Emerald City Comic Con is turning 20. Here are Seattle-area readers’ favorite memories

The year before the COVID-19 pandemic, Emerald City Comic Con drew about 98,000 fans to the Seattle Convention Center. Since launching with around 2,500 attendees in 2003, ECCC has grown into one of the largest comic cons on the West Coast.

Over the past two decades, the event’s cosplayers and art displays have become fixtures for many Seattleites’ personal convention-going traditions. We asked for readers’ ECCC stories, and the responses didn’t disappoint, ranging from cherished memories of departed Comic Con partners to glorious costume-contest victories and the inspiration for one child’s artistic pursuits.

Below are a handful of reader moments and stories, lightly edited for grammar and length, ahead of the 2023 convention, set for March 2-4.

Magical memories of a Comic Con sidekick

Before my first ECCC, I put out an email to friends and family, so excited to have a group to attend this event that had so many wonderful panel guests. Only one person replied, my dear niece Stephanie. Keep in mind, I was in my 60s, and Steph in her 40s, but it was revealed that we shared a heretofore unknown nerd gene! We both loved sci-fi; I was a “Firefly” fan, and she was a Marvel aficionado. We ended up going to four or five ECCCs together (she flew in from Sacramento). I have so many memories of those magical times. Steph unexpectedly died this last December. She had issues that she faced with courage and grace, and I know that our adventures at Comic Con were highlights of the last decade of her life; I know they were for me.

— Margaret Rowe

Armfuls of books and an inspired artist

I started taking my kids to the Emerald City Comic Con in 2007, when my 8-year-old son was already determined to be an artist. I was into webcomics (comics published only on the web), and some of the most well-known webcomic artists were there. Year after year, we bought armfuls of books. The artists would autograph the books and talk to us — I remember Dave Kellett being especially fun to talk to. (He’s still drawing his comics “Drive” and “Sheldon.”) And it might have had an impact — my son is now a freelance animator.

— Peter Gruenbaum

“Some people are national treasures”

My husband and I went to Comic Con in 2012 for the first time. It was a bit overwhelming. Monsters, aliens and heroes were walking around while Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu Bailey from “It’s a Wonderful Life”) was tucked in a tiny booth hawking her book. I spotted Eddie McClintock (“Warehouse 13”) being rushed through the crowd, so I planted myself in front of him and shouted, “My husband loves you, I need a picture,” and he stopped and posed while his handlers rolled their eyes.

My best memory was of the autograph stations downstairs, where you stood in line and paid for a celebrity to sign one of their pictures. We waited for one of the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” characters while George Takei set up nearby. George was signing pictures when he spotted a young disabled boy in a wheelchair back toward the middle of the line. He motioned to his handlers, and they brought the young man right up front to the desk. George signed more than one photo for him and gently took his hand and talked to him at eye level. Then his companion wheeled him away. Some people are national treasures.

— Carol Goodrich

A true cosplay win

The cosplayers are what always appealed to me about Comic Con. The first time I attended, I re-created a full-size scale model of Captain Pike. We all wore our “Star Trek” uniforms to push him around the convention floor. It was a big hit. We couldn’t take 15 steps without someone stopping us and asking for our picture, and then a dozen other cameras would pop out. 

His electronic controls were activated remotely, and he could answer yes or no questions as seen in the show.

At one point, I was taking a break at the end of the hall with the Captain when some little boy, about 7 years old, was introduced to Pike by his dad and was told he could answer yes or no questions. 

Well, that kid had a lot of questions, and I got the impression that his folks were tired of them. He went on and on and the Captain patiently answered all his questions. The really funny part was his father finally dragged him away, but as he was being pulled by his arm clear across the convention floor, he kept on yelling more questions to Pike. We could hear his questions above the crowd long after we could no longer see him.

We won third place in the costume contest that year. Over the next few days, our image was all over the internet.

— Marshall Dunlap

Small beginnings

My first Emerald City Comic Con was in 2006, when it was in a smaller venue. It was called just “Seattle Comic Con.” I don’t remember that there were even famous names in film there. We were a group of costumers under a Seattle organization that later became two groups: Alpha Base within the Rebel Legion and Garrison Titan within the 501st Legion.

My best memory was at the 2007 ECCC, still in the smaller venue. Peter Mayhew [who played Chewbacca in five “Star Wars” films] attended. One of our Alpha Base Jedi had an assistance dog, a wolfhound named Chewie. Mayhew’s wife got him to come over and pose with the dog! He later posed with our combined groups.  

— Kate Buike