The stars aligned for this year’s Spa City Comic Con. It’s the event’s 10th anniversary and May the 4th, in case you felt a great disturbance in the force.
Waiting in a line to get in that goes around the block, Justin Reynolds is dressed in hand-made costume that’s an adaptation of the franchise’s most recognizable bounty hunter, Boba Fett.
“I just wanted to make something battle damaged quite a bit. It’s my own design because I feel like I’m first one in and last one out when it comes to being a Mandalorian, right? So that shows bravery, it shows courage and my armor is battle damaged because I don’t take sh*t,” said Reynolds.
Samuel Chase is the force behind the decade of comic cons in the city. He says the pandemic was a not-so-phantom menace, and he’s happy to see his empire strike back.
“Its awesome not only for our event but also for the entire community. All the restaurants are packed, all their shops are packed because people shop here and then they go on out and they shop and then they come back. You know, it’s really amazing just to see the whole community come together as well as the, just everything thriving. I think that’s what we want, especially after COVID it was pretty hard so to help out businesses, to help out to just get people’s spirits up too just to make them have a fun time at the show in general you know that’s something very positive. And that’s something that—my dreams coming true, my dreams accomplished,” said Chase.
With more than 8,000 tickets sold, Chase says he has a new hope for the future of Saratoga Comic Con.
“This is the beginning. We’re still in the beginning phases, you know, the prelude. I think it’s phenomenal what this community can do and just to see everyone come and how amazing it is, it blows my mind. It really does I can’t—it really is just like being blessed this is it, you know,” said Chase.
The floor of the convention features vendors and celebrities, and importantly a space for shared interests to turn into community bonds.
Dante Pierotti and his son are browsing movie posters in a far corner of the center.
“It’s huge, I’ve been a Star Wars fan pretty much since I was 3 years old. He’s into it like crazy now, probably more than I ever was and just to be able to celebrate that with him, have fun, just take a day to enjoy life, dress up, have some fun with it is awesome.”
The only downside of the day for Pierotti is that he feels like the last Jedi.
And it’s nice to see everybody else doing it— I’m surprised there isn’t as much Star Wars here. I was hoping to see a good Vader, I saw a good Boba Fett but like next year I’m going to be Vader and I am going to completely set the standard next year no questions asked there,” said Pierotti.
Beth and Aaron Wiggin have been going to Comic Cons together since they got married 14 years ago—they’ve turned it into a family affair.
“I’m Colin Wiggin, I’ve done Comic Con how many years?” asked Colin Wiggin.
“Eight!” said Beth Wiggin.
“For eight years,” said Colin Wiggins.
“And who are you today?” asked Beth Wiggin.
“And I’m Luke Skywalker today,” said Colin Wiggin.
“Brendan say hi,” said Beth Wiggin.
“I’m Brendan, I’ve been going to Comic Con for 10 years,” said Brendan Wiggin.
Armed with a lightsaber and wire-elf ears, standing in front of a booth selling Pokémon plushies, Beth Wiggin says her family wouldn’t dream of missing the day.
“May the fourth be with you! We love it! We like celebrating, we like spending time as a family, we love dressing up and especially looking at everybody else. People watching here is the best,” said Wiggin.
Upstairs, Wayne Hankin is one of nearly 300 vendors. He’s showing off a Jubo, a musical device of his own creation.
It’s a circular, hand-held instrument that he says is simple to pick up and play.
“Less and less people play [instruments] because people have less and less time, the technology is too tempting and so, why try to learn an instrument when you can just press a bu tton on your phone. So what I wanted to do is instead of adding features, which is what most people do, was strip away all features. It only has four holes but it can play 13 notes,” said Hankin.
The busiest vendor of the day is Micheal Ench, selling replica and custom lightsabers, Kyber crystals not included
“Yeah, it’s been a busy day I mean still really steady. Been running around like a chicken with my head chopped off. But it’s been a fun day, so, mostly the replicas have been selling really well, mystery boxes have been flying off the table I mean for 100 bucks you can’t go wrong,” said Ench.
Saratoga Comic Con will return, as will the Jedi, in November.
