Comic book and anime fans can cosplay their favorite characters this weekend.
The Alachua County Library District will host its third annual Fandomonium on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free and expected to draw a few thousand fans in face paint and costumes, said Jessica Miller, a 33-year-old youth services librarian at the Headquarters Library.
Workshops, presentations, panel discussions, activities and contests will fill all three floors of the library, Miller said. Featured guests include Andre Frattino, a graphic illustrator and a UF alumnus; New York Times best-selling author Kami Garcia, who wrote the young adult series, “Beautiful Creatures”; and a musician from Draco and the Malfoys, a Harry Potter parody band that sings songs from Draco Malfoy’s point of view.
Helena McNeer, a 34-year-old librarian at Cone Park Library, declined to disclose how much the guest speakers are being paid.
There will also be a costume contest, in which winners will be chosen from each age category depending on whether they’re a child, teenager or adult, McNeer said.
McNeer said she will be attending the event dressed as Spock from Star Trek.
“I really enjoyed our event last year,” McNeer said. “There was over a thousand people in attendance.”
Miller will also be moderating a panel on manga, a style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels.
For those who don’t fall under the anime umbrella, there is also usually a large fan base of Harry Potter and Star Wars fans, Miller said.
“The best costume I’ve seen at a Comic Con event would have to be Bender from Futurama,” she said. “Bender is basically a robot who smokes cigars and drinks a lot. It’s awesome.”
