By PATRICK NETHERTON
Stars aligned in Shreveport a week ago for the Humor & Harmony Weekend. This weekend, more high profile visitors include two Pro Football Hall of Fame members and a Heisman Trophy winner.
Dallas Cowboys great Bob Lilly, Louisiana Tech and New Orleans Saints superstar Willie Roaf and legendary Oklahoma running back Billy Sims are part of the lineup at Geek’d Con, Shreveport’s landmark “Comic Con” style event.
Geek’d Con returns for its ninth year beginning this evening and running through Sunday afternoon at the Shreveport Convention Center. This year there is a new sports twist as the Shreveport Sports Card Expo makes its debut as part of the event.
Typically known for embracing nerd/geek genres, this year’s Geek’d Con adds a starry lineup of sports figures upstairs in the Convention Center.
Along with Lilly, Roaf and Sims, retired MLB slugger Rafael Palmeiro will be on hand. The local flavor in the star-studded sports lineup is provided by former LSU football star and NFL running back Jacob Hester and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member Todd Walker, undeniably one of LSU’s greatest baseball players and a 12-year MLB veteran.
The sports figures will be available for pictures and autographs.
Along with the celebrities, the Sports Card Expo will also have individual tables for sales of trading cards, memorabilia and more collectibles.
Downstairs, Geek’d Con will feature its traditional lineup of guests from the land of geekdom, from movies to TV shows to animation to comic books. This year’s event has versatile actors like John C. McGinley (Scrubs, Office Space, Point Break), movie veterans Billy Zane (Titanic, The Phantom) and Kevin Durand (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), E.T. favorites Henry Thomas and Dee Wallace, TV stars Mitch Pileggi and Annabeth Gish (X Files) and David Morrissey (Walking Dead, Dr. Who) plus legendary voice actors Bill Farmer (Voice of Goofy, Pluto and multiple characters in “Space Jam”), Steve Downes (Halo), wrestlers Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Mark Henry (the World’s Strongest Man) along with a bevy of other guests.
One of the largest and most notable aspects of Geek’d Con are the vendors, selling action figures, Funko Pops, comic books, cosplay and other assorted crafts like woodworking, swords and soaps.
Cosplay (costume play) is also highly encouraged with patrons welcome to dress up as their favorite characters from anime, cartoons, video games, movies and TV shows. There is a cosplay contest featuring over $1,000 in prizes in adult, group and youth categories.
Tickets can be purchased at the door but are cheaper online (plus no worry about box office lines). Every guest will have their own prices for autographs, pictures or both, so check their booths for their prices.
Geek’d Con hours are from 5-9 this evening, Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 o’clock.