I consider myself a lucky guy.

I grew up during a time when Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi were first released on the big screen, without all the benefits of added “bonuses”. I saw The Last Starfighter in the theater and thought to myself, “I want to travel to the stars”. I rushed home everyday after school to catch episodes of Inspector Gadget, GI Joe and later on, Thundercats (with a bowl full of sugar cereal). I cried when Spock died and watched VHS copies of Akira in my families VCR. To this day, I STILL get goosebumps when I hear that classic John Williams’ Superman theme. Basically, I grew up during the invention of Fandom.

Recently, I got the chance to participate in my first ever Fan Convention, Momo Con, located right here in the heart of Atlanta. I’d never experienced anything like it growing up in North Carolina but back then, being a fan of comics, cartoons video games and anime in general was generally frowned upon. “Get your head out of the clouds” most people would say or label you as a daydreamer or lazy. You were a geek, a nerd, an outsider and so I kept a safe distance from the ridicule. It’s only now, as an adult, that I am able to appreciate my love for gaming, anime, graphic novels and super hero movies.

Having said all that, I was truly honored when I was granted media credentials for Momo Con 2015. I went as a journalist but secretly as a fan. And I know in the media business, it’s best to maintain a professional attitude at all times but I have to admit, the 12 year old Mike came out several times during my visit. I ran across  several arcade classics like Tron, Pac-Man and Qbert. I saw some of my favorite cartoon characters like Scooby Doo and The Gang. I spotted Dr Who (Tom Baker will always be Dr Who to me). But one of the refreshing parts of Momo Con is it does an outstanding job of combining the old with the new. You don’t have to be my age to appreciate everything that Momo Con offers.

So sit back, relax and enjoy these interviews we gathered from all kinds of different perspectives at Momo Con 2015. You won’t be disappointed!

Mike