Some tribes are hard to spot, but we know they exist. People with similar interests have greater opportunities to find each other today than ever before... if you know where to look. Other tribes are very visible when they come together and are quite easy to spot. There's a large gathering of one massive tribe of comic and pop-culture fans going on right now in San Diego at Comic-con.
Con-Men (and women... and children...)
If you've ever attended a "con" before, you have probably witnessed a very colorful sub-tribe of attendees, dressed as their favorite characters, competing and collaborating in "cosplay" (short for "Costume Play.") Where else can you go to see people of all ages dressed in elaborate costumes to rival the best of Halloween and Hollywood? From toddlers to grandparents, a good con gives everyone the chance to release their inner superheros in a very public way. As an attendee in "civvies," it is a blast to witness this tribe in action and see such a motley cast of characters so comfortable dressed so colorfully.
A Super Time at Supercon
I was recently invited to speak at Florida Supercon, which, while smaller than the San Diego uber Con, still attracts an awesome local crowd as well as many comic and film world celebrities (including Alex Kingston of Dr. Who and ER fame, cast members from The Hunger Games, and many more). At Supercon I interviewed my former employer, Troma's Lloyd Kaufman, and I gave a workshop presentation based on a book I am working on called "Everything I Know About Business I Learned From The Toxic Avenger."
Why Finding Your Tribe Rocks
While I enjoyed catching up with Lloyd and giving my own schpiel, the most fun I had at Supercon was watching the cosplay tribe in action, and seeing so many people, young and old, embrace their fandom so fully. It really demonstrates the best aspects of finding your tribe. Once you do, you have the comfort of being part of a true community and the satisfaction of fitting in and belonging, no matter who you are or what you may look like. At a comic con there are no geeks, freaks, whackos or weirdos... there are only fans! It was fun to be one for the day.
Have you ever dabbled in cosplay? If you need some inspiration, here is a video of some pictures I took at Florida Supercon . Enjoy.
