Collecting joy at MC3

Almost everyone is a collector of something, and for collectors of pop culture paraphernalia, the Motor City Comic Con is the place to go to find something they need for their collections. 

However, collecting is much more than a fun hobby; collectors of various things, at MC3, all seemed to agree that they are not just collecting items for a collection, they are collecting joy, happiness and peace. 

Mario Blanco, 26, of West Chicago, Illinois, said he got into collecting when he was around 7 years old and started watching Marvel movies and “Star Trek.” He said he likes to collect Funko Pop figures and has 1,100 pieces at home. He also enjoys collecting Avengers and Moon Knight comic books, which he purchased several of during MC3 on May 16.

“It’s just something that brings me joy, honestly,” Blanco said. “I come to these conventions to meet people that I’ve looked up to or even that just brought me peace.”

Blanco explained that adulthood can often be draining for people when they focus on things that are going on in the world today, and for him, he finds his peace in collecting, as it is a way to connect with the nostalgia of his childhood. 

“The world we live in, with everything going on, whether it be politics or the war and everything like that, it’s like everybody focuses on stuff like that, but they don’t really enjoy life. They just focus on the now,” Blanco said. “What’s going on in the news? What’s going on with their lives, but they forget about the nostalgia they had during their time when they were a kid, when they were their happiest, and so as an adult now to be nostalgic coming to these conventions brings me peace, that it was good times back then. Obviously, the older you get, the more problems you’ve got to deal with, but in these little moments, whether it’s two days or one day, when I go to conventions, I’m at peace.”

Herson Sepuleth, of Detroit, said collecting is a passion of his. 

“I like to collect because it is a passion of mine,” Sepuleth said. “I like to get those things that are memories of what made my childhood worth liking.”

Anthony Jakes, 19, of Mount Clemens, said he enjoys collecting a variety of things, especially Alice in Wonderland stuff and glass balls. Jakes said he recently got into collecting Marvel and DC comic books, as well.

“I collect glass balls because I think they are really cool,” Jakes said. 

He said he is an artist, and if he finds a glass ball on the street, he will sand down any broken bits and add them to his collection.

Jakes said he comes from a family of collectors, but he is the “odd man out,” as he has the largest variety of things that he enjoys collecting.

Taylor Youngs, 31, of Houghton Lake, said that she collects Funko Pops and Alice in Wonderland paraphernalia.

“I just really love Alice in Wonderland because of how funky it is and the different elements to it,” Youngs said.

She said she likes Alice in Wonderland so much that she made it the theme of her now 3-year-old daughter’s nursery and has been collecting Wonderland merchandise ever since for her daughter. 

Joshua Raczka, 15, and his friend, Jalea Dixon, 16, both of Grand Blanc, came to MC3 to acquire an autograph from Jerry Trainor, an actor of “iCarly” fame.

Raczka said he enjoys collecting autographs, as it is very exciting. He said he has been collecting autographs since his mom took him to his first comic convention at age 7 and he met Lou Ferrigno, the actor who portrayed the Incredible Hulk on TV.

“When I got his signature, it was very, very exciting, and you can’t really get that kind of feeling from anything else, so I started collecting autographs,” he said. 

However, he said his collection is not that vast, as he is very particular as to whose autograph he wants to purchase. 

Dixon said that acquiring Trainor’s autograph has sparked her desire to collect autographs.

“I think (collecting autographs) is cool,” Dixon said. 

“I just think it would be cool to show off in my room, to have a wall and be able to explain the moments that I had with that person. I feel like it could be just, like, really nice,” she said.

Jared Hickock, 25, of Shelby Township, said he doesn’t collect any one particular thing, but he enjoys buying random things at conventions.

“I just come to purchase whatever interests me; mingle with some like-minded nerds. Stuff like that,” said Hickok.

Walter Freeman Jr., of Detroit, said he finds it fun to collect “Star Trek,” DC and Marvel action figures.

“I just like to get memorable things,” Freeman said, “although some may be expensive as heck.”

Morgan Steele, 26, of Bay City, said she collects Funko Pops and some loose action figures, as she has an “eclectic taste of characters.”

“They just make me happy,” Steele said. “They fill a little spot on my shelf and in my heart.”

Connor Nieman, of Temperance, said he has been collecting anything “Star Wars” since he was in middle school, after noticing his friend’s father’s collection.

“Growing up, I just always thought it was really cool, and I wanted to build my own collection,” Nieman said.

Today, Nieman, 27, said his collection is so large that it is spread between his home and storage lockers.

“Especially coming here, you can find all sorts of posters, comics, figures, retro toys and packaging,” Nieman said. “I just find enjoyment. It’s fun to find something that you can’t just go to the store and pick up right now.”

Steele said that she enjoys collecting at MC3, as she can find stuff from the niche movies she is into and pretty much anything else.

“I love digging through boxes of stuff and trying to find treasures,” she said.

Motor City Comic Con continues until 5 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at Vibe Credit Union Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave. in Novi.