After a crazy month I am finally able to sit down and write my review for the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention we went to all the way back in March! Some may worry my memory of this con may not be good enough to write this after so much time has passed but i have a secret. LCTC is not a forgettable convention! Lexington has one of the best Cons in the state of Kentucky and it surprises me just how few people actually know of it. It is not a Wizard World or Dragon Con but it may just top them in different ways and they didn’t even know it.
I hear from people all the time that Dragon Con is THE con to go to for cosplay and from others I hear that it may have lost the spark that once drew people in due to “Cosplay” and “Comic Cons” being more mainstream. Why bring that up? For a friend of mine who had gotten into the cosplay game about 5 or 6 years ago said that Dragon Con was like the underground of cosplay. Normal people (people who have not experienced the all consuming power that is cosplay) didn’t really show up because most people didn’t know about it or what it was. No offense to the normal or abnormal out there. He was one of those people that thinks Dragon Con may have lost a little bit of that spark now that everyone and their dog knows what “Cosplay” is and do it on some level.
Now there is nothing wrong with that but he misses that “Underground” feel where when he looks around the convention floor he is surrounded by people who dedicated blood, sweat, and tears into making all the awesome props and costumes he saw. LCTC (Lexington Comic and Toy Convention) has that underground feel to it, you are constantly surrounded by cosplayers big and small! Some of the most amazing costumes I have ever seen were at LCTC and the people wearing them poured their souls into making them as epic as they are! Dragon Con may be THE con in the mainstream but the Lexington Comic Con is a hidden gem waiting to be found!
LexCon is a three day con located in none other than Lexington Kentucky! It is one of the closest cons around for me and is a very big Con for one not associated with some of the big dogs in the Con game. We were extremely fortunate to receive Press Pass badges which allowed us access to the con floor all three days and gave us front row seats to the Cosplay Contest! They had everyone from Austin St. John (the original Mighty Morphin Red Ranger) to Peter Mayhew (Motha-flippin Chewbacca) to Bill Goldberg! Needless to say they had some major star power everywhere you looked and the geek in me could not have been happier! Every time we walked by one of the stars they would all smile and if they were not busy call you over to just have a chat. If you love Power Rangers then this is the con for you because they had rangers from all over including most of the original MMPR cast! On top of that the layout of the convention was fantastic and easy to navigate between the bottom and top floors. The Convention staff always had smiles and always had answers if there was ever a problem or a question and were very easy to work with. After two years of going to this convention I have learned that if you want to make this the best con of the year then there are a few things you should do.
- Buy your VIP tickets ASAP.
- Book your room ASAP.
and finally
- Show up early Friday!
Friday is for VIP’s only (and Press) and this is a chance to meet the stars and buy the goodies before the masses show up! Now there are still a lot of VIP’s so don’t expect empty lines, just expect shorter lines! Get as many of your autographs and celebrity photos on Friday so you can spend Saturday and Sunday having fun and not waiting in lines!
One of my favorite things that we got to be a part of during the Con was the Cosplay Contest! It was incredible to see all the talented Cosplayers from all different skill levels and walks of life! It showed me something I already knew to be true. Cosplay is not about how old or young you are or the amount of money or time you put into your costume it is about the passion you have for it and how much fun it can be! Now I have to say that after taking pictures of every single person who walked across the stage and knowing what it must have taken each contestant to make their costumes, I do not necessarily agree with who the judges picked as their winners. Out of the three contestants that walked away with cash prizes I only think two deserved it.
3rd place- A ghostbuster with a well made pack that made sounds and lit up.
2nd place – attack on titan character
1st place – a Dragon Rider! A huge dragon that took up the stage with a massive wingspan and a little tiny rider on his back!
(Unfortunately I never had a chance to catch the names of the winners..Sorry!)
Now by my descriptions alone you should tell that I wasn’t impressed with the attack on titan character. Her one prop she had was cool I guess and I’m sure it took time and effort to build but the reason I wasn’t impressed was for one simple fact. Her stage presence. She showed no excitement or enthusiasm at all, I don’t know if that’s how her character is supposed to act or not because I have not seen AoT. Do not get me wrong she looked awesome but part of a contest is that you make it a show for the judges and audience! You could have the coolest cosplay ever but if you don’t give it your own flair you won’t win. Obviously the judges thought differently and in the end the are the ones who have final say.
All in all this convention is amazing and one that I truly look forward to each year. If you are like me and live close enough to make it to this gem of a con I totally recommend it! It has a great Cosplay presences and support system and is an awesome place to go and meet some of the most talented people around! You will not be disappointed, that is unless you hate Power Ranges and in that case you are probably not going to have a good time!
This is my go to con and the one I recommend to the most people! It is the perfect con for the first timer or the veteran comic con goer. It is a fun, family friendly convention that will make your inner geek jump for joy. If your looking to make a list of places to hit put Lexington Kentucky down and mark your calendar for March 15th -17th!