Six years ago in 2014, Upstate South Carolina turned a dream turn into reality when Rob Young, Owner of Borderlands Comics and Games, created and successfully executed the very first SC Comicon.

My wife and I attended that very first con and instantly fell in love with the atmosphere. I remember sort of being in shock after the show due to the realization that so many people in the area were into the same things as us.

In 2015 the show doubled in size, then again in 2016, and again in 2017 then once more in 2018.

When we attended the 2019 show this past Saturday (March 9th), things seemed tame upon our arrival around 10 AM, but by lunch time it was clear the con had done it again. The crowd had swelled in size and the sound of everyone speaking was a constant fluctuating hum while people joked, laughed and discussed their favorite pop culture icons. When we left, there were still two massive lines of people waiting to get in.

A shared post from the SC Comicon Facebook Page proclaiming 2019 to be the biggest year yet.

The show hosted several guests including Veronica Taylor (Pokémon’s Ash Ketchum), Charles Martinet (Super Mario’s Mario), Katrina Law (Arrow’s Nyssa al Ghul), Mick Foley (Professional Wrestler) and even the co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kevin Eastman!

All attendees had the opportunity to meet the guests, attend informative panels and browse dozens of vendor and artist’s booths that littered the floor. There were so many that navigating the Greenville Convention Center felt more like walking through a city of pop culture, and it was awesome.

Myself with Matthew Jenkins, animator for Aqua Teen Hunger Force (+ several other shows)

Besides the guests, vendors and artists, SC Comicon offered another source of enjoyment – the fans and cosplayers.

Apart from our first year in 2014, my wife, Sam, has taken up the challenge of cosplaying someone new for each con and this one was no different. She donned the look of the well-known thief (now turned goodie goodie thanks to Netflix) – Carmen Sandiego.

My wife Samantha, er, I mean Carmen Sandiego. Isn’t she gorgeous?

It’s a common courtesy to ask permission before snapping a shot of someone at SC Comicon, but in my six years of taking photos there I’ve never once been rejected. It’s quite easy to know when someone wants a picture with Sam by the sudden excited cry of her characters name (“Hidan!”, “Carmen!“, etc.) ringing out near us, which never fails to put a smile on her face.

SC Comicon has a strong sense of community that is hard to describe if you’ve never been. All social tension and anxiety seems to melt away when you find yourself in a massive room filled with people from all walks of life who appreciate the same things you do, and even more so when most of those people are wearing uniquely crafted costumes to represent their favorite characters.

It’s wonderful to see so many different people walking the floor and to witness how far some of them will go to step into the ‘role’ of their character, even if it is just for a few hours.

It’s a beautiful blend of creativity, passion and camaraderie among strangers that I’ve never seen anywhere else and while I’m not the best photographer, I feel like the gallery below does a good job of demonstrating what I mean when I say the show has a unique atmosphere that’s hard to find anywhere else.









































































Every year when we leave SC Comicon, we immediately find ourselves dreaming of the next one. On the car ride home we brainstorm potential cosplay ideas, fawn over other cosplayers (who we follow on social media to fawn over some more!), discuss the guests we got to meet, share pictures of the loot and art we picked up with friends and smile the whole way home.

SC Comicon is not something I ever expected to come to our area and it wouldn’t have been possible without Rob Young and his phenomenal team over at Borderlands Comics and Games.

I’ve shopped almost exclusively with them for my comic needs since 2011, and despite living a whopping 45 minutes away from the shop (soon to be just a little bit further when they upgrade to an even bigger location!), the amount of effort they put into customer service and ensuring you have the easiest experience is well worth the travel.

If you live in the area, be sure to stop by and give them some love for everything they’ve done for the community. If you don’t, you should consider booking a flight to Greenville, South Carolina around March 28th – 29th of 2020 when the 7th Annual SC Comicon will take place.

Until then, you can check out both SC Comicon and Borderlands at the links below!

Want more comic goodness? Check out my review of Wolverine: Weapon X!

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