Annual convention FanExpo’s MegaCon was held in Orlando from February 1 through 4 with Valencia College students and alum being an abundant part of the attendees; dressing up as their favorite characters, accompanying friends and family, and celebrating several different media formats and genres.
From heroes of the DC Universe such as Blue Beetle, a grim crossover between the video game and TV show “The Last of Us” and the Resident Evil series, to a more unexpected suit made out of playing cards; each had their way of expressing themselves at the annual Orlando convention on February 1.
Early bird ticket prices for MegaCon Orlando 2025 are now available until July 11 and range in pricing based on which and how many of the four-day convention dates you wish to attend.
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Blue Beetle: Jonathan Rix, 19, pictured right, is studying Game Design and attends the Lake Nona Campus. He went to the this year’s MegaCon Orlando with friend Zach Tharp. Tharp wore an elaborate self-built cosplay of the 2023 DC Comics movie “Blue Beetle” starring Xolo Maridueña, Backy G, Bruna Marquezine, and George Lopez. Attendees had an opportunity to meet DC and Marvel comic artist and Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle co-creator Cully Hamner.
Pop Culture Club: Miguel Batista, 23, Music Production, and Pop Culture Club President Sarah Beasley, 23, Zoology, show off purchases from the convention.
Video Game Character Cosplays: Pop Culture Club member Nicolas Negreira cosplayed as Epic Game’s “Fortnite” character Drift, left, with another cosplayer dressed as character Peely.
Resident Evil/The Last of Us: Jen and Karen Snell, 36, both DirectConnect to UCF, cosplayed as “The Last of Us” Clicker version of Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield from the “Resident Evil” series in a crossover.
Lego Display: David Kiser, 60, showcased his portraits made in Lego for the Greater Florida Lego Users Group exhibition hall.
Halo 405th Division: A community of props and costume makers for video game Bungie’s “Halo” were present at the convention. The group instructs people on how to begin and build cosplay pieces.
Community Zones: Community Zones showcased different groups and showcases of replicas from franchises such as “Ghostbusters” and “Doctor Who”.
Panels Peter Cullen / Frank Welker: A “Transformers” panel, featuring actors Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, and Frank Welker, the voice of Megatron. They interacted with the fans in a Q&A and read lines from the show.
People: Attendance was very high throughout the convention but especially Saturday, February 3, with people covering all areas of the convention, making it one of the most attended events in Florida.
