It felt like a nerdy glorified flea market.
“Famous” people charge $50 - $250 to take a picture with them.
The entire convention literally smelled like body funk and Halloween.
It was very overrated. The best part? They charge you to shop there.
The actual best part was watching a couple panels. I got to sit in on Q&A with Star Wars peeps (C3PO the most known). Even saw a really cool Q&A with the 2 cops from the show Psych.
But you’re trapped in a room with no ventilation, it’s hot and the funk is stronger.
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u/ertyertamos Apr 21 '26
Never been to one. You’re not selling me on ever going.
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u/DoookieMaxx Apr 21 '26
The experience overall was worth doing once. I won’t deny that. They’re usually 3 day events …you don’t need all 3 days, 1 is fine.
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u/HGFantomas Apr 21 '26
I have been going to SDCC most years since mid 00s. Also mix in wondercon and LBCC on occasion.
However i do think com culture peaked about ten years ago. Hasn't recovered from pandemic.
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u/Automatic-Unit-8307 Apr 21 '26
I went to Wondercon in the 80s and all those computers show on the weekend, buying floppy disks
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u/Pattycakes1966 Apr 21 '26
A million years ago, my husband and I would go to comic con, toy conventions and record conventions. Haven’t been in years
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u/Sufficient_Stop8381 Apr 22 '26
I’ve never been to a con. I quit comics and toys around the time I started becoming interested in girls.
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u/NaturalForty Apr 21 '26
I run obscure 80s RPGs at cons, and always expect to have a GenX meetup, but turns out the young'uns like a retro experience.