The Sexy, Nerdy Truth About Modern Comics Conventions

"When I come to these conventions, I go from being a normal college student into a fucking xeno-pimp," said a Dragon Con cosplayer dressed as a xenomorph from Alien.

Two years ago, VICE’s resident comics specialist Nick Gazin headed down to Dragon Con for its twenty-fifth anniversary. Before abruptly, and quite chaotically, getting kicked out at the end of the event for “ambushing” Carrie Fisher while dressed as G.G. Allin, complete with a jock strap emblazoned with the words "EAT ME," Gazin discovered that the sprawling entity of Dragon Con had become an eruption of sexy nerdy revelry.

This would probably shock some people. Despite the mainstreaming of the comics/sci-fi culture that conventions like Dragon Con depend on, many still hang onto the notion that attendees are all some variation of The Simpsons’ Comic Book Guy—socially inept, physically unattractive, and perplexingly excited about the most esoteric aspects of their chosen obsessions.

But truthfully, there is no standard Dragon Con or Comic Con guest anymore. You definitely still have Comic Book Guy, but he’ll be in line for an autograph next to a steampunk fan who is standing behind a woman dressed up as Hipster Ariel.

Some may lament that trend while others may celebrate it. Convention politics can get pretty complicated.

I can’t really speak to any of that personally as I’ve admittedly only been to one major comic convention myself. What I recall wasn't the debauchery that Gazin found but disappointment, which was perhaps my fault. I naively waltzed into the convention hall with hopes of finding lots of folks to geek out with me over how great Swamp Thing and other books I love are. Instead, I found a bunch of exhibitors trying to sell me stuff, way too many people shuffling around the convention floor, and Plaid Spiderman (okay, that last part was rad).

What may have once been a haven for otherwise introverted comics-lovers, conventions, Dragon Con included, are now a total spectacle. If that’s your jam, then that’s awesome that there's a place for you. As for me, it’s all a little bit too much so I’ll probably stay home and avoid the Xeno-pimps this year.