Last year I wrote about the first ever ZappCon, and guess what? It’s happening again this year-this very weekend!
ZappCon is put on by geeks, for geeks. It is a hybrid convention mixing gaming, comic books, movies, and toys. The weekend will be devoted to having fun, making new connections, and celebrating all things “nerdtacular.” There will be special guests, artists, vendors, cosplay, a kid’s zone, and much more.
ZappCon will be held downtown, in the Valdez Hall, on October 17th and 18th. You will have the chance to meet geek celebrities, play the latest board games, learn about nerdy arts and crafts, and listen to some great music. Here are some other highlights of panel guests and activities to look forward to:
- Andrea Libman: The voice actress who performs Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie on My Little Pony. She’s also done voices for DragonTales, Reboot and Madeline.
- Gigi Edgley: Host of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge, actress portraying Chiana in Farscape and recently finished filming Hashtag
- The Doubleclicks will perform: These two sisters sing sincerely about the things geeks love: dinosaurs, super-villains, Dungeons & Dragons, and more. They’ve appeared at major conventions including Pax, Dragon Con and GenCon.
- Ron Randall: For more than 30 years he has worked for all the major comics publishers in the United States, including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image, Dark Horse and IDW on properties as varied as Spider-man, Supergirl, Predator and Star Wars.
- RK Post: An artist, his freelance career has encompassed a lot over the years, with clients including White Wolf, WizKids, Fanpro, Microsoft, LucasFilm, 20th Century Fox, Nintendo, Marvel Entertainment, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Blizzard Entertainment (Diablo 2, World of Warcraft) and SOE (The Agency).
- Cosplay contest Saturday evening, and a youth contest Sunday afternoon. (Registration is full, but you can watch!)
- Dozens of games scheduled: StarCity Games Northern California States Championship in Magic, organized play for Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, board game tutorials, and tournaments throughout the weekend.
Panels will include:
- Crochet 101: Making Harry Potter Scarves (Beginners)
- Women in Comics
- Up Periscope: A Look Inside Periscope Studio
- Voice Acting 101 – Andrea Libman
- Roleplaying Games and Families
- Learn to play ukelele with the Doubleclicks
This year is going to be a very exciting one!
Before you go, check out the schedule of events, and find them on Facebook.
Cost is $25 for a one day badge, and $35 for a two day badge. Two children ages 10 and under are free with an accompanying adult badge.
Children ages 2 and under are free (and do not count toward the two child limit with an adult badge).
Fresno Convention Center
Ernest Valdez Hall
700 M St
Fresno CA 93721
One last word….In March of 2014, one of the founding creative spirits behind ZappCon, MJ, passed away. I believe he would be so proud of what the event has become. He was the spark who had the idea to bring all of these collected people together, to celebrate comics, toys, movies, and gaming. ZappCon has become a must attend event for geeks of all ages. This is such an amazing event for the Central Valley, and it’s taking place, right here in our city of FresYes! So, if you’re able to go, please do so. You will have a great time, and I know it would be a nice way to honor MJ.
I really hope to see some of you there!
- Visit Local: Selma - August 26, 2016
- Pet Medical Center and Spa - August 19, 2016
- Adopt Local: Animal Compassion Team - August 12, 2016
Leave a Reply