After being forced to cancel last year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, MegaCon Orlando is returning in full force with four days of pop culture fandoms from the worlds of comics, anime, gaming, TV, film, voice acting, cosplay and so much more at the Orange County Convention Center Aug. 12-15.
“The purpose we sort of work toward through all of our events is this element of discover, celebrate, belong,” says Andrew Moyes, Fan Expo HQ vice president. “Pop culture conventions have, since their inception, been places where fans who are passionate about certain genres can find a really safe place to come and celebrate with each other and not feel like outliers.”
MegaCon has been providing that space for its fans since the early 1990s and is now one of the largest conventions in Central Florida, bringing tens of thousands of visitors and millions of dollars in revenue to The City Beautiful.
The message of “discover, celebrate, belong” was something MegaCon wanted to resonate with everyone attending its event, including the LGBTQ community, which led them to partner for the first time with the LGBT+ Center Orlando on a project at the convention.
“MegaCon reached out to us several months ago,” says Dr. George Wallace, executive director of The Center Orlando. “They had done an inclusive space at another MegaCon event in a different city and they wanted to see if we were willing to partner with them.”
“This ‘discover, celebrate, belong’ philosophy is a theme across all of our events so we work where we can with certain partners to champion it,” Moyes says. “Over the last few years, society has really embraced the convention and it has become more mainstream but it’s still a great opportunity to provide everyone with a safe space to come and celebrate their fandom, and that’s what we’re doing with this inclusive space.”
The inclusive space at this year’s MegaCon will be a 20 ft. x 20 ft. space called the Garden Café and will be attended to by The Center Orlando.
“It will be decorated with garden gnomes, there’ll be places to sit and we will be there providing information on The Center and we’ll have swag for visitors,” Wallace says. “It’s a safe space to come and hang out that will be open to everyone.”
Along with a safe space to relax and meet new friends from Middle Earth to a galaxy far, far away and everywhere in between, visitors will also be able to share where they are visiting from and what they love about their hometown with The Center’s interactive “Love Makes the World Go Round.”
“Our activity map is 20 feet long and 8 feet tall,” says Marshall Turner, The Center’s volunteer coordinator and the person who is behind most of the interactive map’s creative work. “The idea is that with custom printed sticky notes, you share something about your life that you love. Your hometown, your favorite restaurant, your favorite organization, anything that sparks love and joy in you. Then place it on the map from wherever you are visiting from.”
The map will display the entire world but emphasizes the U.S., Canada and Florida based on where they anticipate travelers will be coming from. The custom sticky notes will feature a rainbow-colored circle with The Center logo on it.
“It’s a space where people can come and share a love story and speak to something that is special to them,” Moyes says. “I think it’s even more empowering for the fans to have a key partner like The Center backing the space for us.”
When MegaCon reached out to The Center this year, Wallace says agreeing to partner with them was a no brainer.
“The reach of MegaCon is pretty amazing,” he says. “I know a lot of people that do cosplay and go to MegaCon are a part of the LGBTQ community or are an ally who believes in inclusion. It helps us spread the message of what The Center is and what The Center does and how they can get involved or see if they need our services.”
While this is the first time The Center Orlando is partnering with MegaCon, it isn’t the first time the southeast’s largest pop culture fan convention has stood with the LGBTQ community. During MegaCon Orlando 2017, the organization partnered with DC Comics’ Marc Amdreyko and held the Love is Love project, a series of events honoring the victims of the Pulse tragedy. The project raised more than $18,000 for Equality Florida.
Along with offering inclusive, safe spaces to all its visitors, MegaCon also says it will be offering a safe and healthy space as well, noting they are well aware of the rising COVID-19 case numbers in Florida.
“Over the last 16 months, even though we hate to do it, we have postponed when we needed to because everyone needs to do their part,” Moyes says. “Same things applies to our Aug. 12-15 event. We are working with all of the key stakeholders, watching all developments and we are going to act accordingly. Currently all measures we have in place are in line with the local government officials and recommendations and will continue to evolve to stay in line with those guidelines to provide a safe event for everyone to come enjoy.”
MegaCon’s website lists its COVID-19 guidelines which include mandatory wearing of masks when you come to the convention. They are also asking attendees to work to keep socially distanced from others outside of their group when and where they can, stay home if you are not feeling well and of course wash and sanitize your hands.
For their part, Wallace says The Center will be following all CDC recommendations within the Garden Cafe and will have plenty of hand sanitizer and disposable masks for anyone who wants to use them.
“We are not taking COVID lightly but at the end of the day, we are going to be there and we are going to provide the services that they asked us to,” he says. “We are taking all the extra precautions we need to and we are looking forward to having an impact on MegaCon.”
Who will be at MegaCon
One of the biggest draws every year at MegaCon are the celebrity guests that attend.
“There is nothing like seeing a fan when they meet their hero,” Moyes says. “There is nothing more gratifying and we sit around and talk about these memories. I remember the look of fans when they met the legendary Stan Lee. You just can’t buy that kind of magical moment, it’s just priceless.”
With MegaCon covering multiple genres of pop culture, the celebrities reflect that as well.
Trekkies will have the opportunity to meet two legendary “Star Trek” performers – William Shatner and George Takei. Shatner became a cultural icon for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in the original “Star Trek” series as well as starring in the first seven film’s in the popular sci-fi property. Takei not only starred opposite Shatner in the original “Star Trek” television series and films, but became a social media icon and LGBTQ activist when he publicly came out as gay in 2005. Shatner is scheduled to be in attendance Aug. 12 and 13 while Takei will be greeting fans Aug. 14 and 15.
If your “Star” fandom ends with a “Wars” rather than a “Trek,” you’ll be happy to know that Giancarlo Esposito, Moff Gideon from “The Mandalorian” will be at this year’s MegaCon. Fans of AMC’s hit shows “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” will also recognize Esposito as Gus Fring. Esposito will be at the convention Aug. 14 and 15.
Fans of Marvel and DC Comics will have several celebrities to see from both film and television. Ray Fisher, Cyborg from “Justice League”; Danielle Panabaker, Killer Frost from The CW’s “The Flash”; and Michael Rooker, Yondu Udonta from “Guardians of the Galaxy” will all be signing autographs Aug. 14 and 15. Stephen Amell, Green Arrow from The CW’s “Arrow,” and Ron Pearlman, the titular character from Guillermo del Toro’s “Hellboy” films will be in attendance Aug. 14 only.
Hollywood superstar Brendan Fraser – star of “The Mummy” film series, “Gods and Monsters” opposite Sir Ian McKellen, Robotman in the HBOMax series “Doom Patrol” and Darren Aronofsky’s upcoming film “The Whale,” in which he plays a reclusive, openly gay English teacher suffering from severe obesity who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter – will be meeting fans Aug. 14.
MegaCon will also be reuniting cast members from some of your favorite TV shows, including Leslie David Baker, Kate Flannery, David Koechner and Oscar Nuñez from “The Office”; Perlman, Mark Boone Jr. and Ryan Hurst from “Sons of Anarchy”; Kevin Alejandro and DB Woodside from “Lucifer”; “Christopher Eccleston and John Barrowman from “Doctor Who”; and Bob Saget, Dave Couler and John Stamos from “Full House.”
Along with celebrities, attendees will also have the opportunity to meet dozens of voice actors, comic creators, cosplayers, gamers and tattoo artists.
“What we pride ourselves on at MegaCon and across our HQ shows is that we have multi-genre fans,” Moyes says. “You don’t just have someone who comes in and loves comics or sci-fi or anime, so we really put a lot of effort into creating fillers with each of those genres, you find that someone might come in as a cosplay fan who leaves as a cosplay fan who also loves comics. That sense of collaboration and that sense of community is really driven by how we approach our genres and how inclusive we make the consumption of all those genres so that everyone feels like they are welcome to participate.”
MegaCon Orlando will be held at the Orange County Convention Center and kicks off Aug. 12 from 4-9 p.m. and continues Aug. 13 and 14, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and concludes Aug. 15 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets range $25-60 for a single day pass and $115 for a full 4-day convention pass. Guests are subject to cancellation or schedule change due to professional commitments. For a full schedule and list of celebrity attendees, go to FanExpoHQ.com/MegaConOrlando.
