imagicon Returns to the Magic City
Comic and gaming convention imagicon is back for its fifth year in the Magic City on Apr. 26 to 28 in a new location, the Minot Municipal Auditorium. Featuring icons like Star Wars’ David Barclay and Marvel Comics’ Bob Hall in attendance, it is gearing up to be a spectacular event. From video gaming to fresh new talent like Bbdesigns Cosplay, imagicon celebrates all fandoms. This year’s special guests have decades of experience in the pop culture industry. Master puppeteer and animatronic designer David Barclay will be visiting the upper Midwest for his first time. One of the most sought-after puppeteers in Hollywood and England, Barclay has worked on the Star Wars build crew for Yoda and had the opportunity to fully operate the puppet. He later was chosen as chief puppeteer for Star Wars’ Jabba The Hutt. An Academy Award Finalist for his work in Cats and Dogs, Barclay has also worked on dozens of other films including The Muppets, Snow Dogs and Where The Wild Things Are. “We are extremely excited to bring animatronics industry icon David Barclay to imagicon,” said Jared Adams, event co-conspirator. “His panels on bringing Yoda and Jabba the Hutt to life will be sessions you’ll want to be sure to attend.” Another special guest is Marvel comics artist Bob Hall. At one time or another, Hall drew most of the major books and characters such as Spiderman, Dr. Doom, Thor, The Fantastic Four, Captain America and The Avengers. Other guests include professional cosplayers and costume makers Jem Kadetchy and Bbdesign Cosplay. Special guests will host booths showcasing their work and conduct informational panels for guests. One of the many attractions at imagicon is cosplay, the chance to dress and portray your favorite characters. Widely popular, cosplay contests are held every day of the convention. Friday will feature a store-bought and handmade cosplay contest for adults that focuses on acting abilities. Saturday brings the Youth Cosplay Contest where children under the age of 14 can compete with their handmade and store-bought creations; later in the night is the Individual Adult Handcrafted Cosplay Contest. Finally, Sunday will feature a Group Handcrafted Cosplay Contest. While cosplay may be one of the main features of the event, gaming is a close competition in popularity. Video and table top tournaments will dominate the gaming experience. Tournaments throughout the weekend will feature Magic The Gathering War On The Spark Pre-release, Dungeons & Dragons, Smash Ultimate, Hearthstone, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom, Tekken and Mortal Combat II, to name a few. Not only is the event in a new location this year, but it has many new features. Guests will find a theater room dedicated to streaming Anime from Funimation and a Wizarding World escape room. Friday night will feature a Rave party for guests 18 and older, and Saturday night will be a 21 and older fansuite event at imagicon’s official hotel, the Hampton Inn & Suites. imagicon will also see the return of other fan favorite events such as Draw Offs Competitions, LARPING (live action role playing) and Jellybean Street kids painting workshops. No matter your interest, imagicon has a bit of something for everyone. The host of imagicon, Hampton Inn & Suites has special room blocks set aside for fans. To reserve a room, call 701838-1400 and mention “imagicon”. Tickets to imagicon are $20 per day for Fri. and Sat., and $15 Sun. for adults; kids are $5 per day. Guests looking to attend the full weekend can get major discounts by purchasing tickets in advance of the event. Three-day Convention Passes are being sold for $35 and three-day Family Passes for two individuals (14 and older) and two youth (13 and younger) are $50.