Kon!!!

Fort Smith explodes with comics, pop culture

Touted as an event for everybody, Konsplosion is a home-grown, fan-run extravaganza that will fill the Fort Smith Convention Center with some rather unusual characters.

"This is a pretty fun, jam-packed event," says Brooke Shock, co-owner of Konsplosion and owner of Realms Anime and Dragon's Keep Gaming Room in Fayetteville. "There's something for everybody, from age 5 to 105. We're going to have panels, guests, comics, vendors, gaming, pop culture and of course, cosplay."

Konsplosion!

WHEN — Sept. 12-14

WHERE — Fort Smith Convention Center, 55 S. 7th St. in Fort Smith

COST — $45 for a weekend pass; daily passes available

INFO — konsplosion.com

Cosplay, or costume play, is a major draw for Konsplosion and probably the defining characteristic for many anime conventions. Participants wear costumes and accessories that represent a specific character, usually drawn from manga, anime, comic books or films, either just for fun or as part of cosplay contests.

Konsplosion will offer two contests, Main Stage and Hallway, inviting participants to compete utilizing their ability to portray a specific character or on the craftsmanship of the costume itself. These competitions are hugely popular, says Shock, but they're not the only thing the convention's got going on.

"There really, really is something for everyone," she insists. "This is not just about anime or video games. We've incorporated a lot of pop culture, everything from 'The Walking Dead' to 'Supernatural' to 'Futurama.' It's all inclusive to any interest."

And it's that inclusiveness that makes Konsplosion such a success, Shock says.

"There is such a negative stigma associated with the word 'nerd,'" she says. "But our generation is changing that. Nerdy things are becoming more accepted, so that makes it more mainstream. It's becoming part of pop culture.

"Pop-culture is really taking over the comic book industry," she continues. "You can't go anywhere without seeing someone with a Superman T-shirt on. So conventions are not limited to just one group of people anymore. I mean really, if you come here and don't have fun, you're not human."

Konsplosion is the brain child of Shock and Courtney Shreve and was born in 2012 out of a need to expand.

"There really wasn't a large enough place for a big convention like this, so we looked outside of the area," she says. "We ended up at the Fort Smith Convention Center. They literally handed me the keys to the whole place, which is huge. It was the scariest thing in the world."

Terrified, Shock opened the doors to 1,200 guests, who flocked back the next year to what she calls the "big party."

"I feel like I am throwing a big party and having all of the people I like come to it," she says. "That's the idea behind this convention: Invite everyone we know and see what happens."

The party turned into a festival, inviting patrons to participate in events like live human chess games, classes, date auctions, panels, tabletop and video gaming and more.

"We expect a full schedule of events to post a day or two before the event," Shock says. "We're still putting last minute panels together and such. We have some great guests definitely coming, though -- Caitlin Glass, Curtis 'Takahata,' Nicki Rapp and more. And they're all amazing, super-friendly, great to work with."

The 2014 Kon-vention is expected to be the largest yet, and for Shock, that works out great. The event, created by by fandom and born out of a late night of cookies and almond milk, will be full of things she likes, she says.

"Come out, join us and have a great time," she says. "There's something for everybody. And hey, everyone loves a party!"

NAN What's Up on 09/05/2014

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