Cape Con marks 21 years of bringing pop culture fans together in Cape Girardeau
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) — At Cape Con this weekend, fans could hear from the actors behind “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” get an autograph from a former St. Louis Cardinal and sit in on a panel with local podcasters.
The annual pop culture convention wrapped up its 21st year Sunday at the Show Me Center. It began in Cape Girardeau in 2005 as Cape Comic Con and now covers video games, anime and cartoons alongside comic books.
Danny Stewart, CEO of Cape Events, said the convention gives people a chance to meet others who share interests they might usually pursue on their own.
“It gives people a place to go to celebrate things that are kind of niche or very scattered fandoms,” Stewart said.
Cape Con set aside one hall for celebrity question-and-answer sessions and another for local programming, including podcasts. On the convention floor, vendors sold original artwork and collectibles. Fans could meet guests, get autographs and pose for photos.
Sunday’s lineup reunited Ashley Eckstein and Matt Lanter, two voice actors from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Former St. Louis Cardinals player David Eckstein signed autographs, and actor William Katt took questions from fans.
For Stewart, the highlight was seeing the costumes fans put together. He takes part in cosplay himself and said he looks at what other fans make for ideas he can use in his own costumes. It’s also how he and his wife marked a milestone of their own.
“My wife and I got engaged on the cosplay stage,” Stewart said.
Cape Comic Con was the first show for Cape Events. The Cape Girardeau company has since added events focused on anime, wrestling and the paranormal. It says it grew from a one-person operation in 2023 to a team of three and wants to bring more vendors and attendees to its shows.
“The show continues to grow, and the attendees continue to show up for it,” Stewart said.
Cape Events is inviting artists, vendors, entertainers and people with ideas for panels to get in touch about future shows.
To learn more visit: Cape-events.com/comic.
