Your WV gaming & comic con guide
From games to sci-fi to anime, here’s your fan guide to the best conventions in the Mountain State.
WV POP
Pop culture – August in Morgantown
Pop fans of every sort converge for “all things geeky” at the West Virginia Pop Culture Festival, or WV POP. Meet the creative folks behind your favorite comics, movies, TV shows, animes, manga and games—of ALL sorts (video games, card games, roleplaying and more)— and even figurines and toys.
Try out new games at the consoles. Of course, it’s not all fun and games— kind of. You can also compete. Cosplayers recreate their favorite characters in the costume contest, while gamers can throw down in tournaments ranging from “Magic: The Gathering” card games to Pokemon DS.
Tsubasacon
Anime, gaming and cosplay – September in Huntington
The well-established Tsubasacon brings big names to the Mountain State! Con-goers take cosplay costumes seriously, and compete in everything from character monologues to lip syncing. There’s even a challenge to create an original cosplay outfit on-site (like Iron Chef, for costumes.)
No costume? No problem. You can show off your anime knowledge in game show-style contests, compete in tabletop and video game tournaments. Or just read in the manga gallery before you stroll Artists Alley to gather autographs and original works from some of your favorite illustrators.
TriCon
Comics and gaming – June in Huntington
Comic books, artists, characters and their stories are at the forefront of Huntington’s TriCon. Industry professionals, special guests and exhibitors are on hand to show their handiwork and answer questions.
You can even score some exclusives and swag. Grab one of the limited number of artist-reimagined covers of classic comics, which you can only find at TriCon. And when you shop from vendors, you might also win one of the con’s randomly awarded bonus gift cards. VIP passes include t-shirts, prints and exclusive comics.
ShockaCon
Sci-fi – October in Charleston
Celebrities are the biggest draw of ShockaCon, because they bring in several stars from a variety of movies and television series. Horror and science fiction fans can meet the actors, writers and creators attending as panelists, and you can snag autographs and pictures with them. Costumes are definitely encouraged!
CharCon
Board game – October in Charleston
CharCon is known as THE West Virginia gaming convention, focusing on board games. Enjoy a board game tournament, board game library, RPGs (role playing games) like Dungeons and Dragons and miniatures.
In April, an extra “Bonus Round” weekend gives you a 2nd helping of games, vendors live-action role play and more. If you need a game fix right now, though, the CharCon website also has online forums and other information for gaming fans.
This post was last updated on July 28, 2020