Photos by Meredith Lewis

It’s that time of year again: colorful costumes and superheroes galore clogging up the crosswalks of Durham. The North Carolina Comicon is back in town.

“I love comic conventions. Anywhere there’s a con, that’s where I’ll be,” said Damon Lemay, a con-goer from the Outer Banks and part-time Colonial Marine xenomorph buster. “The best part about comic con is seeing everybody from all walks of life come together. Whether they’re nerds, business owners, work in construction, whatever … everyone is the same here.”

There was a time when the word “convention” in reference to a gathering of geeks would conjure up images of oceans of Trekkies and Tolkien readers. The modern convention experience, from San Diego’s storied Comic-Con International to the more recently established New York Comic-Con, provides central meeting places for nerdy minds from all fanbases and walks of life to think alike.

The North Carolina Comicon, now in its seventh year, happened this past weekend (Nov. 11 – Nov. 13). Held in Durham, each year the NCC promises to build on the successes of its past, going bigger and better than ever before. With humble beginnings in an outlet mall circa 2009, the NCC has grown into one of the larger conventions in the Southeast, attracting thousands of convention goers and high-profile guests such as Charlie Adlard (artist for “The Walking Dead”), Fiona Staples (artist for “Saga”), Neal Adams (of “Batman” fame) and Gerard Way (comic creator and former frontman of “My Chemical Romance”).

Of course, North Carolina resident and senior director/co-owner of NCC, Tommy Lee Edwards, is also always in attendance.

Edwards’ continued work in concept art and comic book covers means that even if you didn’t know Tommy Lee Edwards by name, you’ve most likely seen his work with high-profile clients such as Electronic Arts, DC Comic, Marvel Entertainment, HBO and Paramount Pictures. Edwards has also done concept art for Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise, worked to shape the visual style of the fourth Indiana Jones movie, and has been involved in the art direction of the Star Wars franchise.

Largely the project of Alan Gill, owner of Ultimate Comics, NCC has attracted considerable attention for the caliber of guests attended what, by all accounts, should be a reasonably small regional convention. North Carolina is not a center for the entertainment industry by any means, but Gill and Edwards’ dedication to the community they have adopted here is impressive. The recent expansion of opportunities for fans within the community to interact with industry professionals though the NCC can be largely attributed not only to the fans paying money to attend, but to the hard work and dedication of Gill alongside the involvement and influence of Edwards.

“This is one of the smaller events I work. This is a fun, great local con. The local people really stand up and come out to have fun here,” said Charles Kibby, a veteran staff member for conventions across the United States. “In the bigger shows it’s games, it’s movies, it’s television. You may see some of that here, but it’s mostly comics. It’s a comic convention before anything else.”

Spanning three days and the better part of the Durham Convention Center, each year NCC promises three full days of comic book love. Guests this year included Lee Child, Klaus Janson, Afua Richardson, Richard Case and Ramón K Pérez.

“I like the atmosphere, I like that it’s attached to the movie theater and that they haven’t changed the location,” said Jeff Borel. In real life, he’s a mechanic. On the convention floor he’s everything from Ryu to the Joker. “I especially like that they bring in local comic artists here and we get to see their artwork and everything. That’s what I like supporting.”

In addition to notable industry guests and interesting panel opportunities, NCC also provides a space for vendors from all over region to collect and transform into a Voltron-like comic book superstore. Assembled from pieces found all over the Southeast, NCC’s vendor floor stays true to the old-school comic book convention spirit, providing endless racks of back issues for collectors and newcomers alike to pore through.

More than just cosplay parades and meet-and-greets, NCC stays true to all the aspects of nerd culture that has transformed from a small and tight-knit community into a segment of the population that has the buying power to begin and end franchises on big and small screens alike. Maintaining focus on the love and passion inherent in being a part of a community where nothing takes a backseat to storytelling and art has allowed NCC to retain a special kind of magic found nowhere else.

“We come here every year. I’ve been coming here since I was about sixteen, I’ve been here since the very start,” said Cassidy Nolde. An experienced cosplayer who not only crafts her own fantasy-inspired outfits from scratch but also helps other realize their cosplay dreams, Nolde is no stranger to convention cosplay. “I like walking around and seeing the different costumes, and I really like people taking pictures of me … but everyone coming together to express who they are and what they love is what makes this special.”