This weekend marked the 10th year of Pensacon, an annual pop culture and comic book convention that brings together fans, cosplayers, and celebrity guests in downtown Pensacola. The event draws in thousands of people from across the Southeast, with opportunities to attend fan talks, shop for goodies, and meet with artists, writers, and actors. The three-day convention has grown in attendance and popularity each year.
“This place has just about everything,” said Thaddeus Manning of Fairhope, Alabama. “It has comics, cosplay, movies, and sci-fi. Everyone is welcome here.”
"It gives you a chance to be somebody else for a day, and it gets a lot of people to express their imagination. They get to create who they love and be who they want to be for a day."Nate Gilmore of Jay
“Not only do you get to meet some of your heroes, and they turn out to be the nicest people in the world, but you get to indulge in this kind of culture that you normally don’t get outside of a Halloween party,” said Paul Stadden of Pensacola. “Being able to dress up as something cool and fun for adults, there are few opportunities to be able to do that.”
“There’s something about being around the people who put the time and effort [into their costumes] that you don’t get in any other situation,” he added.
“It’s a way to share your creativity, and there’s no judgment,” said Mercy of Crestview. “It’s just a really awesome energy.”
"I love the fun, the comradery, dressing up, and just having a good time."Denise of Crestview
“Aside from these conventions, there’s not really an outlet for people to show what they’re interested in in this light, so it's nice to be yourself and have fun with it,” said JP of Pensacola.
"There are a lot of people here who have like minds, and we’re all here to have a good time. I think it’s a great group of people who have a lot of love and empathy for one another toward a common goal."Jeffrey Johnson of Alabama
“I like the choices of activities you have,” said Jason Cox of Atmore, Alabama. “You don’t have to attend a cookie cutter for a certain activity, based on a certain theme. It has a broad spectrum of entertainment.”
“It’s really nice and unique to see so many different cosplays and so many different ways to cosplay as different characters from everywhere,” said Nathan of Hurlburt Field.
"I love taking pictures with everybody. That’s my goal, because I know people get so excited being able to take a picture with us, and that makes me excited."Ronald Tilton of Fort Walton Beach
“There’s something about putting on a costume, you have the opportunity to inhabit that character,” said Ed McCarthy of Pensacola. “The best part about Pensacon is the smile on the face. Everybody that’s here is having a good time, everyone here is family. Even though we’re not related, we have similar likes and interests, and you can appreciate what other people do.”
“Everybody gets an opportunity to express themselves, be themselves, and do something out of the ordinary. It’s not Halloween, but it’s as close as you can get,” McCarthy added.
