Nerds, where are your supersuits?

Anthony Tinay | Pulse

Cosplayers, gamers and the entertainment-obsessed all came together last weekend for the 11th annual South Texas Comic Con (STXCC), a convention celebrating media from all corners of the pop culture landscape. 

STXCC is one of the biggest conventions in South Texas and a consistent performer for the McAllen Convention Center, who has hosted the event since its inception in 2014.

The convention acts as a central hub that prides itself on being an environment where fans can engage with their interests. These opportunities of interactivity include celebrity panels, where notable actors get on stage to answer questions about their work from the audience, some of these include the popular Breaking Bad Q&A, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Rick and Morty panels.

Attendees can also come and play video games at Kaboom Games’ Arcade Room, on consoles from the Nintendo 64 to the Nintendo Switch, and also be a part of fighting game tournaments. Alongside the Arcade Room, is Artist Alley, where people can shop and buy trinkets and art from local vendors and creators. 

The artist known as Spicy Panda, is one of the many vendors participating in the convention circuit, specializing in hand-drawn vinyl stickers and phone charms of anime and cartoons. She has also been attending conventions since 2018 and STXCC for about five years. 

She wanted to make it on her own terms doing what she loves, so she continues to make art as a rejection of “normal” jobs and working for corporations. 

“I wanted to run my own business, but I wanted to do something fun,” she said. “I love drawing, so why not do something artistic?”

Andy Cavallero, a UTRGV psychology freshman attended the con for the first time. Even though it was his introductory year into the convention, the Artist Alley and cosplays are what he wanted to check out the most. He was excited to share his haul of a figurine and phone charm from a favorite anime of his.

Cosplay is a main element of congoing culture, it’s a way for attendees to express their love and dedication to a movie or show they like without feeling judged. Held all three days of the convention, the Cosplay Contest is one of the main attractions at STXCC. 

  Attendees were able to show off their cosplay and compete for a chance to take home cash and prizes. 

Freddie Vela, STXCC host and media coordinator, said he loves the ambitious and imaginative cosplay attendees showcase.

“Some of the most creative minds come together and make a lot of their own cosplays, then [cosplayers] come out and present them,” he said. “It’s amazing to see some of the artwork that people do.”

Vela has been extremely proud of the work done by him and the convention’s team. To Vela, the convention serves as a safe space for anyone in a fandom, which is a group of people sharing a common interest, typically a movie, show, anime, etc. 

“For a long time, ‘nerds’ or ‘geeks’ were always considered off to the side,” he said. “There was no safe space for comic book lovers and anime lovers and movie lovers to come together in South Texas to really express themselves.”

Vela said a huge reason so many people attend is for the nostalgia factor, which was a personal motivation for him to get involved with the convention. He summarized the media people consume and communal events they attend can often be a respite from the other troubles and problems happening in people’s lives.

“Kids and adults leave whatever world we have behind, and just go in and immerse themselves into the nerdy culture,” he said. 

One self-proclaimed nerd, Ang Gonzalez, a UTRGV theatre senior, said the cosplay scene is what initially brought him to the convention. He has attended STXCC every year since he was 12. GonzalezAnge said he continues to attend the event due to the more local and personable environment STXCC offers. 

“You see all these bigger conventions and everyone kind of sticks to themselves,” he said. “Then like down here, since it’s kind of smaller, is a lot nicer.”

As for what was different at this year’s edition of STXCC, there is an emphasis on highlighting Hispanic representation. The convention is attended by hundreds of people from local areas around the Rio Grande Valley, so Vela felt there was a need to lean into the culture. This includes Vela’s initiative in bringing  more Hispanic actors and personalities, such as Gabriel Iglesias. 

“This year we decided to get back to the Rio Grande Valley and remind people why we are the way we are,” he said.