IMagicon is an annual celebration of eclectic fandoms, replete with a variety of booths, special appearances from the likes of comic book artist Bob Hall and actor Deep Roy. But the beating heart of the event is what the attendees bring to the table themselves.

Edward Montez split his time serving as the voice of the convention, manning the Mouse River Players’ convention-wide escape room and walking the showfloor with his wife, Brittany, and their nephew, Everett. The Montez’s cosplayed Lydia and Beetlejuice from the eponymous film and will be competing in the skit cosplay contest this weekend.

“We’ll be doing a number from Beetlejuice the Musical. I do a lot of characters. This is actually my third year announcing. Last year I did a lot of Joker, so I get that requested a lot,” Edward Montez said.

Everett was among a number of youngsters getting their first taste of nerd culture at iMagicon, sampling a variety of snacks and even shooting a “Star Wars” stormtrooper.

Logan Sage had his “proton pack” at the ready for his cosplay as a Ghostbuster as iMagicon kicked off the first day of festivities on Friday at the Minot Municipal Auditorium.

“He had a lot of fun doing that. He likes to get to walk around, pulling things off of shelves and trying to convince auntie and uncle to buy things for him,” Brittany Montez said.

The convention caters to a number of interests beyond comic books, with video game tournaments and tabletop gaming opportunities. One booth showcased the live painting of minifigures by Jerry Miller of Minot, who joked the convention gave him the perfect excuse to do nothing but paint for an entire weekend. Miller, a master plumber by trade, said he began painting figures for games such as Dungeons and Dragons but the floodgates opened after he discovered ork figurines for Games Workshop’s “Warhammer.”

“They really led the industry and pushed the whole industry to be better and compete. They were really great quality and roped me in from there,” Miller said.

Miller offered painting lessons in addition to the demonstrations to help attendees refine their skills or learn new techniques to give their favorite pieces a professional polish. Miller especially enjoys tricking the eye through his paints, which is why he considers figure painting to be “one of the last forms of magic.”

“The shine that’s in the gold is actually painted in. It’s supposed to look naturally occurring but it’s actually layered up,” Miller said.

Jerry Miller readies his brush during a painting demonstration of a dwarf hammerer “Warhammer” figurine at his booth on the iMagicon show floor on Friday.

The iMagicon convention continues through Sunday.