St. Petersburg, Florida, the fifth largest city in the state, gets an annual comic convention: St. Pete Comic Con is on January 8-9, 2022, at the historic Coliseum located downtown. Each of the larger cities in the state has numerous annual comic cons. As examples, Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando have three or more each. And there are more than 20 cities smaller than St. Petersburg that have excellent comic cons. A few examples: Lakeland, the 20th largest city, has Central Florida Comic Con; Pensacola, the 74th largest city, has Pensacon; and St. Augustine, the 131st largest, has Ancient City Con. It’s past time for St. Petersburg – a world-wide destination city — to have a high-end comic convention.
The new, two-day, multi-genre comic convention features comics, anime, science fiction and fantasy talent, along with a guest roster of Florida’s top cosplayers. In addition, vendor applications are being accepted. And early bird tickets are available.
Anime voice actors appearing at St. Pete Comic Con 2022
St. Pete Comic Con 2022 features anime voice actors of characters in beloved shows like My Hero Academia, Pokemon, Sonic the Hedgehog, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Fruits Basket as well as in games like World of Warcraft: Shadlowlands.
Anime voice actor Aaron Dismuke
Aaron Dismuke is a 29-year-old voice actor who has two decades of experience in bringing anime characters to life, having started when he was 9-years-old. Dismuke is doing photos and autographs at St. Pete Comic Con both days. In addition, he is appearing in an anime voice actor panel at the con.
Learn more about his background and the characters he voices in our recently posted a blog “Anime voice actor Aaron Dismuke to appear at Florida conventions in early 2022,” which includes our 8 favorite characters he voices (below).
- Tamaki Amajiki from My Hero Academia (below first)
- Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist (below second)
- Senku Ishigami from Dr. Stone (below third)
- Hanzo Urushihara in The Devil is a Part-Timer
- Miyuki Shirogane in Kaguya-sama: Love is War
- Hiro Sohma and Akito Sohma from Fruits Basket
- Oscar Pine from RWBY
- Cartoon character: Beetle in Beetle + Bean on Cartoon Network
Anime voice actor Erica Schroeder
Erica Schroeder is a popular comic and anime convention guest who has voiced more than 250 roles for animation and video games since 2002. With lots of characters to choose, here are our 10 favorite Erica Schroeder shows/characters (below).
- Nurse Joy and Eevee in Pokemon
- Emma Frost in Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men (below first)
- Devos in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
- Luffy in One Piece (below second)
- 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 (below third)
- Blaze in Sonic the Hedgehog
- Ilvira in Secret Magic Control Agency
- Cheese and Cat in Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese
Comic artists appearing at St. Pete Comic Con 2022
St. Pete Comic Con 2022 features comic artists who have worked on major titles as well as indies who are cutting the edge on the industry. The first artist announcement is the legendary Mike Grell.
Comic artist and writer Mike Grell
Florida Comic Con’s recent blog post “Legendary comic artist and writer Mike Grell coming back to Florida,” aptly describes him:
“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.”
Florida’s top cosplayers are appearing at St. Pete Comic Con 2022
The Sunshine State’s best cosplayers are appearing at St. Pete Comic Con 2022. The Guest Cosplayers — who are coming from around the state — are participating in panels, leading activities and have booths to meet and chat with attendees. Here is the list of talent so far (more announcements coming soon):
@Avera_Cosplay is the best cosplayer in the South
Fort Myers cosplayer @Avera_Cosplay is among the most talented cosplayers in the South. And it’s not just our opinion. Her many convention cosplay awards are impressive. And her most recent win at Florida Supercon — for her Mercy cosplay mashup from Overwatch and Warhammer (below) — has her representing the southern region in a national cosplay competition. Learn more about her awards and various cosplays.
@KDiddy3300 is the best Sam Wilson Captain America cosplayer
Tampa cosplayer @KDiddy3300 may be one of the best ever Sam Wilson Captain America cosplayers. The character’s popularity continues to skyrocket after the MCU’s “Avengers” franchise as well as its TV series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” And the cosplayer has kept pace with the MCU, crafting a couple of different Sam Wilson Captain America cosplays. The first cosplay (below left) is based on the comics version of the character, and the second (below right) on the MCU version. Learn more about his Sam Wilson Captain America cosplay.
@Dark.Lady.Cosplay brings World of Warcraft to life
Tampa cosplayer @Dark.Lady.Cosplay makes you believe World of Warcraft is real. She is a prolific World of Warcraft cosplayer who has assumed the roles of many characters from the popular video game including Sylvanas Windrunner (below left), Ranger General Sylvanas (below right), High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, and Nightmare Ysera – to name only a few. Learn more about her cosplays from World of Warcraft as well as from other fictional worlds.
Sailor Scouts spread Sailor Moon vibes throughout Florida
Sailor Scouts is a Jacksonville-based group spreading Sailor Moon vibes throughout comic conventions in Florida. The Sailor Moon group, which which formed in 2015, appears as cosplay guests at numerous cons in Florida, including WasabiCon and Bold Matsuri in Jacksonville, Ancient City Con in St. Augustine, and Villicon in Orlando. And now add St. Pete Comic Con to the list.
Cosplay contest on Saturday
Cosplayers entering the contest are featured in Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine. And winners get a spotlight feature in the magazine. More info, including the worthy prizes ($$), coming soon.
Florida Comic Cons will be at St. Pete Comic Con 2022
Florida Comic Cons is rolling out its red carpet and backdrop to snap photos of cosplayers at St. Pete Comic Con 2022. Cosplayer photos will be included in a Florida Comic Cons blog. Below are Florida Comic Cons’ photos from Suncoast Comic Con 2021. If you go to St. Pete Comic Con, please drop by the Florida Comic Cons booth for a photo! (it’s free)
Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine to publish special edition of St. Pete Comic Con 2022
Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine publishes seasonal issues that spotlight talented cosplayers and the characters they portray. In addition, the magazine also publishes special editions of conventions. An example is Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine special edition: CollectiveCon 2021 (below). Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine will be at St. Pete Comic Con 2022 in search of talented cosplayers to spotlight in its seasonal magazine as well as in its special edition of St. Petersburg’s first convention.
Follow St. Pete Comic Con on social media
Stay up-to-date with St. Pete Comic Con announcements on Facebook and Instagram.
