Oz Comic Con 2014 – Different Is Good

Oz Comic Con Pop Culture Expo 2014 – Different Is Good

 



Celebrities from everywhere within geekdom came to Oz Comic Con. From TV to movies, and of course comic books, the atmosphere is one of unity. We're all here to do one thing, celebrate what we love, and that is what gives it a sense of community. Be it Raptor Jesus, Marvel superheroes, Game Of Thrones, or A Nightmare On Elm St, we're here to experience it, to shake hands with it, and in some cases be it. If ever there was a safe place to experience Rocky Horror Picture Show's message of “Don't dream it. Be it!” then this is the place.

Fandom disagreements are met with vigourous debate and discussion, or a mock lightsaber duel. Inconsolable anger never comes into it though, for anger leads to hate and hate leads to the dark side. Most of geekdom has positive, inspiring, and relatable characters with creeds such as this. Characters of various fandoms have morality and psychology deeply explored within their fiction. You can always find characters that you love, or hate, or love to hate.

There's an aura of excitement and goodwill amongst fans. Some who it's not enough to just brush with fame and meet their idols, they want to be the things they love. They work for days fixing together costumes and hours on makeup to look like their favourite characters. The obscurer the persona, the more rewarding when you meet someone else who knows what you are meant to be. And of course there are catwalks and competitions.

One thing that seems a bit lost within it all are the actually Comics in Comic Con. There is a slew of artists and writers from various areas of genres of comics, graphic novels, and picture books. Both international and local talent, from professional to amateur gets there own cramped stall. I personally try to visit these stalls after securing my celebrity photo or autograph. They get somewhat forgotten and in truth it's what the convention stems from. I try to at least buy one thing, however small, from a budding artist. Sometimes it's fan art, sometimes it's a novelty bookmark, sometimes it's an intruiging fledgling comic series about a zombie dog detective from Mars. Whatever it is, I think it's important that these folks not get neglected in the noise.

There are many conventions, with Oz Comic Con being only one of them. Other main ones being Supanova and Armageddon and Manifest that have been around for longer, and many would say are better organised. Some might see it as a distraction, only so much noise. I see it as a community coming under one banner of unity. Like a mutant in the Xmen series, many strange and wonderful colours in the rainbow, but all under one name, mutants and proud. No matter where you come from, all our differences don't matter at a Convention be it race/religion/gender, because we all share this one thing. In fact it's the variety of different likes that we celebrate when we head through those doors. At the Con', we leave behind an otherwise judgemental society and enjoy for once being in a place where not knowing about something geeky is an opportunity for discovery, and different is good.

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