Any Way You SLICE It, the Best Kind of Con Revival Happened in St. Louis

I am the person I am today in large part to the creative scene of St. Louis. Over the years here, I’ve gotten to know a wide range of writers, artists, graphic designers, mixed media magicians, and I’ve become a better writer due to a multitude of interactions with them. I’ve also gotten more exposure to the nooks and crannies into pop art and pop culture thanks to the people I’ve met. It would also be fair to say that I would not be a writer for Black Nerd Problems had it not been for the employees of my first comic book shop and the friendships I made because of that store. This is why I’m very excited that I get to spend the next thousand some words gushing over one of the best con experiences I’ve had during the enduring pandemic years because of its organization, variety, and overall chill vibes. 

Just for a little bit of context, in the before times, St. Louis used to be home to the St. Louis Small Press Expo, centered around predictable small press. It was one of the first local cons I ever got to attend and featured a variety of small publishers and local sharing their works from magazines to mini-zines and art prints, and it was overall a chill vibe. However, like many other conventions their 2020 iteration was canceled due to COVID-19, and the show would go on indefinite hiatus. Enter 2023, there would be a major rebranding and re-imagining and thus the St. Louis Independent Comics Expo (and their adorable mascot with a menacing exacto-knife, Mr. SLICE) took…