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Zords, starships, and cosplay: ThunderCon returns to Thunder Bay this weekend

Sep 17, 2022 06:36AM ● By Editor
The ThunderCon fan convention in Thunder Bay returns this weekend after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Submitted by ThunderCon

From CBC News · September 16, 2022

From Power Rangers to cosplayers to the crew of the USS Enterprise, there will be plenty to see at this year's ThunderCon. The fan convention returns this weekend after a two-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's been a lot of time putting this together, so I'm really happy that we're finally here," said ThunderCon chair Kevin Taylor. "There was a couple times where I was concerned that we might not be back."

"But I had faith," he said. "That we could find ... the funding and sponsorship for it."

Taylor said the event's long-term partners, and the CLE, which is once again hosting ThunderCon, have been flexible and supportive, as well. Things are, then, all set for this year's event, which runs Saturday and Sunday.

Among the featured guests are Jeff Parazzo and Kevin Duhaney of Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Thunder Bay actress Lisa Marie DiGiacinto, whose credits include The FlashArrowLegends of Tomorrow, and Supernatural, and Teddy Kellogg of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

There will be panels, vendors, a cosplay competition, and board game demos, and a Kids Zone, as well. Among this year's exhibitors is Thunder Bay's Inside Up Games, which will be previewing a new game, titled Draft & Write Records, said the company's Hudson Morash.

"ThunderCon has been really about community," he said. "It's interesting the way that ThunderCon as a convention really brings together people from a wide variety of interests, whether it's board games or cosplay or anime or Star Wars or or whatever."

Morash said Inside Up Games has had a booth at every ThunderCon since it's inception.

"It was really neat to have a booth, because we sell board games and have people stop by and say, almost every time. 'Oh, I didn't know there was someone making board games in Thunder Bay.'"

    This weekend's ThunderCon event will include panels, vendors, a cosplay competition, and board game demos, and a kids zone. Photo: Submitted by ThunderCon


    Morash said Inside Up will also have its games set up for people to try out. This year, he said, the company will have some tables set up in the Heritage Building.

    ThunderCon runs Saturday and Sunday at the CLE grounds.

    For more information, visit the ThunderCon website.

    To see the original report and read related stories, follow this link to the CBC Thunder Ba website. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/thundercon-return-1.6583877
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