August Frank/Inland 360
Kathy Sprague, left, and Megan Kingsley of Safari Pearl in Moscow gear up for MosCon Revival, coming to the 1912 Center on Saturday.
Moscow’s celebration of nerd culture is back on Saturday, Sept. 9, with MosCon Revival at the 1912 Center, 412 E. Third St.
It’s a full day, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., of cosplay clinics, video game tournaments, board games, discussions with local authors and a dealers’ room with a variety of vendors.
“It’s an exciting, fun time for just about anybody,” organizer Kathy Sprague said. “If you’re nerdy in any way, you will find something to interest you at this event.”
MosCon first was brought back in 2019 on what would have been its 40th anniversary, returning this year under the umbrella of Moscow nonprofit Inland Oasis, which provides support to the Palouse’s LGBTQ+ community.
“The original ones, the focus was on science fiction artwork and science fiction novels,” said Sprague, who co-owns Moscow comic book and game store Safari Pearl.
A highlight of Saturday’s planned activities is dressing up — not just cosplay, but also historical recreation, masquerade and drag — in a nod to MosCons of past years.
“People would dress up; they would do the masquerade contest,” Sprague said. “They weren’t trying to recreate a character from mass media — they would create their own character.”
A panel about how people play dress up will further explore the art form.
“Dress up is more than just cosplay or masquerade,” Sprague said. “And so we’re bringing all four (cosplay, historical recreation, masquerade and drag). It all feeds the same human need.”
Veteran performer Aquasha DeLusty of TabiKat Productions will participate in several panels, help judge the cosplay and masquerade contest and teach basic makeup techniques and wig styling.
The event’s guest of honor is Betty Bigelow, “who has been to every MosCon ever,” Sprague said.
Bigelow’s bio on the MosCon Revival Facebook page includes a long list of involvement in convention culture, including: “artist, costumer, professional middle eastern dancer, choreographer, and artist’s model as well as a sometime musician and singer with her husband Dave, producing Klingon-based musical halftime entertainments at conventions and performing at Medieval events.”
Games will have a prominent role at the event as well, with analog games by Safari Pearl and Hog Heaven Gaming running a digital game room.
“We’re trying to bridge the generations,” Sprague said.
Tickets, $20 for 16 and older/$10 for kids 11-15, are at inlandoasis.org/moscon.html and at Safari Pearl, 660 W. Pullman Road. Children 10 and younger can attend free with a paying adult.
Stone (she/her) can be reached at mstone@inland360.com.
