By Samuel Philpot
MIDLAND – Comic conventions have been a major hit for quite some time. Midland is now joining in on hosting a version of the pop culture event.
There are major conferences like New York Comic Con or San Diego Comic Con, and smaller conventions like Grand Rapids Comic Con.
This event took place in the Midland Mall and was hosted by Life Church. Lead pastor of Life Church, Jon Herron, put the event together out of his passion for pop culture.
“I’m a Gen Xer, so I love ‘Back to the Future,’ and all the ‘Star Wars,’ and ‘Indiana Jones,’ and I collect Funko Pops,” says Herron.
Inspiration to put the event together came when Herron took his oldest son to a “Star Wars” celebration in Chicago and a comic con in Saginaw last summer.
“I thought, ‘we could do this,’” says Herron.
Within 24 hours of posting the event on Facebook, Herron had a lot of interest from vendors. Herron was also contacted by cosplayers and “Star Wars” reenactors known as the 501st Legion.
If the event goes well, Herron is hoping to bring it back again next year. Herron would love to get media guests to come out to the event should it continue, just like at other Comic-Cons.
Life Church started seven years ago and is one of the fastest growing churches in Michigan. Herron prefers the preaching method of “humor over hammer.”
“The idea is, we just kind of build relationships with people, and if they ever have a crisis in their lives or maybe they have their questions about faith, they’ll know that there’s a community of faith where they’re welcome and we’re not gonna pressure them or brainwash them,” says Herron.
