La Feria Represented at Comic Con

Updated: May 12, 2017

(L-R) Melissa Vento, Evan Lavoie, Herman Gutierrez, Michael Soto from the La Feria Emergency Education Training Center program volunteered time to man a First Aid station for the three day Comic Con event in McAllen. Photo: Victor Moreno/LFN

by Victor Moreno/LFN

Susana Leyva Burgueño and Thomas Dimmick cosplay popular Marvel Comics characters Gambit and Rogue during Saturday’s show. Photo: McAllen Convention Center/Facebook

South Texas Comic Con was held for its fourth year at the McAllen Convention Center on Friday, April 28, 2017 through Sunday, April 30th. This yearly event provides Valley residents with an opportunity to not only meet some of their favorite celebrities, artists and sci-fi, comic book, anime and video game characters but also be their favorite characters!

South Texas Comic Con is a pop culture celebration where fans of comic books, fantasy, sci-fi, gaming and other genres can gather to meet artists, actors, writers, and publishers and to make friends with people who share their interests. Fans enjoy autograph sessions, photo ops and Q&A panels with celebrities, cosplay contests, art workshops, video and card gaming tournaments, the Artist Alley, Vendor Market, Kid’s Comic Universe and more.

Attendees to this year’s Comic Con came from all over the Valley, with the La Feria community being no exception.

City of La Feria Special Events Coordinator Tabitha Outlaw served as a staff member at the event again this year. Tabitha has been volunteering at the convention every year since its inception.

Pikachu and Super Saiyan Future Gohan pose to take a picture with an attendee. Photo: Victor Moreno/LFN

Melissa Vento, Evan Lavoie, Herman Gutierrez, and Michael Soto, all members of the La Feria Fire Department, volunteered their time and expertise over the weekend to man a First Aid station in the convention hall. The LFFD personel were part of the Emergency Education Training Center program.

Also present at the convention once again this year was Zumba instructor Susana Leyva Burgueño from our very own La Feria Recreation Center. Susana is an extremely accomplished, award winning cosplayer who enjoys dressing up as various comic book, anime, sci-fi, and video game characters at many conventions throughout the year.

Princess Bonnibel “Bonnie” Bubblegum was passing out pieces of gum much to the chagrin of The Earl of Lemongrab. Photo: Cayetano Garza Jr./LFN

Cosplay, a contraction of the words costume play, is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. The rapid growth in the number of people cosplaying as a hobby since 1990s has made the phenomenon a significant aspect of popular culture in Japan and some other parts of Asia and in the Western world. Cosplay events are common features of fan conventions and there are also dedicated conventions and local and international competitions, as well as social networks, websites and other forms of media centered on cosplay activities.

A trio cosplaying cartoon band Gorillaz – they couldn’t find anyone to play 2-D! Photo: Cayetano Garza Jr./LFN

South Texas Comic Con has a strong cosplay presence each year and guest professional cosplayers attend the convention to meet and take pictures with fans.

LFPD dispatcher Eliza Rodriguez also served as a volunteer at the con this year.

Finally, La Feria News’ very own Cayetano “Cat” Garza was tabling in Artist’s Alley this year promoting his comics and art. Cayetano has been self publishing comics in print and on the internet for many years and is well known within the wider comic book industry. La Feria News features one such comic, Don Cacahuate y Palo Verde, in every weekly edition.