ConnectiCon 21 - 07/19/24 - Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, CT
By John A. Wilcox

Another year, another ConnectiCon! Before you ask, a bit of insight. I would loooooove to attend all 4 days from open to close. This particular convention truly touches my heart. Reality says I am 64 and very disabled. I have to use a manual wheelchair to get around. It gets painful pretty quickly. So I'm a 1-day conventioneer, folks! That said, I try to pack in as many people & experiences as I can into that single day. I chose to come in on the Friday this time (last year I chose Sunday). I believe I made a wise choice!





My friend Bob Sodaro & I rolled in to the Convention Center just past noon. We secured our badges with the aid of "Goose" - who was beyond helpful! It was nice and cool inside so the hot weather proved to be no obstacle. A few specifics of note : nice spacious floors with wide aisles that never felt cramped or plugged up. Plenty of places to rest/sit/talk on each floor. Lots of easy access, handicap-friendly bathrooms. Every convention space should be so good!





As I hit the main vendor space, I immediately bought a Ramune for my nephew back at home and an aloe drink for myself. The room was electric! Vendors, cosplayers, families. Last year I think I spotted 1 person in a wheelchair other than myself. At this show I spotted at least 9 or 10 plus several rollators & canes. That may not sound important to you, but It truly is. It shows that everyone has a place and a space. We all are together in our love & passion for anime, gaming, comics, and all sorts of creative expressions!





I bought an awesome knit star by Louisa Jeness of Louisa's Knit Knacks and we had a great conversation about art. I was utterly charmed by the comic book work from the Aurora Centori folks. Excellent work! Paola Rodrigues of Paoh Art is an artist of note. I loved how strong the compositional and design aspects of her pieces just drew me in! If I had more funds I would've bought a mermaid from her but I was out of funds by that point. A shout out to The Jolly Otter, Kittyslice, Meri!!, Artcade Designs, Cinnamon Apple Crafts, and all the other amazing vendors!





I popped in again to the adjacent room to catch a bit of pro wrestling, but the lion's share of my time was focused on chatting with cosplayers. The predominant "theme" seemed to be One Piece. A decent amount of Star Wars folks, but for some reason, I came across no Star Trek cosplayers. Perhaps on others days/times? Several Harley Quinns, 2 Velmas (one with a Shaggy!). Lots of Sailor Moon folks. Wildly imaginative unique stuff that defies categorization to boot! ConnectiCon 21 was a blast! Looking forward to 2025!!







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