SAN ANGELO, Texas — Before anyone signed a single autograph or made a sale at San Angelo Comic Con, Foster Communications Coliseum still may have been the busiest place in town Friday.
Vendors hauled in Funko Pops in bulk, along with other collectibles like fantasy swords, comic books, t-shirts and Pez dispensers. One vendor – with a string of flashing lights at the center of her display – even found space for her two dogs.
The weekend figures to be even busier. Along with its vendors, cosplayers and visitors, San Angelo Comic Con will host six celebrity guests, including WWE Hall of Famer "The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. Saddled with the task of putting the event together, owner and operator Scott Smith jokingly said he was most excited for it to be over.
“I have been working this for the last six months,” Smith said. “It is a major undertaking. We want everybody to have a good time. We’ve always said this; as long as everybody has a great time, we know we’ll be okay.”
Smith designed San Angelo Comic Con as a safe space for self-proclaimed nerds. Saturday, the convention will host a “Nerd Prom” at Clarion Hotel.
“Everybody’s a nerd about something,” he said.
Cosplayers don’t mind the label. Kara Gonzales came to the convention dressed as Roxanne Wolf from the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” video game series. She arrived in full costume before setting up her booth with her cousin, Caleb.
Gonzales smiled the entire time. In a previous year, the first convention she ever dressed up for was the San Angelo Comic Con. She said she was excited to see other cosplays and look at merchandise.
“Honestly, I’m already having so much fun,” she said. “I don’t think it could get any better than this.”
Tickets online are $5 cheaper than those purchased at the door. For $40, visitors can buy a pass for the entire weekend.
The convention’s opening ceremony is at 7 p.m. Friday. Celebrity guests will sign autographs starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.