After a successful Comic Con and Dinosaurs event last year, the Midland Mall Comic Con returns this year with a
‘Who You Gonna Call?’ Ghostbusters themed event from March 2-3. The entire mall is transformed to an unofficial nerd central, with costumed characters, cosplay contests, gaming tournaments, authors, comics, toys, collectibles and more.
Event founder, host and owner of
Fett’s Toy Depot, Paul King, spoke about how the free festival started in 2020, and has grown ever since. Previous attendance estimates around 5,000 to 8,000 visitors each day. King hopes to see even more kids and kids-at-heart enjoying the event this year.
“This year is going to be even better than last year,” King says. “This show is going to be bigger than any other show around. It is the 40th anniversary of Ghostbusters, and I invited every ghostbuster around the surrounding states to come out.”
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"This year is going to be even better than last year."
Local vendors are joining in on the themed fun too, making and crafting specialty items and beverages like Ghostbuster popcorn, ecto-plasma cooler lemonade from Schultz Popcorn, glow in the dark tumblers, and buttons. Pink Flamingo is providing concessions including cotton candy, slushies, nachos, and pretzels.
“The ladies from Creations by Generations that made the dino dig pit last year are making a Ghostbusters Training Academy this year,” he says. “You’ll get a badge with your picture on it, make slime, paint a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and be able to shoot different ghosts with a ghostbuster blaster.”
There will also be a video gaming tournament with $1,000 in cash prizes, Dungeons & Dragons matches, cosplay contests both days with prizes, IWE wrestlers, Star Wars and Star Trek characters, and other professional cosplay characters, and meet and greets. This year’s event includes new signs, backdrops, professional photographers, and professional cosplay judges.
King says the family-oriented event is free, but does accept donations to help make events like this possible.
“It is expensive to put on the show, but we do it for the kids and the families,” he says. “We want to have fun and bring everybody together. My favorite part is watching the kids and adults have an amazing time, just smiling and laughing.”
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Several thousand people attended Midland Mall Comic Con 2023.
There are more than 80 vendors offering items ranging from tumblers, artwork, custom jewelry, crystals, books, stained glass, dice, toys, game equipment, and comics. Booths, vendors and activities are scattered throughout the entire mall offering activities like face painting, hair feathers, hair tinsel, and more.
King is grateful to his team of staff at Fett’s Depot, and team of volunteers and vendors for helping the event be possible, including 1Up Games, Leaman’s Green Applebarn, Catalyst Cosplay, Curveball Collectibles, Cozy Cats Cafe, Media Reload, and Banter and Babble podcast which livestream from the festival all weekend long.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 2 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. There is an afterparty on Saturday night from 6 to 8 p.m. for dancing and mingling at the mall by the cosplay stage.
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