All The Thrills Of BlerdCon
From March 7-9, 2025, BlerDCon gave us a break from the heat to give us a jam-packed convention full of surprises. I was so excited to bring my school’s E-sports team to compete in the Aim Hit Go video game tournament but I also wanted to take some time to network with other creatives in the space. Our students are not just gamers, they are photographers and artists. I figure this would be the best environment to take them out of their comfort zone and advocate for themselves. I even made a deal with my scholars, if I bought them a comic book, they had to write about it. That initiative supports black, good writers and encourages literacy among our young people. My whole time wasn't just chaperoning the team. I had time to enjoy various programming at the convention, like the Pop The Balloon: Cosplayer Edition and the Chocolate Covered Rocky Horror Picture Show with Thot Squad performing. On Saturday, actor, musician, and entrepreneur Janelle Monáe appeared on the main stage to promote their graphic novel, Archandroid along with Chuck Lightning, and Chad Weatherford. I was just elated to be so close to the superstar taking my photos. For them to not only grace the convention with their presence but surprise the audience by providing an autographed first chapter of the graphic novel is next level. I heard Janelle Monáe is very spontaneous, and it showed throughout the entire weekend. They even partied on the main stage and did a short concert. On Sunday, Wonderland debuted its card game KBOM! Kira, Tafari, and I had a blast playing it. We even interviewed Janelle for Blerdstation. Shout out to Mr. Staller and my intern Benji for co-chaperoning. They helped out so much. We managed to have a great time while providing a rewarding experience for my students. Best weekend ever!
Photos by me, Benji Mallory, and Maestro Joyner
