Heroicon, held May 4-6 at the Decatur Convention Center and Hotel, is a gathering of gaming enthusiasts that benefits the non-profit organization Games for Troops. This year there were a number of fictional and real life characters in attendance, including Iron Man....
Darth Vader...
Thor....
and Jack the Ripper (which is why I'm eyeing him with suspicion)
We also made a few new fans, including Jennifer (from Heroes of Legend Cosplay) and her soon to arrive son, who picked up a copy of our futuristic anthology Unto This Last.
Vendors present included Play to Beat Brain Cancer, from Olathe, Kansas, a non-profit that sells gaming items such as dice, boxes and bags as fundraisers for brain cancer treatment and research. Their website is ptbbc.org.
Heroes of Legend Cosplay, based in Decatur, stages appearances as Marvel, DC, Disney and other characters at venues such as parades, parties and children's hospitals. Their life-sized Iron Man and Wonder Woman costumes are quite impressive. If you'd like to hire one of their heroes, contact them at their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HeroesOfLegendCosplay/
Also in attendance was GameChurch, a Christian ministry to gaming fans. As described by Rook (pictured), "we're here to tell you Jesus loves you and hand out free stuff" as well as overcome the perception that Christian faith and gaming don't mix. Its offerings included a summary of the Gospel of John in which the life and ministry of Christ are presented as the "ultimate quest to save a land known as Earth".
Our next event stop was Cog County Faire V, held June 1-3 at the White Lake Beach Resort near Montello, Wis., which we last attended in 2016. This event has an old-time county fair theme with vintage carnival games, a Victorian swimsuit contest, and live performances by musicians, storytellers, and others.
This event draws Steampunk fans from Wisconsin and neighboring states to enjoy some old-fashioned fun and show off their Steampunk gear.
Several Faire attendees bought copies of Angel of the Revolution and Syren of the Skies, including Jess, part of the Faire security team....
Gayle and Elliott, from Minneapolis-St. Paul....
Paul, from Madison....
and Daniel, from St. Louis.
We enjoyed making new friends and catching up with old friends at these events. Our thanks also to the organizers of these events, who put a LOT of work into making everyone feel welcome.
Monroe St. Press' next event will be the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, Mo., on Labor Day weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 3). See you there!
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