Nine years ago this summer, Nerdvana briefly transcended the bounds of reality and became, for just one day anyway, more than a blog.
Aug. 10, 2012, was the first — and, so far, only — NerdvanaCon. Taking place in conjunction with Downtown Mesa’s 2nd Friday block party, NerdvanaCon marked Nerdvana’s fifth anniversary.
I had just actually shipped out from the East Valley Tribune, where the blog began and was still hosted at that time, to work for a different newspaper in Colorado, but my former employers graciously brought me back to help celebrate. (In 2016, I would acquire the blog for myself and spin it off as the independent site it is today.)
One of my favorite memories of NerdvanaCon, aside from spending time with creative friends both old and new, is the artwork that promoted the event.
A driving force behind NerdvanaCon, our own contributor Bob Leeper, created exciting promotional artwork that drew upon old, pulpy sci-fi adventures and has continued to inform various identity elements on our social media channels through the years:
Then there was the poster promoting Bookmans’ and Dr. Diabolic’s screening at NerdvanaCon of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension — and the event was actually the first time I ever watched the cult-classic film:
And what would a NerdvanaCon be without gaming? Phoenix Vul-Con (now, sadly, defunct) ran tabletop gaming at the event, and artist Keith Decesare cooked up this great poster highlighting host Queen’s Pizzeria & Cafe — also, sadly, now gone — on Mesa’s Main Street, in a funny and loving homage to the iconic David Trampier cover art for the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook. The poster features the dicey characters from the artist’s hilarious Roll 4 Damage webcomic; I recently caught up with Keith on Instagram, and he was delighted to see the poster again (I found it while cleaning my home office) and he even said he’d been entertaining thoughts of reviving Roll 4 Damage!
The late, lamented Monsterland Bar & Grill also got into the act with a pop culture artists corner — and, again, the promotional artwork was wonderfully evocative:
Will there ever be another NerdvanaCon? Suffice it to say there have been preliminary conversations about reviving the concept. Who knows what the future may hold? Whatever it is, it will probably look amazing!
More events coverage from Nerdvana:
- Arizona Renaissance Festival warns of more freeway closures
- New Year, new Arizona events
- Game On Expo badges go on discount for December
- Free Comic Book Day 2024 titles announced
- Spirited Away back to theaters for Studio Ghibli Fest 2023 finale
- Tickets, times and more: How to attend the 2023 World Series
- Peoria Film Fest: Thriller premieres, classic sports movies and free, family-friendly flicks
- Seen at Colorado Springs Comic Con: Mega Man 2 LEGO creations
- Howl’s Moving Castle back in theaters in September for Studio Ghibli Fest 2023
- Game On Expo’s shift prompts earlier Kikori Con in 2024
- Singer-songwriter Shihori discusses music, mutation, and ‘borderless’ style
- Photos: Game On Expo 2023
Feb 2024
Cult Classics Presents True Romance – the 17th, 9:30 am, Landmark Theatres Scottsdale QuarterArizona Renaissance Festival – the 17th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 18th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 24th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 25th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Mar 2024
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 2nd, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance FestivalArizona Renaissance Festival – the 3rd, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Kikori Con 2024 – the 8th, All Day, Little America Hotel Flagstaff
Kikori Con 2024 – the 9th, All Day, Little America Hotel Flagstaff
ZapCon 2024 – the 9th, All Day, Mesa Convention Center
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 9th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Kikori Con 2024 – the 10th, All Day, Little America Hotel Flagstaff
ZapCon 2024 – the 10th, All Day, Mesa Convention Center
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 10th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Game On Expo 2024 – the 15th, All Day, Phoenix Convention Center
Game On Expo 2024 – the 16th, All Day, Phoenix Convention Center
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 16th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Game On Expo 2024 – the 17th, All Day, Phoenix Convention Center
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 17th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 23rd, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 24th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 30th, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival
Arizona Renaissance Festival – the 31st, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Arizona Renaissance Festival