If you were in the downtown area of San Antonio and saw superheroes walking around, no need to worry — it was just the Alamo City Comic Con (ACCC).
ACCC is an event where people from all walks of life get to dress up as their favorite fictional characters, meet celebrities and even see artists showcase their work. Visitors also come from all over the country to meet their celebrity idols and fellow fans. Comic book culture has grown in popularity in the last few years, causing the event to be very popular and exciting for local fans.
Some of the actors in attendance this year were Jon Bernthal who portrays “The Punisher” from the Netflix show Daredevil, Ralph Macchio from the 1984 hit iconic movie “The Karate Kid,” Jason David Frank who is known by Power Rangers fans as “Tommy” and many more.
ACCC provides celebrities the chance to meet and talk to fans who have followed their careers over the years. It also provides exposure for actors who are currently making a name for themselves — such as Gotham actor Benedict Samuel. Samuel made his debut through The Walking Dead and continues his career as “The Mad-Hatter” from the hit show Gotham. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to speak with him.
“I always enjoy these cons to speak to fans and travel,” said Samuel. As I spoke to him and tried not to be star struck, I talked to him about a scene in which his character was featured.
“It was so heartbreaking in the scene but glad you are a fan and remember always represents the wolves,” said Samuel.
Organizations both local and international also came to interact with fans. One of the organizations, the 501st Legion, is a worldwide organization of dedicated Star Wars fans who contribute to their local communities. The San Antonio chapter, Rebel Legion: 501st Legion, volunteer at events to take pictures with fans for free and attend Star Wars-related events in the area.
“It is a blessing to be able to dress up and see the smiles on the children who love these characters,” one of the 501st members stated.
Each organization has volunteers who dress up as their favorite characters and take pictures with fans of the genre, giving all donations to a charity of their choosing. ACCC truly is an experience for people to come together and indulge in their imaginations (some costumes looked as if they could be from an actual Hollywood film set). This event is for all ages and is to be shared with family and friends.
