MC3 provides opportunity for local youth to meet celebrity heroes

NOVI — Twice a year, the Motor City Comic Con, marketed as “Michigan’s largest and longest-running pop culture event,” takes over the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi and provides the opportunity for fans of all ages to be able to interact with their celebrity heroes.

This year, two local youth were particularly excited to attend the Spring MC3 on May 18 for the chance to interact with Colleen Clickenbeard, who voices Monkey D. Luffy for the anime series “One Piece.”

Alexis Tittle, 15, of Brownstown, said she came to the con to specifically meet Clickenbeard and get her autograph. She said she had never been to a con before and was really nervous, as she had never had an opportunity to meet a celebrity before.

“I was, like, shaking, I was so happy I was meeting her,” Tittle said.

She said that she really enjoyed the convention and seeing all the things the various vendors had to offer, but meeting Clickenbeard was the highlight of her day.

“Just getting to meet somebody that I hear all the time but have never actually got to meet them, it’s like surreal — you just don’t feel like you could do that,” Tittle said.

Atticus Smith, 12, of Garden City, said he also had been counting down the days to the convention in anticipation of meeting Clickenbeard. He said that “One Piece” is his favorite anime, and his favorite character from the series is Luffy.

“The thing I like about ‘One Piece’ is that ‘One Piece’ is real — yeah, you can quote me on that. Trust me, my fellow geeks will know,” Smith said. “I love the story. I like the characters. It’s super fun and I just love seeing what they’re up to. To be honest, I can’t explain the ‘One Piece.’ You just have to watch it — all 1,000-some episodes.”

Smith has been attending MC3 regularly over the last three years, but this was the first celebrity that he really was excited to meet. He said he had wanted to meet her for five years. So, he took the opportunity to ask Clickenbeard some questions about the anime series he knows so well, as if he were a reporter like his mom, Charity Meier, and insisted on writing them down on a journalist-style notepad, and was very proud to flash his press pass as he went around the con.

“(The best part was) just talking to her about ‘One Piece.’ She’s been voice acting Luffy for (18) years, and that’s (18) years of voice acting, one character plus all the other characters she does, which is a lot,” he said.

Smith said he also asked for some advice on how to get into voice acting. He said that is something he would really like to do when he gets older. He said Clickenbeard advised him to take online workshops on voice acting so he could get practice and feedback from others.

Tittle said her first con was exactly what she expected it to be. She said she had seen videos from past years and that this year was no different, aside from the fact that she was there in person.

However, she said the best part of the convention was just hanging around people who enjoy the same things she does and who “freak out” over the same things, such as anime, horror movies and art.

“I like just everything. I like all the different people and things that are here,” Tittle said.

Smith said he likes coming to MC3 because of the celebrities, but he also likes to see the various vendors — especially the sword vendors.

“I like seeing the swords, and some of the costumes I think are really cool,” Smith said.

Tittle said she would definitely like to come to MC3 again and would recommend that others attend the con as well.

“It’s something that if you want to de-stress and stuff and if you just want to have a good time and not really worry about anything, it’s the perfect place to go to,” Tittle said.

Motor City Comic Con is scheduled to return to the Suburban Collection Showplace Nov. 14-16.