At The Black Panel, Comic-Con San Diego, Summer 2014.

Ajuan Mance

This t-shirt is absolute geek perfection.

Ajuan Mance

I have no idea who this brotha’s costume was supposed to resemble. It was all handmade, including the hat, which was assembled from a felt-type cloth that (sort-of) matched the blanket cape around his shoulders. The safety pin at the throat added a touch of class.

Ajuan Mance

Some day I’ll do a ‘zine about hairstyles and fashion among the Black men of Comic-Con. It’s certainly a topic worth covering, especially when you’ve got brothas like this one, dressed in big ’80s-style glasses and a Members Only jacket, and not even for the sake of cosplay.

Ajuan Mance

I noticed this brother just after we got through the Comic-Con check-in line, at the San Diego Convention Center.

He got my attention because he and I were on the same mission. After Comic-Con check-in, attendees recieve a program, a souvenir book, a lanyard, and the cherished Comic-Con shoulder bag. The thing is, there are several different bag designs. They’re all the same shape and size, but each features one of several different television series or movie cast photos or a drawing of comic book hero.

If you’re a Comic-Con veteran, then you know to hover around the different bag stations until the volunteers start passing out a design you like. This brother got one of the coolest bags of the year, featuring an image from the original live action Batman series.

Alas, I had to settle for a Vampire Diaries bag. For the first time since I started attending the Con, The Big Bang Theory did not produce a souvenir bag. Four Big Bang Theory bags in a row will have to be enough. The irony is that I’ve never even watched Vampire Diaries. The bag will make a great gift for some one who does.

Ajuan Mance