A Look at Lexington Comic Con

By: Billy Fulton

Deep in the heart of Kentucky lies one of the South’s premier comic conventions, the Lexington Comic Con. Operating in an area that most would assume is devoid of comic book nerds, and lovers of general geekdom, is a gem of a con that regularly pulls more than 20,000 people to the Lexington Center. For three days each March, this space is full to the brim with srormtroopers, Ghostbusters, Justice Leaguers, and any other form of cosplay imaginable (seriously, I saw a Deadpool/Hulkbuster mash-up, and it was awesome).

LexCon, as it is lovingly called by many, is a celebration is the nerd culture, but also what it’s like to be a part of that lifestyle in the middle of Kentucky. This convention, moreso than most others I have attended, celebrates local art with a fervency unmatched by even some of the summer art festivals around the state. This Con also knows that in this area, the chance to talk with a comic creator or get a celebrity autograph is quite the challenge unless you have tickets to a Kentucky Wildcats game, and then you’re practically part of Ashley Judd’s family. As this convention has grown, so has the vastness of celebrities they attract. This year’s guests included creators like Neal Adams, Mike Zeck, and Peter David and celebrities like Lee Majors, Michael Rooker, Ric Flair, and Kevin Smith (who recorded a live episode of his podcast “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old” with Jay Mewes at the convention Friday night).



What really makes this convention great is the community, and not just the one forged by the attendees but by artists, celebrities, exhibitors, and the attendees. I met so many wonderful individuals during my weekend in Lexington, and even met an artist that happened to attend the same college as me and was there at the same time. To say this world of art, collecting, and comics is a small one is an understatement.

As a collector, this is a prime stop for me each year. I am able to fill in holes in my collection from booth to booth, and usually these are items that would make the exhibitor say something like, “I almost didn’t even bring that.” That’s my last point about what makes the Lexington Comic Con great: it’s covers such general nerd-dom that any one person at any time could have exactly what you are looking to get and vice versa – any collector may be looking for the one thing you have. I met my personal favorite artist at this convention two years ago and every year since, I have reconnected with him and bought more of his work and spread the word to friends about him. Without a small, personal convention like this, those bonds would never be formed. While the bigger conventions exist to reach the most people at one time, it’s the ones like LexCon that help you develop your nerd ideology. It’s a wonderful convention and if you happen to find yourself within a couple hours of Lexington in mid-March of 2018, you should try to be there.

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via The Nerd Machine

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