CASPER — Long before Wyoming had multiple comic and sci-fi conventions, fans routinely loaded their cars and headed south to Colorado to nerd out with other fans and dress up as — or cosplay — their favorite characters.
That was the closed they could find a Comic Con convention.
Now Wyoming is home to three recurring pop culture conventions, reflecting a growing community of comic artists, cosplayers, collectors and fans who no longer have to leave the state to find their people.
To outsiders, it might look like an elaborate costume party.
Darth Vader stands in line behind Spider-Man for a hot dog. Princess Zelda poses for photos beside Batman. Somewhere in the crowd, a 6-foot-plus-tall Chewbacca lumbers past while children tug their parents' sleeves in disbelief and excitement.
Inside the convention hall, though, attendees say Comic Con is less about superheroes than it is about community — and it’s a community many take seriously.
"A lot of the people that are into pop culture, animation and video games don't really have a lot of spaces to commune here,” said Wyoming artist and comic fan Robert Tweedy. "This is one of those places where people can not be as reserved as they usually are.”
This weekend, thousands of cosplayers and fans crowded into the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper.
Nerd Culture
Prior to Marvel movies dominating theaters or cosplay-filled convention halls there were Trekkies — fans of the cult classic science fiction “Star Trek” franchise.
Casper artist Ella Bishop-Heil has attended comic conventions since she was 13 years old. Now she's a professional comic artist and publisher of Strange on the Range, a magazine dedicated entirely to Wyoming-made comic art.
Her grandmother never considered herself part of geek culture, but while ironing clothes during the 1960s, she would watch “Star Trek."
Decades later, when Bishop-Heil wanted to sew her first Comic Con costume, her grandmother immediately understood the excitement.
"Trekkies in the '70s really pioneered so much of modern fan culture to this day," Bishop-Heil said.
To her, Comic Con is simply the latest chapter in a tradition that's thousands of years old.
"Putting images with words to tell a story has been part of the human experience for 6,000 years," she said. "We understand pictures ... that's all comics are."
Neighbors
Before becoming a full-time artist, Bishop-Heil spent a decade working as an environmental scientist alongside ranchers, federal land managers and wildlife professionals.
By day she worked in the field. During breaks, she'd sketch comics in her pickup. Her magazine was born from trying to reconcile those two worlds.
"We're real Wyomingites," she said. "We like to hike and hunt and fish."
Comic creators, she said, aren't some mysterious subculture, "They're your neighbors.”
Tweedy, who has lived in Wyoming all his life, sees the same thing.
"A lot of people love that cowboy culture," he said. "But I feel like for everyone that's into that, there's one that's into comics or anime or video games."
"I truly believe that Wyoming isn't that different from the rest of the country," he said. "Yeah, we can be a little more insular just due to our population, but we all have access to the same media."
Every year, he said, he's surprised by the crowds that "come out of the woodwork."
"You don't think people would keep showing up like this for a more niche event, but they keep coming," he said. "They're passionate about what they like, and they let you know about it."
Chewbacca
The costumes may be what catch people's attention first. They're also what many visitors underestimate.
Some cosplay outfits require months of planning and thousands of dollars to complete, said Bishop-Heil.
Foam is carefully heat-shaped into armor. Helmets are designed and 3D printed. Capes are sewn by hand.
Some costumes incorporate LED lighting, electronics, and intricate paint work. Long before a single convention opens its doors, countless hours have already been poured into bringing fictional characters to life.
"It's really impressive," Bishop-Heil said.
Tweedy added that he doesn't really have an offseason from Comic Cons.
"I prep all year," he said.
He's constantly creating new artwork, redesigning displays and finding new ways to present his booth.
"I put just as much time into the display," he said. "There's a pretty big hurdle in creating your own brand for these shows."
Despite admiring the elaborate costumes around him, Tweedy admits he usually does not wear one.
"We always say we will," he joked, talking about his wife. "But we always choose comfort."
"The Chewbacca costumes always get me," he said. "Just the amount of time, money and effort that goes into creating one of those is insane to me."
Storytelling
As more conventions pop up across Wyoming, organizers are expanding beyond vendor booths into cosplay contests, discussion panels and fan meetups.
"It's nice having the trade show aspect, but that's not everything," Tweedy said. "They have panel events where people can have that community experience, just talking about the things they love."
The result, he said, is something Wyoming has long been missing — a place where people who love comics, anime, science fiction and gaming can simply exist together.
Whether attendees arrive dressed as superheroes or simply come to browse artwork, Tweedy hopes more Wyomingites will give Comic Con a chance.
"Just go check it out," he said. "It's always healthy to expose yourself to new experiences."
From dime-store comic books to blockbuster superheroes, Comic Con celebrates a uniquely American tradition: the freedom to imagine, create and tell stories that outlive generations.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
