A Friday at Indiana ComicCon

Loki and Thor. Made my day.

I truly enjoy walking through the Indiana Convention Center on a bright March afternoon and seeing Thor, Wolverine, a smattering of various Time Lords, and a Stormtrooper or two.

No, really, I do.

I took last Friday off to attend the first-ever Indiana ComicCon.

While I didn’t expect the pageantry of San Diego (look for Claire’s report from there this summer) or New York City, I wasn’t sure what I would see.

I already know we are a “geek-friendly” city, with tens of thousands of people taking over the Convention Center for the world’s largest gaming convention annually (Gen Con).

The odds were not in favor of a large turnout, particular because of a number of conflicting events in downtown Indianapolis, such as the men’s basketball Big Ten tournament. Despite that, the line to enter was lengthy before the doors opened at noon on Friday, stretching around half of Hall D. Con-goers also provided a steady stream of traffic throughout Friday afternoon.

Published reports also show even stronger numbers on the weekend, particularly for the costume contest.

When I arrived in Hall D at around 11:00 Friday morning, I was part of a long line of people waiting to get into the Con.  A long line consisting of various Avengers and Harley Quinns (she and Thor made various appearances in various incarnations) awaited the opening.

The people you see while waiting in line.

At 12:00 on the nose, Con-goers were greeted with regionally-based vendors, games, and books.  It was very similar to what you see when attending Gen Con, but on a smaller scale.

As first efforts go, it was decent. It was small as ComicCons go, but has plenty of room for growth.  I am sure it will make a return appearance in the years to come.

A meeting of a classic Ewok and Babo Bear.

If you missed attending Indiana ComicCon, or it wasn’t what you were looking for, Indy PopCon happens at the end of May!