Being somebody who attends a great deal of conventions in southeast Michigan each year, I’m understandably thrilled to see whenever another new show joins the club. Really, no matter if it’s as big as Motor City Comic Con or as small as Redford Comic Con, I’m going to do my best to show up.
That said, Astronomicon was the latest event to catch my eye. Essentially being a pop culture extravaganza that blends various types of fandom, I could tell that it was going to be something special just by how well the organizers interacted with fans on social media and promoted the thing. And, as expected, it lived up to expectations because every aspect that I was able to witness was pulled off rather well.
In addition to boasting a solid presence by vendors, crafters and local comic book talent like the folks from Source Point Press and Brian E. Lau, the chief architect behind Staunch Ambition, I was witness to what may have been the most impressive showing of media guests this area has seen outside of Motor City Comic Con.
Of course, you had horror icons such as Kane Hodder (stay tuned for our exclusive interview with him), Tony Moran and Tyler Mane, but you also had wrestling legends like Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Booker T on hand. Truth be told, a sizable chunk of the attendees likely showed up to see Twiztid – whom I’m told played a huge role in making the event happen – and other recording artists from their Majik Ninja label. Now, hip hop may not be my cup of tea, but they had even me covered because Carla Harvey had a table as well, and she just so happens to front Butcher Babies, one of my favorite metal bands.
When it came to the venue itself, I found the Wyndham Garden hotel in Sterling Heights to be a pretty good fit for a show of this size. Taking all that was offered into account, I would probably classify this as being a mid-sized con because it offered so much more than a lot of the smaller shows I attend throughout any given year. Actually, I’d somewhat liken it to the now defunct Detroit Fanfare – only better. I’m being 100% serious when I say this was one of the better convention experiences that I’ve had.
With that, I wholeheartedly encourage anyone who’s curious to check out the next Astronomicon, whenever that may be. In the meantime, though, be sure to check out the accompanying gallery for some shots featuring our favorite cosplayers and a few of the guests mentioned.
