Collective Con 2018

By starrymag | April 24, 2018

By: Spring Marie Cullen

 

 

Collective Con, dubbed North Florida’s Premier Pop Culture Event, was packed to the brim with anime, comic book and sci-fi fun for absolutely everyone. In the event’s fourth outing in Jacksonville, Florida from March 23-25^th, 2018, they proved once again that smaller conventions can deliver just as much enjoyment as their big-time counterparts.

 

Collective Con brings an impressive number of guests every year, given their size, from multiple avenues of the entertainment industry. Their guest list typically includes cosplayers, illustrators and both live action and voiceover actors. They ensure that there’s something for everyone at these conventions and this year’s event wasn’t any different. For this edition of the convention, Collective Con’s celebrity guests included “Legends of Tomorrow” actors Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford, former Power Rangers Jason Faunt and Johnny Yong Bosch and iconic voice over stars Cherami Leigh and Kyle Hebert. They were the biggest draws over the weekend but were joined with other talented performers as well: Emily Swallow (“Supernatural”), Roger E. Mosely (“Magnum, P.I.”), Esme Bianco (“Game of Thrones”), Clifton Collins Jr. (Star Wars) and Chester Rushing and Chelsea Talmadge of “Stranger Things” fame rounded out the guest list.

 

The convention schedule was filled with panels, costume contests, autograph signings, cosplay meet-ups, selfie opportunities and professional photo ops each day of the event. It was your typical convention program, with plenty to do and see throughout the weekend and there was never a dull moment.

 

This was my first year attending Collective Con, but I’ve been to enough conventions to know, generally speaking, what to expect. No matter the fandom or the target audience, conventions tend to all run the same with similar programming and the freedom to make the experience as enjoyable as you want it to be. They set the schedule and released it earlier in the week, allowing con-goers to plan accordingly and make sure they can squeeze as much memories out of the convention as physically possible. That’s always my plan, at least.

 

I went into Collective Con with an open mind, eager to see what they had to offer. I didn’t read any reviews on the event before attending, partially because I didn’t find any in-depth ones and because I didn’t want someone else’s weekend to influence my own. Even if I had, I don’t think anything could’ve stopped me from absolutely falling in love with Collective Con.

 

I’ve never been on a convention floor where the celebrity guests seemed so at ease. Usually the crowds and tight schedule have them noticeably rushing from one place to the next and by the time Sunday comes along their spirits aren’t as high as they were earlier in the weekend. That wasn’t the case here. The smaller guest list and the fact that Collective Con didn’t oversell their space made a perfect recipe for both the talent and the convention attendees.

 

One of the standouts was Jason Faunt, famous for his stint as the infamous Red Power Ranger. He urged fans to come to his table to meet him throughout the entire weekend. And regardless of whether or not they planned on buying something, he still wanted them to come over and at least give a quick hello. He was beyond accommodating. I’ve seen celebrity guests go the extra mile to make the experience for those attending a good one, but I’ve never seen someone so adamant about just coming over for a chat. At no point during his appearance did I feel like it was an act. I’m so happy I was able to make it to his panel on Friday, the only one he did solo and only the second one of the day. I got a seat right near the stage because Friday’s are typically the calmer days during three-day weekend cons and got the joy of making eye contact and getting to ask him a question without having to bob and weave through a massive line of people wanting to do the same. It’s clear how much he appreciates his fans and he said as long as fans want to keep seeing him and he keeps getting invited to conventions like Collective Con, he’d love to come hang out. That’s what it felt like talking to him, even when he was on stage – like hanging out with an old buddy. He told a story of his first con experience, which he referred to as the “Super Bowl of Power Ranger Cons,” where he was hesitant about attending because it’d been so long since he played the Red Ranger. But he took the chance and was blown away by the support he received from fans. Now he travels and gets that same support from all around the world. If there’s ever an opportunity to see Jason Faunt for me again I will absolutely take it and I urge everyone to do the same. Even if you’re not a huge Power Ranger fan, he’s such a sweet and down to Earth guy that anyone who’s interested in acting or involved in fandoms will love chatting with him.

 

I was also really impressed by Chester Rushing, treating the guests more like close friends than fans lining up to meet him. A few fans showed up on his Instagram story throughout the weekend, too. He was dancing in the courtyard in front of the venue with fans and cosplayers, just hanging out like he wasn’t one of the celebrities. On Saturday he even had a mic and a guitar and was singing on the front grounds for those lucky enough to have time in their schedule to squeeze in his impromptu performance. Half the time I saw him running around during the weekend I wasn’t even sure it was him as he was blending in with everyone so well. He was also having just as much fun as we all were and nothing is better than the celebrity guests actually enjoying their convention experience. It’s what keeps them coming back.

 

Brandon Routh, who I was personally most excited to see, only attended Saturday and Sunday of the convention and the place was nearly packed. The “Legends of Tomorrow” panel he did alongside wife and costar Courtney Ford was completely full! There wasn’t a single open chair and a lot of people, yours truly included, were left standing. They were so great during their Q&A that it didn’t matter though as I hardly noticed the pain in my feet because I was so mesmerized by every on-set story and super hero detail they shared. Again, I think the smaller size of the convention really made the difference here because they both seemed so at ease and were able to answer a myriad of questions, despite the size of the crowd. There was an overall casual feel to it and to the event in general where it felt more like simply having a conversation than watching a panel. It was something I haven’t experienced from a convention before, and something I think other avid con-goers would really appreciate.

 

Routh was the one person I splurged to get a few pictures with and he’s even nicer in person than I imagined. I’ve been a fan of his for years now, since I was a teenager, and it was like a dream come true getting to meet him. I gave an obligatory comment about how, as great as Henry Cavill is, he’d always be my Superman, which if he didn’t actually get a kick out of he did a great job of acting like he did. Routh isn’t as active in the convention scene as some of his Arrowverse costars, but I sure hope more conventions start adding him to their roster. Collective Con actually used him and Courtney as replacements for a guest cancellation and they couldn’t have made a better decision!

 

Aside from the “Legends of Tomorrow” panel, the Anime panels seemed to be the most popular. I’m not a big anime fan myself, so I wasn’t familiar with Cherami Leigh or Kyle Hebert going into the convention. But I certainly am now! Leigh was especially popular throughout the convention, even on Friday when things were a bit slower than the other days, her autograph line reached well into the vendor rooms. Their panels were surprisingly insightful, considering I’m not a fan of anime I didn’t give much thought into what it was like for voice actors at events like these in comparison to celebrities from live action shows. When they record their voice overs they’re alone in a room in front of some sound equipment and aren’t always aware of how their work is received. According to Hebert there are times, specifically with the work he’s done for video games, when it can take years to see a finished product and Leigh described it as “shouting into the void.” They love attending conventions and hearing from fans who they’ve helped through a tough time. It doesn’t only matter to them because they know someone’s watching and enjoying their work, but it makes them feel connected to their viewers. They both even went as far as to say they felt like part of a family, an entire group of people with a sole interest; anime.

 

They also put an end to a burning anime watcher question. When asked Sub vs Dub (watching anime in its original form with subtitles or watching it with dubbed voices) they both agreed that it’s a matter of preference. They don’t see one as superior than the other and encourage fans to watch it in whichever way they enjoy it, while respecting the fact that someone else may enjoy watching it in another way. This was one of the few things about anime I actually knew was a big debate so it was interesting to hear from the voice actors that they don’t see any way as better or worse.

 

Another one of the shining stars of the event was the artists alley and vendor rooms. I’ve never been to a convention with so many talented artists and diehard collectors eagerly awaiting the chance to chat up convention-goers and possibly make a few more fans in the process. They were also fairly priced, which took me by surprise. There are times when I’ve seen dealers take advantage of the convention site and jack up the prices to get as much as they can out of their buyer. Conventions are expensive enough as it is, so it was refreshing to see practically all the artists and vendors at the event charging fairly priced and affordable items. It was obvious they were true artists and loved their craft rather than someone looking to make a quick buck off of unknowing fanboys and fangirls. Altruistic Gifts was hands down the coolest vendor table I’ve seen ever. Their products are incredibly unique with tea light boxes, wall clocks, cosplay replicas, card deck boxes and everything you could possibly imagine – all homemade from wood, glass, vinyl and mirrors. I had to stop myself from buying everything because I would’ve. They know exactly how to appeal to the average convention goer, making sure to include items for just about every fandom from “Doctor Who,” DC Heroes, Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts – you name it and they’ll probably have it and if they don’t they take custom orders.

 

Overall, Collective Con was an amazing experience and I’m already patiently awaiting their announcement for next year’s event. For such a young convention they really appear to know exactly how to handle themselves, in a way that’s both respectful and enjoyable to the attendees and the famous guest list. They also know how to fill the downtime in between panels with a lively array of vendors and artists and a game room full of multiplayer games. They set up six big screen televisions and had Super Smash Brothers, Rock Band, Mario Kart and a few other classic and iconic games setup for everyone to play. Collective Con was a massive success and if you’re on the fence about whether or not to attend next year – trust me, go. You won’t regret it.