INDIANAPOLIS — The return of locally created science fiction/fantasy/comics convention PopCon, which debuted in late May last year, is scheduled for June 26 to 28 at the downtown Indiana Convention Center.
The time shift was necessary to keep the convention affordable, according to convention communications director Shawn Smith.
During the final stages of booking our 2015 show, organizers ran into some logistical issues with that date that would have resulted in additional expenses that would have increased ticket prices, Smith said.
Smith also answered a few other questions for the Daily Reporter:
As organizers, what about the 2014 show most surprised you?
There’s an extreme physical and emotional drain that happens when you put on a big show, as adrenaline takes over as soon as you open the door and doesn’t go away until all the lights go out. It was exhilarating but tough.
But the fans and attendees at the show were awesome, and when they’d find one of us hiding in a corner, trying to catch a breath, their positive words always helped lift us back up to keep going.
We learned a lot through the process of just doing the show the first time around, so we look forward to putting on an even better show this time around.
Fan con is so multifaceted (gaming, sci-fi, fantasy, cosplay, etc.) — is there going to be a new aspect, or more emphasis on a certain aspect, in 2015?
Our overarching theme has always been this idea that the pop culture landscape is shifting, and the power to create art is returning to the creators. Years ago, you’d have to luck out and get discovered or know somebody in the industry to catch a break and do the thing you truly love to do. Today, however, we all have this incredible ability to self-publish and launch our own podcasts, cosplay careers, YouTube channels, comics or even video games.
We want to continue exploring these trends and help give exposure to budding young artists and creators, while teaching a new generation and their parents how they can survive and thrive as artists in this new Internet era.
Expect to see a lot more workshops and educational opportunities, as well as some additional emphasis on independent artists and creators.
Since it’s mainly about the fans having fun, can you arrange to bring the Super Bowl zipline back to Indy? (You could call it a “superhero line.”)
The liability insurance on getting a zipline that can support cosplay robots, battle-axe wielding huntresses and caped superheroes is ridiculous. Maybe next year!
For more information, including announcements of celebrity guests, see indypopcon.com.
