WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – With countless collectibles on sale, saber wielders, and especially cosplayers, Anchor Con transformed Clayton into a hotbed for all things nerd culture.
“It’s fast, it’s busy, it’s crowded which is a good thing, and between you and me it’s quick to get into which is great as a vendor,” Sean Mansfield a vendor at the event said.
For seasoned con visitors, it was a chance to show off complex costumes. Take Timothy Coleman; He’s 6 foot 10 and his stature means every outfit has to be home made. This year he’s rocking a look from the show “One Punch Man.”
“I sew and I also use EVA Foam and stuff like that. It’s much better for me to make my costumes than to buy them because they won’t fit,” cosplayer Timothy Coleman said.
Others like Jose Maldonado, are just getting started in their cosplay career
As a lifelong fan of the company Valve’s video games, he’s repping the scout character from the video game Team Fortress Two.
“It’s just generally really nice. It’s a bunch of nice people here and it’s a great way to start off your convention experience,” Maldonado said.
Everyone was welcome, including folks’ four-legged friends. Meet Freddie Purrcury, the “Pawsitivitea” cat cafe’s PR representative.
“Cats and the internet kind of go hand in hand. It’s just something that’s up there. Seeing everybody come out in all of their cosplays and things and seeing all of the things for sale are just really cool,” Pawsitivitea Cat Cafe Owner Alisha Reynolds said.
Anchor Con, which is hosted by Clayton’s Rotary Club is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year.
“It’s a fundraiser that gives back to local scholarships for local schools, food pantries, and beyond,” Clayton Rotary Club Secretary Victoria Peck said.