BYU-Idaho Radio · A geek culture event is coming to Idaho Falls
A new geek culture event is having its debut next week in Idaho Falls. Providing something for comic, toy and video game collectors alike, Retro X will be an event to satiate fans from various walks of life.
“It’s close to home,” said Retro X co-director and co-producer Brandon Kendall. “It’s a lot better than driving four hours either west or south. We’re excited to bring it. We’re excited for people to come out.”
For legal reasons, the event can’t be called a “con,” due to Comic-Con owning that term, but Retro X has all the makings of something like it.
The event will feature an appearance from Adrian Ropp, part of the art department for the Disney Infinity games and lead story writer for the recent game Hogwarts Legacy. Depending on how many people can get to the event, even more, recognizable celebrities will be able to come.
“That’s our goal,” Kendall said. “Our goal is to ‘pump the numbers’ for getting the crowd in, and we can bring name-recognized people into town. It’s going to be a while before we have a Mark Hamill or somebody of that scale, but we’ll be able to bring some people that are recognized in the different pop culture fandoms.”
In addition to Adrian Ropp, the event will also feature appearances from the cosplay groups Story Book Parties Idaho, covering Disney princesses and comic book heroes, and some members of the Star Wars cosplay group the 501stLegion, which requires members to wear lore-accurate costumes.
While neither Kendall nor his partner Phil Langston, fellow co-director and co-producer for Retro X, have much experience in cosplay, Langston couldn’t deny cosplay’s significance in events like these.
“He made the point to me, he was like, ‘Cosplay makes the con,’ and I couldn’t agree more. Going to bigger city cons and seeing characters, and seeing people dressed up … you really felt something.”
There will be a cosplay contest at the event, judged by some local cosplay veterans. Prizes for the contest go for $25 for youth participants aged 8-12, $50 for teen participants aged 13-17, and $100 for adult participants aged 18 and up. Those three, along with the runners-up, will be judged against each other, with the grand prize winner getting $250 cash and a trophy. Runners-up for the contest will also receive trophies. For information on the cosplay contest, check the website ifretrox.com/cosplay.
The event will take place at the Rec Center in Idaho Falls, with tickets priced at $10 for the Early Bird (early entrance) special, $5 for regular admission, and $20 for families. Attendees who buy their tickets at the door can get a $2 discount for bringing a can of food for the charity food drive for the Community Food Basket of Idaho Falls. Tickets can also be purchased online. Anybody who buys a ticket will also be entered for a raffle to receive a Mario Day Nintendo Switch.