Bigger and Better: 3 Rivers Comicon 2019
3 Rivers Comicon had quite a few changes this year, and every single change that happened, while last minute, just improved an already great convention.
Simply Nerdy Mom was hosted by 3 Rivers Comicon and received press passes for full coverage.
The entire goal of 3 Rivers Comicon was to bring comics back to conventions. Through the years a lot of comic conventions have kept the "comic" in the name, but have transitioned over into more pop culture and less comics. This convention was founded on bringing back the comic element of the comic cons. Not only are there various comic book vendors, but their entire guest line up consists of people who have worked in comics in some way. Of course, there are novelty vendors and crafters, but they are small business owners who are associated with "nerd and geek culture" in some way. There's no Window World or Bath Fitters stuck in between or some place trying to get you to sign up to "win free lasik surgery". It's all about the comics here.
3 Rivers Comicon came back this year in a big way with a bigger, better location for both the convention itself as well as the annual beer release party, and quite possibly their largest store all at The Waterfront.
All attendees through the door get a free graphic novel, but you also have the chance to win a second one and even more prizes by signing up for the newsletter and spinning a prize wheel. I know a lot of people hate email newsletters, but this is one you definitely want to sign up for. It will keep you updated on future conventions as well as other really awesome events that New Dimension Comics hosts both in the city as well as in their various store locations.
Okay so one thing that I know a lot of people were on the fence about was the date this year. Yes, it was Mother's Day weekend, but that didn't stop the people from pouring through the doors. They had a lot of activities for families and all mother's got these cute handmade comic flowers on Sunday as a thank you for attending.
There were costume contests both days, an area for the kiddos to sit and play with Legos, a professional photographer set up for cosplayers to get pro photos done, gaming tables set up with video games, a bird rescue table where they had live birds, panels, art auctions, and this cute little photo op booth where you could get your photo taken with the stars of Detective Pikachu, which is in theaters now.
You could also get your photo inside this adorable Mater cart and on the opposite side of Mater was a great place to take more cosplay photos and selfies.
The convention was held in the old Macy's building and filled out the entire first floor. As a matter of fact, this gave more room and this year there were many more vendors than previous years. Speaking honestly, I think this has to be the perfect place to hold a convention. The overall layout was easy to navigate, but they made sure to utilize the space well by using an old jewelry counter as a place to display the artist sketches for the auction in the glass cases. Every single column in the store had convention info like maps of the tables and artists/vendors. I also really love that they had a bunch of "Cosplay is not consent" signs! You would think people would already know this, but you would be surprised how often you have to remind people that just because someone is in costume, doesn't mean they want to be touched or photographed.
There was so much to do and see that you really could make an entire day out of it, and with the new location smack dab in the middle of plenty of other shops and restaurants, it's impossible to get bored.
Check out this short clip of the convention:
The beer release party for vendors and VIPs was held this year at their New Dimensions Comics store, also located at The Waterfront. Both the convention and the store were previously located at the now expired Century III Mall. So they definitely upgraded in a big way!
I think hosting the release party in store was a genius idea. This brought people into the store and buying things. No joke, that line for the register stayed long all night. You could shop, enjoy some beer and food, play games, read, etc.
The beer release party always brings in a crowd that gets bigger and bigger with each year. Not only is it catered and there are a lot of activities to partake in, but this is where you are going to get an exclusive beer to sample and even take home with you. On top of that, the artist for that year's label is always on hand to sign your take home bottle, or in the case this year - can. I have always recommended the VIP tickets, and I always will. Even if you only plan to be there on Saturday, you definitely need to attend the party on Saturday night. It's always a lot of fun. I *may* have had a bit too many samples, though, as that stout can knock you on your butt if you aren't paying attention. 😂
Another new thing I noticed about this year is that they had security on hand. Of course, I didn't see or hear of anything negative happening, because everyone was kind to one another and had a great time. However, it's nice to know that they are there just in case. I actually like security at events. It makes you feel safe, and that's all that everyone is really aiming for is to safely have some fun. There were also staff members scattered through out the convention to help anyone who needed it and to make sure things were running smoothly. I'd say they did an excellent job, because this was a great weekend! It's amazing to see how far they have come in a few short years, and it's only going to keep getting bigger and better every year.
For more info, photos, and other fun stuff, visit:
Hope to see you guys next year!
3RC comes back to The Waterfront May 30-31, 2020!
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