Per Matt
The Lexington Comic & Toy Convention will take place this weekend, from March 14th to 16th at the Lexington Convention Center. Previewing the event, we interviewed Jarrod Greer by email to find out what kind of festivities we can expect this weekend.
Please introduce yourself.
– “My name is Jarrod Greer. I am the promoter of the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention.”
How long has the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention been open to the public?
– “Our first event was in March 2012.”
How did you get interested in producing such a convention?
– “I have been a toy collector for some time. We had been running another (unrelated) event for quite some time and this seemed like it would be fun to try!”
In your own words, how would you describe the event?
– “LCTC is a multi-genre convention where members of nearly any fandom can find something that they can get into for a weekend! We have a bit of something for everyone.”
As a first-time attendee, what can I expect?
– “All the cool guests, vendors, exhibitors and events from a big con with a small family-run convention feel. LCTC is a bit of a family, we only meet a stranger once! It’s sorta like hanging out with 10K of your closest friends!”
What kind of programming will be focused toward horror, paranormal or monsters at the convention?
– “This year, we just barely scrape the surface of horror. We have Melissa McBride, Theodus Crane and Jeremy Ambler from the Walking Dead, Roger Jackson who was the voice of Ghost Face in the Scream franchise, and John Dugan from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre as guests. Oh, and Sci-Fi Speed Dating. That is a pretty scary concept in itself…”
With the rise of popularity of The Walking Dead, is it safe to assume there will me more than a few Zombies lurking around?
– “It sure is. We always have a huge helping of horror cosplay and Zombies are never hard to find. Jeremy Ambler will be hanging out, if you need any lessons on how to pull the act off…”
Speaking of cosplayers, will any be hosting panels to discuss creating hand-made costumes?
– “Ani-Mia, LeeAnna Vamp, Soni Aralynn, and Nicole Marie Jean will be hosting a Cosplay 101 panel on Sunday at 2pm. All of those gals will also be helping out with our costume contest at 1pm on Saturday!”
Your costume contest is offering up some amazing prizes. Could you give an overview to the contest?
– “The costume contest at LCTC is a great time. We will give away a couple grand in prize money this year, so some folks put some major effort in their costumes, but at the same time, we try not to take ourselves too seriously… Cosplay is about having fun, ya know!”
What kind of events will be introduced that are new to the con for 2014?
– “The addition of a national band at the VIP party was a major undertaking. This year we are bringing in Black Stone Cherry. I wanted to have my first adventure in music booking be with a group of guys that I knew would take good care of us. After meeting the guys from BSC at their Music is Me festival in Glasgow last year, we decided that they should get my national band cherry.”
Will there be any surprises?
– “I get surprised every day. We are still hearing from folks wanting to come in, some of which will be last-minute additions and unannounced guests…”
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
– “Just that we hope to see everyone come out to Kentucky and give us a shot!”
For More Information:
– LCTC Facebook Page
– LCTC Webpage
– LCTC Twitter