I found NecronomiCon, the Lovecraft convention in Providence, wildly entertaining for several reasons. First, I thoroughly enjoyed how spread out the event was. Activities, panels, concerts, and a vendor floor were distributed across multiple buildings and properties. The weather was beautiful, and it was wonderful to spot fellow attendees throughout the city wearing their lanyards, which naturally sparked engaging discussions with friendly strangers from all over the world. Other attire could also be a tip-off to fans in this weird fiction crowd.
I also appreciated the diverse interpretations of Lovecraft’s work and the horror genre as a whole. One of the panels I attended focused on how Japanese manga artists adapt Lovecraftian stories with little-to-no Western influence. Later, I visited a gallery show at AS220 that spotlighted manga artist Gou Tanabe’s work, where quite a few of his pieces had already been sold. Beyond that gallery, numerous art institutions across the city highlighted the horror genre. One standout was an installation near The Red Door, which also featured a series of live concerts and short films that were completely free to the public.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience. My only real downside is that it only happens every other year.