Characters ranging from The Guardian of Gotham to the Caped Protector of Earth will come out as students from all comic universes dress up for the first annual College Con on Thursday, Oct. 25 at the NMU Bookstore.

From 1 to 4 p.m. anyone can participate in a variety of games, along with prizes, food, cosplay, and Halloween costume contests. An art contest will also be hosted by the Students’ Art Gallery.

Barnes and Noble recently created the event for its number of branches, and Store Manager Paul Wright thinks the holiday timing provides a great seasonal event for the campus.

“We try to do different social activities every year,” Wright said.“It seemed like something new and different that we could combine Halloween and College Con.”

Wright hopes that the event will allow people to show the work they put into what they’re passionate about when it comes to cosplay and conventions like this.

“People that are into Manga and Comic-Con put a lot of work into it and we want this to be another way that they can show off their experience.”

Senior sociology major and Cosplay Unite President Em Shirilla believes that events like College Con are a way to bring people together.
“It’s a place to share what you love with others who share your interests,” Shirilla said.

“There is always something you can find to suit those interests.”

Besides the sense of community, Shirilla points out that larger conventions are not always accessible to everybody. Tickets for the well-known International Comic-Con in San Diego can cost up to $243 just for weekend tickets alone. Adding in travel and other expenses is not in most college students budget.

“These events are virtually non-existent in the U.P.,” Shirilla said. “To have them at NMU is great for those who can’t afford the travel to bigger events.”