by Mike Favila, Senior Editor. Photos by Emil Favila, Reporter
Awesome Con was such a fun weekend in an otherwise serious Washington, DC. I hadn’t been back in a while, since I was in Brussels for the last few years, but the hometown con has really grown and brought some heavy hitters in terms of media guests this year. I usually try to keep my fanboy tendencies to a minimum, but there were some unique guests this year.
On Friday, I immediately went to Chris Bachalo’s table, who I hadn’t seen at Awesome Con (other any other DC area convention, for that matter). He was so generous with his time, and spent a lot of effort engaging with people in line, talking with them and drawing in their graphic novels and sketchbooks. It was really heartwarming to see somebody still so connected with his fans.
Everything was really well organized this year and had plenty of space for the vendors and the fans. I loved the variety of anime and comic vendors, as well as cool little indie sellers making scarves or leather goods. The convention floor was varied and had something for everybody. I did notice an uptick in anime goods, but that was just as well for my kids who were really looking for the newest merch for their series of choice.
Obviously the big highlight in terms of star power was the Firefly cast panel on Sunday morning. Even though it was held in gigantic Hall A, the room was packed to the brim, with people lining the walls in all the standing areas. I barely got in, and I was 20 minutes early! Everybody there clearly had the love for their favorite characters, with a few ladies dressed as Inara, and more than a few Jayne hats.
All week, Nathan Fillion had been teasing a big announcement. He had been visiting all of his fellow cast members at their houses on Instagram. I personally had been expecting them to announce an audio play or something manageable. But to most people’s surprise, they announced that they would be making an animated series. With a pilot written and married writing-producing team Marc Guggenheim (“DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” “Arrow”) and Tara Butters (“Agent Carter,” “Reaper,” “Law & Order: SVU”) attached to serve as showrunners, it looks like this might really happen! All they are looking for is a studio to back all their hard work and organization. What a coup for Awesome Con to be able to host this announcement at their event!
Overall, Awesome Con was really delightful. Although I really missed having a printed map, the staff were very friendly and helpful in helping us get a lay of the land. Security was a breeze and they had plenty of food vendors available for people looking for a snack in between signatures, K-Pop Demon Hunter merch, or photo ops with their favorite actors. I can’t wait to go back next year.
