BlerDcon Celebrates Black Nerd Culture

ARLINGTON – Liz Alexis goes to a lot of comic book and Science fiction conventions. But usually, she’s one of few Black faces in a sea of other ethnicities.

Not so, at BlerDcon, the Black Nerd Convention.

“At every other con, you’re the Black version of who you are in costume,” Alexis explained. “But here, you’re just the character.” Alexis, from Queens, NY, dressed as Mirko from My Hero Academia.

Set in a world where superpowers called “quirks” are commonplace and about 80% of the human population have powers, the My Hero Academia story follows a boy, Izuku Midoriya, who was born without superpowers, but still dreamed of becoming a superhero. He was scouted by All Might, the world’s greatest superhero, who then gifted Izuku with his own “quirk” and enrolled him into a high school for superheroes in training.

Alexis’s character Mirko, whose “quirk” gave her the attributes of a rabbit including enhanced leg strength and superhuman hearing, was the top Japanese female hero in that iteration of Earth. Her hero costume was a white leotard with purple trim, bunny ears, a cute bunny tail and a yellow-gold crescent moon across her chest. And to complete the look, purple thigh-high boots.

Alexis found her tribe and her tribe found her as others dressed as characters from their favorite Japanese manga and animé series took pictures and shared stories.

“It’s nice to just – be,” Alexis said.

Black nerds, who wear the title as a badge of honor, come from all over the country looking for a similar experience. Eden Jackson, of Atlanta, GA, shared a similar story. “I’m from Atlanta so I’m surrounded by people like this often. But I wanted to connect with my own people,” said Jackson.

Jackson dressed as Bonney from One Piece, a manga and animé series that follows a young boy Monkey D. Luffy, whose dream is to become the greatest pirate in the world. (Manga is written, such as comic book graphic novels. Animé is video such animated cartoons.) Jackson’s character Bonney is a preteen girl leader of a band of rookie pirates. Her superpower is manipulating the age that she and others appear. Usually, she presents as a beautiful young woman.

At some conventions, however, organizers frown upon Black women indulging in cosplay – the art of dressing in costume and embracing fantasy – because they have more voluptuous hips, thighs and proportions, Jackson explained. But at BlerDcon, Jackson, who is a costume designer, is not just tolerated, she is embraced and celebrated. Her costume was a one-piece, hooded purple minidress with white shoulder pads and gold trim. “It’s definitely a lot more chill,” Jackson said of BlerDcon.

Jackson came to the convention with Harriyanna Hook, also of Atlanta, and they met up with their friend Megan Bracey, of Waldorf, MD. The three enjoyed swapping stories and taking pictures together all weekend and Bracey served on several panels.

Hook cosplayed as Choso and Bracey cosplayed as Nobara, both from JuJutsu Kaison. The animé series follows a high school student, Yuji, as he joins a secret organization of Jujitsu sorcerers. His goal is to kill a curse named Ryomen. The Choso character is a half-human half cursed spirit who has flesh that is fully visible even to non-sorcerers. The Choso character usually presents as a man with long black hair tied into two ponytails. The Nobara character is a first-year student and grade three sorcerer at Tokyo Jujitsu High. Her school uniform is a dark button-down jacket with a matching skirt, and she has mid-length brown hair that reaches her neck.

Brandon Rivers, of Hyattsville, MD, cosplayed as Toji, also from JuJutsu Kaison.

Toji is an assassin known as the “Sorcerer Killer.” When fighting he wears a tight black shirt, with baggy pants. Generally, Toji doesn’t question his clients’ assignments if the money is right, and he spends time between jobs gambling.

“I enjoyed seeing young Black boys who also dressed up as the same character and people who wanted to take pictures with me,” said Rivers.

“I also enjoyed networking with other cosplayers,” Rivers said.

But the convention isn’t limited to manga and animé. Some dressed as familiar favorites from the DC Comics and Marvel universes.

Lisa and B.J. Hall dressed as Jokers, the historic DC comics Batman nemesis. Lynn Marie cosplayed as Star Sapphire from the DC Comics Lantern Corp. She even met and took a picture with Phil LaMarr, who does the voice of John Stewart, the Green Lantern in the animated series.

Gianna Wheeler, originally of Chicago, cosplayed as Marvel’s Mystique.

Best known as a foe of the X-Men, and Nightcrawler's mother, Mystique is a mutant, who has the power to mimic the voice and appearance of anyone she chooses with extraordinary precision. “As a Black American when I first got into animé around 15 years ago, I struggled to find safe spaces for Black people who were interested in the same things that I was. Even though I would watch animé every night before bed and read manga all the time I never felt like I could be open about my interest because I was Black,” Wheeler explained. “I also showed an interest in cosplay at a very early age but whenever I would see Black cosplayers online, they were often berated with racism and mean comments because they dared to participate in the same way that non-Black cosplayers did.”

She found others who enjoyed animé, manga and cosplay when she went to college and joined a group in the DMV called Kosupure DC on Instagram where she met others with similar interests.

Kosupure DC

cosplay events

Kosupure DCKosupure DC

“In one year, I attended BlerDcon, Awesomecon, Animeusa, … and had the best experience at BlerDcon because it was the first time that I saw Black people given prominence,” Wheeler said. “What makes Blerdcon so unique to me is that it is made by Black people for Black people. It’s a safe space for people of color and highlights Black nerds in a particular way that I can’t experience at a normal convention.”

BlerDcon attracts Black people who immerse themselves in everything from manga and animé to Star Trek and Star Wars and every iteration of science fiction culture in between. In fact, BlerDcon centers Blackness and People of Color in Sci-Fi, anime, fantasy and horror entertainment.

“It’s like a family reunion cookout,” said Destiny Williams, of Baltimore, MD, who cosplayed as Manray from SpongeBob.

People who fancy themselves wizards, sorceresses or troubled spirits, are just as welcomed as those who masquerade as superheroes and supervillains. Michelle Harris, originally of New Orleans, who now lives in Fort Worth, TX, cosplayed as Disney’s dark fairy Maleficent.

 “All you have to do is be genuine about your love for being a Blerd,” said Afro Future Kenny, of Washington, DC.

“Pull up. Come through," Kenny said. "There’s nothing more authentic than a bunch of Black people doing their thing. This is love.”

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