For those fans of comic cons, cosplay and entertainment in general, 2019 will mark the first year of the Reno Pop Culture Con. Although contrary to the Biggest Little City being named as home to this event, there really is nothing “Little” about it.
For three days, big names in the film and TV, comic artists, authors, voice actors, online personality, comedy and cosplay worlds will take over the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, with appearances and meet and greet sessions, vendors, cosplay and costume contests and celebration and panels and forums.
In all, nearly 150 panel sessions will take place over the weekend, with subject matter ranging from “Anthropology of Aliens in Pop Culture” to tabletop role playing games to hearing from artists who have written some of the most popular comics over the last few decades to just being spaces where cosplayers or comic artists can get together and hang out.
The Reno Pop Culture Con will feature presenters, performers and guests from across the nation. And if there was any doubt that the scale of guests exceeds that Biggest Little” moniker, here are a few of those who will be appearing or presenting throughout the weekend:
- Jodi Benson – voice of Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid
- James Ransone – from HBO’s The Wire and recent movie It Chapter Two
- Val Kilmer – movie star, notably Top Gun and Batman Forever
- Cat Staggs – DC Comics artist
- Mignon Fogarty – aka Grammar Girl
Opening night include comedy performances from “Good Times” star Jimmie Walker and “Gong Show” great The Unknown Comic (Murray Langston). The Reno Pop Culture Con was created and organized by an educational nonprofit seeking out different ways to bring classroom learning to life, and their initial event in Reno will be their first outside of their home base in Denver, Colorado.
There are tons of opportunities for participation, or just the chance to meet those creators and actors behind different pop culture creations.
The best updates are through the Reno Pop Culture Cons social media outlets, which can be found, along with complete programming, schedule and ticketing information at
— Shaun Astor
- Reno Pop Culture Con
When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8-9 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10
Opening Night: Comedy with Jimmie Walker and The Unknown Comic, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8
Where: Reno-Sparks Convention Center
Tickets: Daily and three-day passes LINK; (children enter free)
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Below is a video is an interview from the last time The Unknown Comic visited the area.
