Yes, that’s right. It’s time for The Emerald City‘s very own Comic Con.

And while it’s technically true that this important cultural event actually happens at the Washington State Convention Center, everybody who’s anybody knows that the real action happens up here, a short walk away from the center proper at our very own .

And to prove it, we’ve got ECCC themed events all week long just to entice you up the road, starting on Wednesday night with our release party for Emerald City Comic Con’s official beer (yes, that’s actually a real thing!), Fremont Brewing’s Dark Heron!

Then, on Thursday, join those happy mutants, the , for a viewing of the latest episode of their favorite show in the whole world, Critical Role!

And on Friday, things just get bananae up in here, with special guests from all over the pop cultural spectrum like , Espionage Cosmetics & Outsider Comics coming in for our back to back and by our friends and .

Then on Saturday, we follow very special Comicon episodes of our regular Saturday Morning Magic & Gamers of Color events with Critter Crawl 3 – now in 3D!

And the ECCC madness just does not stop! Because on Sunday (…Sunday! Sunday!) we’ve got Special Guests and Judge Zedd running the worlds first (I can’t back that up. But it sure sounds good, doesn’t it?) Dungeon Crawl Classics Tournament! I can’t imagine how that works but apparently you can actually win stuff so come on down and get your swag on.

And then, after that, we just flip the script, and do it all again. Or something like it. Seriously, it’s crazy around here these days. As always you can learn more about these and all of our upcoming events on our very own Events Page. And if you’re any where in our little Emerald City and need to come find us, just follow the yellow brick road (we call it East Pine, you call it anything you want to).

Another Emerald City Comicon has come and gone but this one was extra-special for an important reason – it was my first! I’m foreign to Seattle just like the horse of a different color isn’t native to Oz. Living here for just over a year, I’m mostly familiar with the wacky Seattle sights and ECCC weekend is no exception. Short of going to the convention center itself, behind the counter at Raygun Lounge might be one of the best places to experience the con. I was granted a front row seat for the nerdtastic conversation and costumery that punctuates any good Comicon.

Curious newcomers and returning friends descended on the Lounge Thursday evening for a multimedia trivia contest hosted by Raygun regular Andrew & his friends. Special guests from Comics Chat with Gat, the Nerdhole, and A Podcast For All Intents and Purposes took turns hosting rounds and stumping teams with obscure knowledge. Eight teams participated during the event and prizes were raffled off between rounds. After the dust settled our first place team was Alternative FAQs, second place went to Ronald Raygun Lounge and third place was claimed by Indiegogo presents Wendigo: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go: A Tale of Vertigo.

Friday night was a more low key gathering featuring a Queer Comics Mixer hosted by Northwest Press. Sharing the space with our monthly Hearthstone tournament, everyone enjoyed another exciting raffle of prizes and plenty of good times. The easy-going vibe from Friday night was a nice lull before the main event on Saturday – NW Nerd‘s annual costume contest! The Lounge was transformed into a cosplay runway where all the best ECCC costumes strutted their stuff for the masses. Prizes were awarded for a variety of categories pitting fantasy and sci-fi characters against each other for the top spot. Check out the highlights on the .

After a super hectic weekend of comics and community building I have to say ECCC is a blast – and I haven’t even been to the Con yet! I am already looking forward to our next big weekend celebrating Sakuracon April 14th-16th. Stay tuned to our events page for info about parties dedicated to anime and 20 successful years of this unique convention.

Then we’re the place for you! Conveniently located at the corner of gender and sexuality at the gateway to Seattle’s legendary Capitol Hill neighborhood,

we’re right next to the action and just off the beaten path.

With our full barcade of classic titles like Street Fighter II & Turtles in Time,

we’re the perfect pop cultural respite for you should you need a little nerdy or geeky time in the Emerald City.

We’ve even got 3 special events for you while you’re here! Starting on Thursday night with our of our weekly . Come out, meet some people, and test your geeky mettle as local fave challenges Iron Quizomancer Andrew in our unique Iron Trivia format that at least one person has taken to calling, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show of Trivia Nights.”

Then on Saturday, we’ve got Magic Drafting at Noon and our weekly Standard Tournament at 4pm, both of which are welcoming to guests and boast a healthy GLBT population.

And finally, on Sunday, you are invited to join us for our Queer Geek boardgame meet up. It’ll be a great afternoon to relax and play some games with friends new and old as you wind down from your crazy weekend and try to remember what exactly did happen last night.

You can learn more about these and all of our other events on our Special Events Page. If you have any additional questions about Seattle, the neighborhood, the scene, or anything else while you’re in town, don’t hesitate to call or come by and we’ll get you sorted.

See you soon,

-Eric