The 2017 Florida Supercon just wrapped on July 30, and attendees are likely still spinning from the event’s stunning 750 hours of scheduled programming. The Florida Supercon is the largest comic convention in South Florida and continues to grow in both scope and attendance every year. While some comic cons streamline their content for one franchise, genre or medium, the Florida Supercon embraces the whole gloriously geeky rainbow of fiction fandom.
It would be impossible to accurately describe all of the event’s action. Even choosing highlights is a struggle, but fans that missed out on this year’s Florida Supercon no doubt want a consolation summary. Here are some of our favorite moments from Supercon 2017:
Cosplay
While Supercon’s schedule of events was awesome to say the least, fan enthusiasm is a huge part of any comic con’s success and is also excitingly unpredictable. Supercon rewards hardcore cosplayers with several costume competitions. The main event offered thousands of dollars in prizes and attracted movie-worthy performers this year. Other contests awarded prizes for junior costumes, video game characters, a late-night superhero contest and a retro costume contest complete with lip syncs.
Michele Specht on the set of Star Trek Continues at Florida Supercon
Video Games
Sure, there are video game conventions, but few of them feed into fandom in the same way that comic cons do. This year, Supercon pandered to gaming geeks of all generations and persuasions via marathon Overwatch and Super Smash Bros tournaments. For fans looking to feed their gaming nostalgia, Supercon opened up an old-school coin-op arcade. “If you build it, they will come.” And the gamers did come with many also earning top prizes in the cosplay contests.
Mick Foley poses with Fan at Florida Supercon
Television
Supercon featured Q&As with fantasy and sci-fi greats past and present. Ricky Whittle from American Gods offered insight on one of this season’s biggest breakout hits. Former Power Rangers Amy Jo Johnson and Jason David Frank (the original Green/White and Pink Rangers) gave a master class on the series, which remains hugely popular almost 25 years after its inception. Supercon also hosted the two leads from one of 2018’s most anticipated streaming shows, Cobra Kai, a continuation of the original Karate Kid movie.
Power Rangers Amy Jo Johnson and Jason David Frank
Movies
Supercon offered fans a chance to ask questions of not one but two of the central characters from this year’s epic Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. New addition Pom Klementieff (aka Mantis) held court for over half an hour while Karen Gillan (aka Nebula) represented a rare merging of the Marvel and Doctor Who universes. Also on hand were the original voices of stop-motion animation icons Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) and Oogie Boogie (Ken Page) of The Nightmare Before Christmas fame who answered questions both obvious and obscure for over 40 minutes. (Spoiler alert: fans cried.)
Chris Sarandon with Fans at Florida SuperconLeVar Burton at Florida Supercon
Meet and Greets
Some of the most special moments at Supercon happened at the meet and greets. In addition to all the celebrities mentioned above, three different Walking Dead favorites snuggled up to their rabid fans. Mick “Mankind” Foley put on an impromptu sock puppet show. Jason Mewes of Clerks posed for prom pics and twerked on Beetlejuice.
In other words, there was no better place to celebrate our favorite games, movies and TV shows this July. Burning questions were answered, costumes were rocked and everyone’s favorite actors and actresses were available for up close and personal fan worship. We can’t wait to see how Supercon 2018 tops that.
