BlerdCon 2019 Overview
BlerdCon is a convention that celebrates Black nerd culture, disabled, LGBTQ persons and others who are not normally included in other nerd spaces. So Blerdcon is often described as being different from other cons, while I can vouch for that being somewhat true, there were a lot of things that still felt familiar and that combination made things super comfortable. It’s really was just another anime/gaming convention with 95 percent black people in attendance
This was our first time at BlerdCon and I was super excited. This was an event for us (Blerds) by us (Blerds) and if there’s one thing I know about black folks, it’s that we know how to have a good time. From all the pictures and videos posted by from years prior, it looked fire! And for full disclosure, I was far from disappointed.
The first thing I want to talk about is cosplay. Everyone looked amazing! They really came to show out and I was totally here for it. We saw all types of cosplay: Anime, Genderbends, mash-ups and original characters. Adults and children alike. It’s really been a while since I’ve seen so many people in costume. The Cosplay community online is bigger the ever but numbers at cons are slowly declining. (bases on what I’ve seen) It was really nice seeing people of all shapes and sizes enjoying themselves without judgment.
Speaking of cosplay, I was able to attend the Cosplay Contest and Catwalk. Judges for the contest were Cin’ Von Quinzel, Papa Bear and CutiePieSensei and I was beyond impressed the entire time. Everyone looked so good and even the judges came to slay. They are all established cosplayers, whose pictures can be found all over the internet. Seeing them in person and them being equally as stunning and maybe arguable more captivating really puts things in perspective.
Before the cosplay contest, we attended Blerdcon’s J-Fashion Show hosted by DC KawaiiStyle and it was pretty dope. Everyone who participated looked fly as fuck. Five different designers participated and each had there own flair which is something that I could really appreciate. There were even a few pieces that I could see myself rocking. But the best thing about this whole experience was watching the unbridled joy on the faces of these model as they walked on and off the stage. That’s really what it’s all about.
There was also a little music festival which is a staple for me when attending any con. There a listening session with DMV producers J.Soul and Sinitus Tempo. Another by Hip Hop Veteran Substantial featuring a vocalist by the name of Stephanie Gayle. The eventful night was closed out by New York Femcee Sammus.
We spent a good chunk of time in the gaming area and had a fantastic time rolling down memory lane. Was able to play classics fighting games like Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat and Capcom vs. SNK. To more obscure titles like Shaq Fu, Primal Rage, Killer Instinct, and Windjammers. And newer games like Soul Calibur VI and Tekken 7.
There was a DJ Booth set up right smack in the middle of the gaming area. The steady stream of music called for a dance floor which became the space right in front of the booth. People were getting it in, in and out of cosplay. Black folks literally know how to turn any moment into a party. That is why I love us. The energy was so contagious that someone’s baby found there into the dance circle. The other dancers got hype with him. That really touched my little blerd heart.
One of the last things I want to talk about is the panels. There was a nice variety of panels. Topics that range in fandom, identity and so on so forth. The panel selection reflected all of what Blerdcon is. That is something that I really loved. There was the more serious panel from the minority perspective but then there were panels on that said I like this and I just so happen to be black. I think those types of panels are equally as important because we need to just be able to be without labels.
Here is a list of panels we attended:
Afro Samurai Champloo Premiere
Fabolous Nerd Fight
Trash or Lit: Is this anime good for you?
This Follow Panel is Scheduled for One Fall
BGA Trivia: Guess that Anime Opening
All in all, I had a pretty action-packed weekend. Even both the after-parties were jumpin’. Shout out the lovely staff at Blerdcon, for allowing us to come thru and cover this event. Shout out to all talent artist, cosplayers and beautiful peoples for just being in the building. Seeing so many smiling black faces really made me happy and I hope that we’ll be able to make it out next year. Blerdcon was a movie.
