KCC’s Comic-Con heats up

Event

Jul 19

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – This past Saturday, Klamath Community College (KCC) held its second annual Comic-Con to increase community involvement and bring new people onto campus.

The convention is the brainchild of Kurt Liedtke, public information officer, photographer, and videographer for KCC. His passion for retro videogames and all things comic seemed like the perfect pair for bringing a fun event for the Klamath Basin community.

Two years ago, Liedtke took his vision to the board, and they quickly supported him.

During an early conversation with KCC President, Dr. Roberto Gutierrez. It was mentioned that one of the schools’ biggest problems with their location is that they just don’t get boots on the ground. When asked how they might change that, Liedtke’s first response was, "Well, Comic-cons are always popular." Gutierrez looked at him and said, “What’s a Comic-Con?"

Three months later, their team put together KCC’s first-ever Comic-Con in 2022. Liedtke recalled seeing the president’s reaction when he saw the attendance, “his eyes got big and he exclaimed, “We’re doing this again!”

“This year’s event took 10 months of planning, a 10-person committee of staff and students, trying to make it bigger, better, and learn from our mistakes last year”, says Liedtke. “We wanted to think about what we can add to it while not losing what people liked about it the first time.”

Cosplay is a large part of what makes a Comic-Con special. Hundreds of participants dress up in a wide variety of costumes. This past weekend there was so much eye candy to enjoy. From Super Mario to enchanting elves and Spiderman characters galore. Many in attendance created unique characters to cosplay.

Fans of all things make-believe, gathered to show off their outfits and just have a good time.

"Age isn’t a thing. Anybody can do it, and everybody should,” stated Brian Montejano. He and his son were decked out in handmade attire based on the Halo video game series. Montejano created the outfits from foam and paint. They spent many hours specializing in their costumes.

The hottest day of the year did not stop hundreds from attending. As guests entered the event, they were greeted by canopies with cold water misters and were given a passport.

Included inside the handout was a map of adventurous checkpoints located throughout the campus. People could roam and learn about the different programs offered. This would procure a stamp to fill the passport. At the end of their quest, travelers could then turn in a completed passport for a prize.

"It’s a great way to get some foot traffic through the college," says Liedtke. "A lot of people know that the college is here, but they don't know they could come here to study to be a nurse or a pilot, or a truck driver, or a carpenter."

As attendees walked throughout campus, vendors of all kinds were available. Some traveled from out of town with others from right here in the Klamath Basin. The food selection captivated visitors with options of Thai, Mexican, and Hawaiian shaved ice.

A unique local business made its debut. Moonlight Delights is changing the way Klamath Falls eats cookies. Fresh-baked sugar cookies with a wide selection of custom-printed tops could be purchased.

Lovers of all things Comic-Con were also treated to a large amount of entertainment, including:

karaoke with the local band Owls and Aliens,
Oregon Army National Guard Nerf gun arena,
World of Arkai laser tag,
Southern Cascade Wood Crafters Guild built superhero puzzles with kids, and
Retro Wormhole provided hundreds of substantial prizes to excited contest winners.

There was just so much to do here and so much to see we cannot simply recount it all here.

As the long day dwindled down, and the heat started to cool off, people could be seen sprawled out on the grassy area talking with friends, enjoying the music, and sharing a meal as the sun set over the basin.

With an experience like this one, KCC comic con is a do not miss event when it returns next year.