By Arren Joseph-White
This year went off as a hit, with people coming from all around for one reason or another. Some were vendors and artists, providing their talent to others and selling their goods. Others were visitors with cosplay and costumes, immersing themselves in their nerdy, passionate culture. Voice actors for popular shows such as My Hero Academia, Hazbin Hotel, and even Phineas and Ferb were there to speak. Real-life actors from hit films like the Terrifier series or shows like Smallville and C.H.I.P.S. were there as well. Those don’t even include all the writers, animators, and the event, as usual, was a hit; bringing together people from a particular subculture to have fun for a weekend.
For those who aren’t familiar with the culture, “Pensacon” is a three-day convention at Pensacola Bay Center, along with other places in town– including the Pensacola Cultural Center, Rex Theater on Palafox, Pensacola Museum of Commerce, and De Luna Event Space on Gonzalez. Even Gallery Night got in on the fun on February 20th, letting people show off their costumes some more. At Pensacon, visitors can purchase pop culture goods (such as art prints and cosplay items), watch film screenings, socialize with fellow fans, and go to panels or workshops.
The most popular part of Pensacon weekend (other than the cosplays and vendors) are the celebrity guests who come to speak at the panels and meet the fans. The convention usually has notable names, and 2026 was no different. This year, we saw popular names like voice actor Clifford Chapin, who voiced the hot-headed Katsuki Bakugo in the English dub of My Hero Academia. There was also Alejandro Saab, who is known best for content creation as well as his recorded voice lines for Cryo in the role-playing action game Genshin Impact. There were also live-action actors and actresses; some included Alyson Stoner, who has a long list of works but is notable for her character Caitlyn Geller on the 2000s Disney Channel movie Camp Rock. Other actors included David Howard Thornton, whose name might sound unfamiliar, but if you’re a fan of the Terrifier series, you’ve seen him as the star of the show–Art the Killer Clown. The convention was also full of major writers and comic artists from Marvel and DC. Other than that, TV-show actors and even WWE Hall of Fame inductees attended. The full guest list for this year (and next year as it develops) can be found on their website.
Pensacon might be popular for its celebrity guests, but it’s the volunteers and local businesses that come together to help put together the event. Volunteers work hard to set up and take down the event spaces. With their help, they make the event run smoothly. Because of them, Pensacon can be a safe and memorable experience for everyone. Volunteer work is demanding at Pensacon; so those who sign up at-will know the risk and take it to help make a fantastic weekend. As for the local businesses, they sponsor the event. Without the sponsors (both local and national), Pensacon wouldn’t be a profitable event. Some of the sponsors include The Cabaret, O’Riley’s Irish Pub, Azalea Cocktail Lounge, and Cat Country 98.7.
Some of the vendors were talented artists, such as Lily Butler and her father, Steven. Together, they run Flowering Lily, a duo-publishing comic book company. Lily herself does a variety of art at conventions; from keychains to custom Pokémon cards. She’s been going to Pensacon since she was 15, with this being her 11th year. “When I started, I was allowed to split a table with my dad and I just had a 3-ring binder that I just had like art from like high school in,” she explained. “And now I’m my own guest.” Now, at 27, Butler says she feels at home at Pensacon. The convention has become familiar to her and her father, both of them being special panel guests now. “The staff is always fantastic. And Pensacon to us feels [always] like a homecoming,” she told The Corsair. “…we know everybody here and I’ve just been [like] yapping my head off today. I love it. I love Pensacon.” Lily’s father, Steven Butler, is mainly known for his pencil illustrations. He has done illustrations for Archie Comics (specifically their Sonic the Hedgehog series), and some Marvel Comics as well. Lily herself can be found online, for all her information, her Linktree is linktr.ee/flowering_lily, which conveniently has all her social media.
Other vendors included Addy Neilson from Tangled Earth Arts, a small jewelry-making business who was on the main floor of the convention. Neilson has been hand-making jewelry for about 20 years now after taking a class in high school. “…when I was a senior in high school, my [high school] for the very 1st time offered a jewelry design and metal smithing course,” She told me. From there, she naturally fell into it. “I immediately signed up for it, and then suddenly all of my questions about what I was gonna do with my life were solved,” she explained. This was her 5th Pensacon. Each year, many of her “little babies” are sold and taken to new homes. She takes pride in her work; you can tell with the quality of her jewelry and how she talks about her craft. But one thing she wants her customers is the amount of time she puts into her work. “Most people are really good about understanding that a handmade item does cost a little bit more because we’re talking about labor and all of that kind of stuff…but sometimes [people] will just look at a price and be like, ‘that’s too expensive.’” Overall, Addy Neilson is nothing but passionate and admirable about her jewelry. You can find her business and more information online; Tangled Earth Arts on Instagram and Facebook, Tangled Earth on Etsy, or on her website, tangledeartharts.com.
All in all, Pensacon went successfully for practically all involved. Plans for next year are already in motion. Don’t be discouraged if you missed this year, next year’s lineup looks just as good. For 2027, some of the guests include Justin Briner (known for his role as Deku’s English voice actor in My Hero Academia), Charlet Chung (known for her voice lines as D. Va in Overwatch), and Paul McGann (notable for his role as the 8th doctor for the iconic Doctor Who series). Information is available now, on pensacon.com.