This past weekend I returned once again to ConnectiCon, my favorite convention and the one show I’ve never missed since its debut (with the exception of the 2020 pandemic cancellation, which everyone missed). Every year I wonder if this will be the year that the magic fades, the crowd is lousy, or if I bomb on stage as the host of the Cosplay Death Match. I’m happy to say I will have to keep wondering, because 2022’s show was filled to the brim with happy memories.
I feel so much love from the attendees at ConnectiCon. Maybe it’s because I’ve been a constant presence there since the very beginning. Maybe it’s because I’ve done countless panel talks over the years. Maybe it’s because I helped to create and host the main event of the weekend, the Cosplay Death Match. Whatever it may be, I am blessed to receive as much positivity and cheer as I do at this convention, whether you’re calling me Michael, Mookie, or just Death Match Guy.
And I must talk about the Death Match. It’s a hard thing to explain without being there to experience it. It’s part cosplay event, part crowd singalong, part rock concert, part comedy show (I use that term loosely because it’s all dad jokes), and all unforgettable. There’s a one-eyed teddy bear, drunks shouting from the adjacent hall, and I never wear a shirt. It’s sometimes hard to believe that this little idea I had to replace the Cosplay Chess Match grew into the main attraction of the weekend.
If you’re ever in the U.S. northeast and want to see what all the fuss is about, I highly recommend ConnectiCon. It’s done so much for me and my career in independent comics, and I’m happy to give back to the show as much as it’s given me.
And finally, as a heads-up, I’ll be taking my annual week-long summer break soon. There will be no updates from Monday August 1 to Friday August 5. I’ll have filler in place like I always do.