Fun weekend wraps up at Planet Comicon Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Thousands of people gathered at Bartle Hall this weekend for Planet Comicon Kansas City. The event is one of the largest Comicons in the Midwest and brings people to KC from all over the country.

“This weekend has been absolutely phenomenal,” said Alecia Stultz, a performer at the event. “I think we’ve seen the biggest crowds that we’ve seen at Planet Comicon.”

This year’s edition of the event was the 25th in its history. It packed Bartle Hall for three days in a row.

“It has been slammed,” said Folxy Cosplay, another performer. “There’s been thousands and thousands of people.”

“This con is outgrowing this venue dramatically,” said Michael Haze, who built and designed real-life replica sized Iron Man suits. “I hope Kansas City can offer a bigger venue for it.”

Self-proclaimed “nerds” came from all over the metro – and country – for the event. Visit KC projected the “con” to bring more than $12 million of economic impact to Kansas City.

“Since it moved here to the convention center, it’s just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger,” said Stultz. “It’s just been phenomenal.”

Do the “con crawl” around the aisles, and you’ll be greeted with scenes straight out of a movie.

“It has been absolutely wonderful,” said a cosplayer dressed as the Star Wars character, C3PO. “Unfortunately, I can’t walk very far without being asked for a photo.”

“This whole thing is about creativity,” said Haze. “Some of these cosplayers, their craft, the craft that they have, is Hollywood quality stuff.”

As the “con” continues to grow, performers at the event say there is always room for more at the party.

“Coming out to Comicon I think is scary for a lot of people,” said Stultz. “You can come out here in any cosplay. Be anyone you want to be. You will find other people that dress up just like you. You will find your people.”

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