Get Ready, South Florida! Supercon is Coming to Light Up a Geek Fourth of July

Florida Supercon will be taking over the Miami Beach Convention Center July 1-4, sending up enough fireworks to light up the entire Tri-County area, and beyond. Celebrating a decade of being Miami’s best and best-known geek mash-up convention, Supercon hopes to beat its’ last year’s attendance record of 51,000. With a line-up of impressive guests from every aspect of geek culture – TV and film stars, voice actors, wrestlers, comic book artists and creators, cosplay, gaming and hundreds of exhibitors – Florida Supercon is set to break its’ own record.

The major theme this year is, of course, the landmark 50th anniversary of Star Trek. Featuring characters from multiple TV series and films, the Trek crew you’ll be exploring space with includes William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Michael Dorn (Worf), Denise Crosby ( Tasha Yar), Rene Aberjonois (Odo), Robert Picardo (The Doctor, Voyager) and Robert Duncan McNeill (Lt. Tom Paris).

There will also be a Tron Reunion featuring original Tron stars Bruce Boxleitner and Cindy Morgan, a Deadpool family portrait with Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), and Stefan Kapicic (Colossus). Stars from Gotham, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Legends of Tomorrow, Game of Thrones, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Star Wars, The Walking Dead and Power Rangers will be shining brightly for followers of multiple fandoms.

Voice actors include Steve Blum (Spike from Cowboy Bebop), Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson), Paige O’Hara (Belle, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast), Veronica Taylor (Ash, Pokemon), Vic Mignogna (Edward, Fullmetal Alchemist), Dana Snyder (Master Shake, Aqua Teen Hunger Force), and Jim Cummings (Winnie-the-Pooh).

Cosplayers will get to show off their talent in a variety of ways, including a Masquerade (Saturday night), a Performance competition (Sunday), Disney and Dancing (Friday night), and a slightly naughty FSC Supergirls and Superboys of Supercon “Late Night” Costume Contest. You must be over 17 to check out these heroes and villains. There will also be costuming workshops, and professional cosplayers will be on hand for advice and photo shoots.

Comic book artists Neal Adams, Golden Age legend Allen Bellman, Eric Bonhomme, Buzz, John Beatty, Colleen Doran and Jill Thompson are but a few you will meet in the Artist Alley, and Kevin J. Anderson and Dan Wells lead the way for bestselling author appearances.

A convention wouldn’t be complete without gaming, and every video game platform will be available, including classic vintage consoles NES, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, N64, Dreamcast and Gamecube. There will be tournaments Friday through Monday.

If you are starting to wind down, you can drop into the Supercon Geek Film Festival where films with a focus on geek, geek interest, geek culture, comics, gaming, animation, anime, manga, science fiction, fantasy, RPG, robotics, technology and fan films will be screened. There is also a Student Film Competition, highlighting 11 shorts from high school and college students across the country.

Of course, no convention would be complete without vendors, and there will be hundreds of exhibitors waiting to duke it out for your dollar. While on the subject of money, remember to save some for autographs and celebrity photo shoots, which range in price from $40 -$75 for individual actors. Group shots will also be available for slightly higher rates.

So put on your best walking shoes, your most creative costumes; remember to bring your camera and bottled water to stay hydrated (although there will be on-site food vendors). Most importantly bring your sense of awe and wonder, because Florida Supercon 2016 aims to amaze!

Visit www.floridasupercon.com for more information and for tickets, and follow Florida Supercon on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.