LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - Lubbock is joining the growing number of cities that now host conventions for SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, comics, gaming, and everything else fans.



Fan conventions used to come in different shades. There was a different convention for Star Trek, Star Wars, miniature games and comic books. But comic books started the granddaddy of all fan conventions – San Diego Comicon.



San Diego Comicon is a household name for all kinds of dedicated fans, spanning TV, books, and movies. The convention that started out dedicated to comic books and related merchandise is now a staging ground for the biggest companies in the entertainment industry. Conventions are sprouting up everywhere. Amarillo has hosted AMA-Con for several years, and Lubbock is now getting ready to host their own.



Lubbock-Con is coming to the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center in Feb. 2016.



KCBD spoke with the woman who fostered the idea for a full-size convention in Lubbock.



DeNae Griffith is a Lubbock native, nerd, convention lover and single mother. She never experienced a convention until she moved away.



"I moved to Dallas in 2006 and since 2012 I've been going to their cons (conventions) and I've just become involved in those. When I moved back I realized we didn't have anything like that, we absolutely need something like that," DeNae said.



DeNae wants her son to experience the fun of a big convention sooner than she did, and to allow those that may not be able to make it larger cities such as Dallas to attend.



"Now that I'm back here, I wanted something for my son to do as well…for him to have that opportunity without having to go to Dallas. Most of the people here don't have the opportunity to go to Dallas three times a year. Being a single mom, I can't afford to do that all the time."



DeNae says Lubbock-Con will follow the model of the large "general" comicons.



"We want to be a lot like the Dallas Comicon kind of model. You come (so) you can shop and hang out with people. We are going to have organizations from around town. There are a lot of organizations that people don't know exist, so they are going to do panels and sign ups."



DeNae said the convention is approaching local artists, musicians and filmmakers. Local game company Jasco Games plans to unveil a new game at the convention, while the Humans vs. Zombies group of Texas Tech, and the Star Wars costuming group the 501st also plan to attend. There are also plans to have a costume contest, discussion panels, game demos, and of course, vendors of all sorts.



Organizers hope the convention will be able to continue past this year, growing better each year.



DeNae says, "This is my baby, my little brain-child that started with five guys in my living room… It's my biggest hope that this will continue on."



The first Lubbock-Con will take place at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center on Feb, 20 2016.



More information can be found at the following links: