MegaCon 2017 Brings Pop Culture to Florida
MegaCon 2017 took place from May 25th to May 28th at the Orange County Community Center in Orlando, FL. MegaCon is the largest convention of its kind in the South East. This annual event caters to fans of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming, and more. MegaCon 2017 featured over 100 celebrity and comic guests, giving fans a rare opportunity to meet their favorite pop culture icons. The guest list included Ian Somerhalder of The Vampire Diaries, Matthew Lewis of the Harry Potter film series, and Felicia Day of The Guild just to name a few. The full guest list can be found on the MegaCon website. The guests were available for photo-ops and autographs, which made for once-in-a-lifetime souvenirs.
The welcome banner for MegaCon 2017 at the entrance of the Orange County Convention Center. May 28, 2017. (Photo: Mal Carney)
Trading card game fans also had attractions to enjoy at MegaCon. The dealer’s room had over 500 vendors. Of these 500 vendors, there were booths selling trading cards. Other vendors sold toys, figures, t-shirts, and other trading card game inspired merchandise. Stylin Online had their tower of t-shirts in the dealer’s room and sold shirts from many different fandoms.
Stylin Online's Tower of T-Shirts in the dealer's room at MegaCon 2017. May 28, 2017. (Photo: Mal Carney)
The MegaCon game room offered gamers the chance to purchase cards, learn how to play, and compete against others. Volunteers were available to teach patrons how to play. There were also demonstrations of games. Experienced players could test their skill in drafts and tournaments. Magic: The Gathering and Yugioh were not the only trading card games present; Pokémon, Force of Will, and multiple tabletop games were also played in the game room. In addition to their booths in the dealer’s room, CoolStuff Inc, Coliseum of Comics, and Oblivion Games all had satellite booths in the Game Room, so if one were attending MegaCon solely for gaming they would not have to traverse the 400,000 square foot dealers room to buy cards or games. The game room schedule is available on the MegaCon website.
A slideshow showing some of the card and game shops present at MegaCon 2017. Created using Adobe Spark. May 28, 2017. (Photo: Mal Carney)
Famous Marvel Comic writer and producer, Stan Lee, was one of the most notable guests at the convention. Lee has been a consistent MegaCon guest for years. MegaCon 2017 was his final Florida appearance, which marked the event with a bitter-sweet feeling. Fans could meet Lee, have a photo-op, and get an autograph. Photo-op tickets and autographs were both $120, but the line to meet Lee showed that fans were willing to pay for the opportunity.
Information on Stan Lee's schedule in the MegaCon 2017 pamphlet. May 28, 2017. (Photo: Mal Carney)
Some fans even had Lee’s autograph tattooed on their bodies at the Ink-Fusion Empire Tattoo Pavilion. The Ink-Fusion Empire has a license agreement with Lucasfilm LTD and is the only tattoo program to have this honor. The Ink-Fusion Empire is a staple at MegaCon and Comic Con, so if you missed your chance to get a quality tattoo from this popular program be sure to follow their Twitter for information on where to see them next.
An Ink-Fusion banner in the dealer's room at MegaCon 2017. May 28, 2017. (Photo: Mal Carney)
What did you love about MegaCon 2017? How could the convention be improved for next year? Share your thoughts with @Mals_content on Twitter and Instagram. Check the @Mals_content Instagram for more pictures from the convention, including cosplay shots.
Gamers, share your card game stories from the MegaCon 2017 game room. Use the #StAugGaming hashtag and you could get the chance to be interviewed by Malscontent.
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