St. Pete Comic Con 2022 is a new two-day, multi-genre comic convention in St. Petersburg, Florida that features comics, anime, science fiction and fantasy talent, along with a guest roster of Florida’s top cosplayers. The event is January 8-9, 2022, at the Coliseum. (follow St. Pete Comic Con on social media: Facebook and Instagram).
And Florida Comic Cons enlightens you with 10 incredible reasons to attend St. Pete Comic Con 2022.
Incredible reason 1: Big name anime voice actors
St. Pete Comic Con 2022 is bringing in anime voice actors Erica Schroeder, Mike McFarland, and Sarah Wiedenheft who portray beloved characters in cherished shows like My Hero Academia, Pokemon, Sonic the Hedgehog, Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, Dragon Ball, Attack on Titan, and Yu-Gi-Oh. Schroeder has never been to Florida, and McFarland has not appeared in the state in nearly five years, giving many fans a rare opportunity to get their photos and signatures.
Erica Schroeder
Schroeder has voiced more than 250 roles for animation and video games since 2002. Her characters include:
- Nurse Joy and Eevee in Pokemon
- Emma Frost in Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men
- Devos in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
- Luffy in One Piece
- Lyserg Diethel in the first anime adaptation of Shaman King
- Akiza in Yu-Gi-Oh
- Mai Valentine and Dark Magician Girl in Yu-Gi-Oh
- Blaze in Sonic the Hedgehog
- Ilvira in Secret Magic Control Agency
- Cheese and Cat in Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese
In addition, there are five pops of characters she voices (image below). Read more about her in our blog ‘Anime voice actor Erica Schroeder’s first-ever Florida convention in St. Pete Comic Con 2022.’
Mike McFarland
Mike McFarland has deep experience in anime, having voiced many popular characters as well as voice directed cherished anime shows in his career. An overview of his characters and shows:
- Master Roshi in Dragon Ball
- Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan
- Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist
- Buggy the Clown in One Piece
- Mashirao Ojiro in My Hero Academia
- Otabek Altin in Yuri on Ice
In particular, McFarland’s experience with Dragon Ball drew our attention. For example, in Dragon Ball he has voiced nearly 20 characters as well as voice directed numerous shows. This led us to the following conclusion, which we shared in a social media post:
“If we were going to a Dragon Ball trivia night and could choose whomever we want on our team, we choose Mike McFarland. He’s our ringer. McFarland has voiced characters in the Dragon Ball series animation and video games for nearly 25 years (he started in 1997). In addition to Master Roshi, McFarland voices nearly 20 other characters in the series, including Yajirobe, Android 8 and Baby. “I’m very happy to have been cast as Baby in Dragon Ball GT. The bad guys are much more fun!” And add his voice directing experience with the series, simply put, if McFarland shows up, we win Dragon Ball trivia night.”
Read more about him in our blog ‘Anime voice actor Mike McFarland returns to Florida in early 2022.’
Sarah Wiedenheft
Sarah Wiedenheft voices many anime characters, including two who are main protagonists: Hina from Plunderer and Suika from Dr. Stone. An overview of her characters and shows:
- Pony Tsunotori from My Hero Academia
- Lord Zeno from Dragon Ball Super
- Tohru from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
- Suika from Dr. Stone
- Hina from Plunderer
- Charmy Pappitson from Black Clover
- Saiko Yonebayashi from Tokyo Ghoul
And don’t forget Mage from Bikini Warriors! Read more about her in our blog ‘Anime voice actor Sarah Wiedenheft is coming to Florida.‘
Incredible reason # 2: Legendary comic artists
Comic artists include Mike Grell, known for transforming Green Arrow into ‘Arrow;’ Alex Saviuk, who worked on Spider-Man for 25 consecutive years; Omar Francia, widely known for Star Wars; and Sergio Cariello, whose work on The Action Bible is recognized worldwide.
Mike Grell
Mike Grell has drawn characters like Green Arrow, Green Lantern, The Warlord, and Jon Sable Freelancer. This is how we describe Grell in a previous blog:
“His graphic novel series Green Arrow The Longbow Hunters is arguably the best ever portrayal of the character. And The Warlord, which he wrote and illustrated, is among the best tales ever about a journey to the center of the earth. Often underrated is Grell’s work on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, which is considered the high point of the comic that other artists and writers have butchered. Moreover, Grell fans adore Jon Sable Freelance, a character heavily influenced by James Bond and pulp fiction crime stories of that time. In addition, Grell’s work on Green Lantern Green Arrow led a revival of the characters’ partnership.”
In addition, something you may not know about Grell: During a brief stint with Marvel Comics from 2002-2003, he wrote and illustrated the issue where Tony Stark revealed his secret identity to the world. Read the entire blog ‘Legendary comic artist and writer Mike Grell coming back to Florida.’
Alex Saviuk
Alex Saviuk is most known for his work on Spider-Man, which includes a seven-year run on Web of Spider-Man. In issue #100, Saviuk teamed with writer Terry Kavanagh for the legendary ‘Spider-Armor’ issue. And he was the artist for The Amazing Spider-Man Sunday newspaper comic strip that was written by Stan Lee. Moreover, among his first career assignments was The Flash, which included drawing The Flash #275 (July 1979), which is the issue that Iris West Allen was killed. Read more about him in our blog ‘Spider-Man superstar artist Alex Saviuk appearing at St. Pete Comic Con 2022.’
Omar Francia
Omar Francia is best known for his work on Star Wars, Mass Effect, Batman and Doom Patrol as well as the cover of upcoming DC animated movie Catwoman: Hunted. Though he may be most widely known for Star Wars Legacy, a comic series, and Star Wars The Force Unleashed 2, a graphic novel, his most critically acclaimed is Volition. Read more about him in our blog ‘Comic artist Omar Francia’s first 2022 convention is St. Pete Comic Con.‘
Sergio Cariello
Brazilian-born comic artist Sergio Cariello started drawing in 1969 at age 5, and hasn’t quit since. He has worked for many major comic publishers. For example, a sampling of his DC Comics work includes Deathstroke, Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and Justice League of America. And his Marvel work includes Avengers, Spider-Man, and Daredevil. And he may be best known for his work on The Action Bible, which has been translated into 29 languages and is distributed in 32 countries. More recently, Cariello did the pencil and ink work of The Lone Ranger for Dynamite Entertainment.
Incredible reason # 3: Florida’s top cosplayers are appearing
St. Pete Comic Con has assembled one of the best groups of cosplayers ever to appear at a con its size. Cosplayers are coming from Jacksonville, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, and Tampa. And all have been featured in Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine, which is published by Florida Comic Cons. The guest cosplayers are participating on panels, leading activities, and have booths where attendees can meet them.
@Avera_Cosplay
Fort Myers cosplayer @Avera_Cosplay is among the most talented in the South. And it’s not just our opinion. Her many convention cosplay awards are impressive. For instance, she has won awards at the largest cons in the nation like Megacon Orlando and Dragon Con in Atlanta. And she has awards from large Florida conventions like Tampa Bay Comic Convention and Florida Supercon. In addition, a recent win has her representing the southern region in a national cosplay competition. Read more about her awards in our blog (click here). And she just won Best in Armor at Holiday Matsuri.
@Dark.Lady.Cosplay
@Dark.Lady.Cosplay is a Tampa cosplayer who brings World of Warcraft characters to life. And she bring a lot of them to life. She has cosplayed more than 20 World of Warcraft characters, some with multiple versions. In addition, she has four more currently being crafted. The cosplayer relates to the giant world with so many different characters. “The characters are so incredibly detailed in who they are I find myself drawn to their stories and how they all intertwine,” she said. Read more about her in our blog (click here).
@MissTaurus.Cosplay_and_Art
@MissTaurus.Cosplay_and_Art is Florida’s rising cosplay star, having won two best in show awards in 2021: Megacon Orlando and Omni Fandom Expo. And she has won nearly 20 cosplay awards at Florida cons since beginning cosplaying in 2013. Read our blog about her (click here)
@SailorScoutsJax
Sailor Scouts is a Jacksonville-based group spreading the Sailor Moon hotness throughout comic conventions in Florida. The Sailor Moon group, which formed in 2015, appears at numerous conventions per year in The Sunshine State. The group is “dedicated to fighting the Negaverse and spreading positivity at cons throughout Florida,” said SummerFireCosplay, a longtime member. Read more about the group in our blog (click here).
@KDiddy3300
Tampa cosplayer @KDiddy3300 may be one of the best ever Sam Wilson Captain America cosplayers. The wings, which span 10 feet, took him two weeks to build. And he commissioned the body suit, which was tailored for his physique. He has crafted two Sam Wilson Captain America cosplays. Learn more in our blog about him (click here).
@AmazonCosplayer
@AmazonCosplayer, who stands at 6 feet 3 inches in boots or heels, is Florida’s tallest heroine cosplayer. From Fort Lauderdale, she travels the state attending conventions from the panhandle to central Florida, and of course in her home-base of south Florida. Learn more about her in our blog (click here).
Incredible reason # 4: Two Cosplay contests
St. Pete Comic Con has two cosplay contests: Craftsmanship on Saturday at 4 p.m. (register one hour prior), and Runway on Sunday at 2 p.m. (register 30 minutes prior). Below are prizes and contest info.
Saturday contest is ‘Craftsmanship’
Best in Show ($200), Master ($150), Journeyman ($100), Novice ($50).
Sunday contest is ‘Runway’
Best in Show, Best Anime, Best Comic, Best Group, and Best Youth – all of whom will receive appropriately unusual trophies.
Contest registration
Register at the Florida Comic Cons booth.
Get featured in Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine
Cosplayers entering the contest are featured in Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine. And winners get a spotlight feature in the magazine.
Incredible reason # 5: Five Star Wars cosplay groups (if you count the droids)
It’s not a con without Star Wars groups. And St. Pete Comic Con 2022 has four Star Wars groups appearing, 501st Legion, Rebel Legion, Mandalorian Mercs, and Outer Rim Guilds as well as Southern R2 Builders. Various group photos as well as con snaps are below (and we included sexy Jawas because who doesn’t love sexy Jawas?).
Incredible reason # 6: They didn’t forget Star Trek
Too many conventions bring in Star Wars, but forget to include Star Trek (c’mon). St. Pete Comic Con 2022 didn’t make this mistake. You will see Star Trek group The USS Andromeda, the Tampa chapter of Starfleet International, at the con.
Incredible reason # 7: Florida Comic Cons will be there
Florida Comic Cons has a booth at St. Pete Comic Con. We are rolling out our red carpet and photo backdrop. Come by and visit. And get a snap, which we will include in our blog! (it’s free and we want to see your cosplay!)
Incredible reason # 8: Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine is looking for cosplay talent
Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine is at St. Pete Comic Con 2022 in search of talented cosplayers to feature in its special edition magazine on the con as well as to spotlight in its seasonal issues. (Cosplay Search submission form and recent issue below)
Incredible reason # 9: It’s the first-ever comic convention in St. Petersburg
Don’t take our word for it. Here’s a recent article from Creative Loafing titled ‘St. Petersburg’s first ever Comic Con happens at The Coliseum next year.’
In addition, St. Pete Comic Con aptly describes what it’s like for the fifth largest city in Florida to (finally) get a comic convention – here’s their blog as well as a preview:
“St. Petersburg is an eclectic, ultra-cool place with zillions (not a real word) of comic con fans and cosplayers who want our enchanting city to host a con. And now their wishes have come true. Sure, St. Petersburgonians (also not a real word) love other cities’ conventions, but it’s past time for St. Petersburg – a world-wide destination city — to have a high-end comic convention.”
Incredible reason # 10: St. Pete Comic Con is the first convention of the new year
You can stay home and look at photos of everyone joyously prancing, dancing and cosplaying at St. Pete Comic Con 2022, or you can go there and be in the photos. Your choice. If you choose the right way, here is a link to tickets.
Upcoming cons
January is a great month for comic conventions in Florida — and not too many states can say that! It’s because Florida is the center of the universe for comic, anime, sci-fi, horror and pop culture conventions. Get all the info on all the cons throughout the year at our Con Calendar. Here’s a preview of January, 2022 after St. Pete Comic Con:
Otakufest in Miami on January 15-16
Otakufest is an annual anime convention, that also includes animation, cosplay, gaming and comics. Tickets are $33 for a single day and $50 for a weekend pass. Click here to get tickets.
Central Florida Comic Con in Lakeland on January 15-16
Central Florida Comic Con, is a 1-day comic convention, also known as “CFCC,” the pop culture, media, and comic book convention describes itself as “a celebration of comics, toys, TV, film, art, cosplay, games, and all things nerdy!” Tickets are $20 for a single day and $30 for a weekend pass. In addition, children 10 and under are free. Click here to get tickets.
Villicon in Orlando on January 21-23
Villicon is a three-day horror convention, and as organizers say a “celebration of all things evil and vile.” Tickets range from $10-$75. Click here to get tickets.
