Masked fans, cosplayers return to Central Florida
Rob and Peter Wright stood by as their children took turns riding life-sized models of Cringer and Panthor, two battle cats from the popular 1980s TV show, “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.”
The chance to take a photo with the characters on Saturday at MegaCon’s third day was a special moment for the brothers, whose kids are now fans of the show’s Netflix reboot and were visiting the pop culture attraction for the first time.
“It’s very surreal. It’s almost like passing on the torch,” Rob Wright said. He, his brother, their kids and almost everyone else who flocked to the Orange County Convention Center were masked, following a rule imposed by event organizers amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Organizers estimated about 100,000 people would attend MegaCon, a four-day affair and one of the largest pop culture events in Orlando. The thousands who entered the convention center’s west concourse, many of whom cosplaying as their favorite pop culture characters, were welcomed by a public address announcement that encouraged attendees on a periodic loop to follow mask guidelines.
“Masks are mandatory ... If you are not feeling well, return home,” said the announcement.
The event was canceled last year as coronavirus cases soared but returned this year amid a national vaccine rollout and the confidence of officials in the use of masks and sanitation protocols, which many fans said were strictly enforced.
Renae and Jennelle Thornton, who cosplayed as a medieval fantasy version of DC Comics characters Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, said they couldn’t take the masks off for a few minutes before an employee would tell them to put them back on.
“As much as I like [the fangs that are part of the costume], I’m not sweating it,” said Jennelle Thornton, who is a nurse when out of costume. “We all have to make sacrifices, especially in a crowded event like this.”
Renae Thornton added, “It translates even with the mask on.”
Like the Thornton sisters, many in attendance were initially wary of returning to MegaCon as the delta variant has caused a resurgence in cases nationwide, but especially in Florida. Some were vaccinated beforehand, which would reduce their chances of getting sick or facing more severe symptoms if infected.
But the enforcement of mask rules instilled confidence that the event could continue as normal, just with greater awareness of the ongoing pandemic.
“It’s great that everyone seems to be compliant with wearing them,” Peter Wright said. “I’m all for it. I think it’s fantastic.”
But while fans waited in lines for photos with cosplayers and autographs with celebrities among other festivities, Florida has been seeing rising cases of coronavirus as the state continues to struggle with its vaccine rollout. In the last week, the state saw 151,764 new COVID-19 cases and more than 1,000 new fatalities, raising the death toll to 40,766.
In Orange County, Mayor Jerry Demings suspended county-run youth sports as it monitors increasing cases among children and teens, a shift in what was seen during last year’s outbreak that affected older adults. Many of the new cases and deaths reportedly include vaccinated people, even though their symptoms may be less severe.
But for fans and vendors alike, MegaCon was a sign of a slow return to normalcy. This year’s event was marked by the return of the Dalek Builders of Florida, an organization that builds a slew of fictional extraterrestrial mutants from the Dr. Who franchise.
On the showcase floor, fans crowded around them as they were piloted from inside around the convention center. Corina Selga, the supreme controller running the Dalek exhibit, said this year’s MegaCon feels similar to other years with the exception of the mask requirement.
It was “a bummer” after MegaCon was canceled last year, and returning this year for Selga and Jeff Skully, a builder, was out of love for the fans who get excited to see the Daleks.
“If you ever thought about entering your favorite TV show,” Skully said, “you get to do that [here] for a little while.”