Pop culture paid a visit to paradise this past weekend during AnimeKon VII: Quantum Age in Barbados. The two-day event held during the final weekend in August featured local and international writers and artists, talented cosplayers and enthusiastic gamers. A slice of Hollywood graced AnimeKon as international guests Kelly Hu and Phil LaMarr were on hand to sign autographs and take photos with their fans.
Now in it’s seventh year, AnimeKon just keeps getting better. The halls of the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre were jammed with pop culture enthusiasts ready to soak up the festive atmosphere and proved that the thirst for geek culture is truly a global phenomenon. Cosplayers came dressed as their favorite pop culture heroes including Harley Quinn, the Joker, Spider-Man, Power Girl and One Punch Man. Although comic book heroes are popular on the island, it’s evident that Anime holds a special place in the hearts of Barbadians.
The comic book scene continued to impress as indie creators proudly displayed their work. Beyond Publishing Caribbean, a local comic book publisher was on hand once again this year and had new issues of their titles including Life and Death in Paradise on sale. Other creators showcased their projects, including Lamel Bishop’s Primus, which is slated to be published in the new year. There’s a lot of creative talent on the island and in the region as a whole and AnimeKon continues to provide creators with avenues to get their ideas in front of a wider audience.
AnimeKon VII: Quantum Age also featured several panels over the weekend including one that looked at diversity in cosplay hosted by cosplayers Maki Roll and Princess Mentality. International author Tim Waggoner (The Winter Box, Supernatural: Mythmaker) was the featured guest during a panel on creativity and also signed his books at the Book Source booth in the main hall. Kelly Hu (X2, Arrow, Phineas and Ferb) and Phil LaMarr (Samurai Jack, Justice League, Futurama) thrilled the crowd as they dished on their experiences as actors and then led a voice workshop featuring locals recreating a scene from the Lion King.
The immensely popular cosplay tournament capped off the successful weekend. It was standing room only in the audience as participants walked on stage showcasing their costume making skills to the delight of the crowd. The tournament featured some fantastic costumes and the routines designed to present their creations often had the crowd cheering for more.
AnimeKon VII: Quantum Age proves that geek culture is alive and well in the tropics. It featured everything you’d find in a pop culture expo show in North America and was an excellent celebration of cosplay, gaming, comic books, television and movies.
