Annual NerdCon brings comic convention fun to Northland Public Library

The day when everyone wants to be a nerd finally arrived at Northland Public Library’s annual NerdCon celebration, held June 14, as folks of all ages dressed in their cosplay best.

Anyone into comics, anime, board games, role playing — or even Mario Kart — were able to dress up as their favorite fictional or fantasy character without the pricey admission or travel of typical conventions.

“It’s a chance to meet other people, like-minded geeks and nerds,” said Kati Coleman, an adult services librarian at the library in McCandless.

She said Northland held its first NerdCons in 2018 and 2019. But the pandemic put a pause on the event, which returned in 2023.

Coleman was dressed as a character from the video game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Her husband, Nick Ryan, was helping to run things, including serving as a lively emcee of a Mario Kart tournament.

The free event also featured a cosplay costume contest, board games and local vendors.

Clark Kent, aka Cash Branson of Franklin Park, was on the first floor hosting a foam-smithing workshop, where, for a small material fee, he showed participants how to create a foam gauntlet.

Branson, with 20 years of experience in cosplay, is known as Capt Cash in the “cos” world. While living in Japan after college, he learned about cosplay at the Tokyo Game Show, and it stuck.

Today, he’s a family man with a wife and two sons who attend Bradford Woods Elementary School and works a corporate job by day. But on the weekends, he’s Superman, Deadpool or you-name-it, appearing at cosplay conventions and similar events.

“This is a hobby. I do this for fun. It’s really nice to have a creative outlet,” said Branson, who makes all of his costumes.

Capt Cash has been featured in numerous articles, including those on social media and television, and even made an appearance on the “Live With Kelly and Ryan” morning talk show while attending the popular San Diego Comic Con in 2018, according to his Facebook post.

More small-time, but just as passionate, is Jay Saladino, 15, of Franklin Park. The North Allegheny freshman was at Northland dressed in a crown and a royal mantle, referencing Technoblade, a popular Minecraft YouTuber, who passed away from cancer.

Saladino was repeating the costume she wore for Halloween.

“Even if I don’t trick-or-treat, I love dressing up,” Saladino said. “I’m a very creative person, but I can’t draw. I want to express my creativity.”

NerdCon also featured Kamishibai storytelling for children in the Learning Garden area, told by Susan Claus, manager of children’s and teen services at the library.

“Kamishibai’s literal meaning is ‘paper theater.’ Back in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, it was a way for men without much resources to earn a living by bicycling into neighborhoods and telling stories, illustrated by hand-painted cards, to kids,” Claus said.

Librarians and teachers recognized it as a great literacy tool, and they began to offer the stories in libraries and schools, she said.

Rebecca Munoz, adult services librarian at Northland, said about 170 people attended the various workshops and programs during NerdCon. Activities included Pokémon playing and a Nerdy Photo Shoot.

And library organizers learn something every year, too.

Munoz was helping take photos of cosplay participants on the second floor, which was a bit limited on space because of the ongoing library renovations that should be completed later this year. But it all worked out.

“It’s going really well. It seems like everybody is having a really good time,” she said.