Meske, a big video game and anime fan, said he enjoys the opportunities iMagicon provides to get autographs from celebrities like former Power Ranger and noted voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch, and to mingle with fellow cosplayers.

“You’ll see people getting together gaming, and talking. It’s a lot of stuff people don’t talk about in everyday society because they’re embarrassed about their hobbies. In that place, they don’t have to be embarrassed about anything. Do whatever you want. Play whatever you want. It’s just fun. I love cosplay. I love seeing what people are dressed up as,” Meske said.

The pop culture convention iMagicon has been going strong in Minot for 11 years, but has a new look this year as it takes residence at the North Dakota State Fair Center.

The convention began Friday and will run a series of events, panels and activities through Sunday. In addition to the scheduled appearances by actor Doug Jones and the 1966 Batmobile, the beating heart of iMagicon are its faithful attendees and more than 100 vendors on its show floor.

Dakota Brown poses in his cosplay inspired by the videogame “Fallout: New Vegas.”

Meske is also a sponsor of iMagicon, a decision borne not only for his love for the event, but also because the attendees are the target market for his business.

“I sponsor it mainly because I like these types of things and I know it supports the community, and most of the people walking through there need glasses, so that helps. With all the costumes, they need contacts,” Meske said. “A lot of cosplayers have colored contact lenses. Most of them are bought and sold illegally, and I’ve seen so many issues with colored contacts in people’s eyes because they’re wearing them improperly. I had a gal who came in and almost the front part of her eye was ripped off because she bought colored contacts from a smoke shop. We got her eyes back to normal, but it was a lesson learned on her part.”

But what Meske said he relishes the most is the opportunity to mingle and make connections with fellow local fans. Meske related an encounter he had at another convention in Fargo with an attendee who he discovered was also from Minot.

“We chatted up with him, and became friends. I later hired him and actually was my optician for a couple years before he moved on to other things. We’re still good friends, and his birthday is this weekend as well so we’re going to be celebrating his birthday,” Meske said. “You meet friends all over. Recognizing who is behind the mask is kind of fun. A lot of times you make friends you don’t see a whole lot and the only time you see them is at conventions. That’s one of the funnest parts.”

Meske described iMagicon as being more similar to the experience found at the larger conventions in San Diego and New York, but with a local flavor that can only be found in a community like Minot.

The Batmobile from the 1966 “Batman” television series made a special appearance at iMagicon this year.

Meske said he appreciated the all-ages environment iMagicon has cultivated over the years, as it allows him to bring his son along to get in on the fun.

“I got a 3 year-old. The first time he went I think he was 6 months old. Even though he’s three, this will be his fourth one he’s going to this year. We’ve put him in costumes every time,” Meske said. “Daycare actually has a blue power ranger suit and I want to see if I can borrow that for Saturday while we’re walking around because he’s been getting into power rangers.”

Meske also enjoys walking the show floor to see what the vendors are on display, in particular the works of local or regional authors like Selena Drake showcasing their novels.

“There’s been a couple of them where they’ve had local authors. I’ll buy their stuff and have them sign their stuff right there too. A lot of these books I’ll only buy the next books if I see them at conventions too,” Meske said.

Meske said iMagicon represents a safe space for individuals with any number of interests to express and explore the shared connections with others.

Comic book fans dig through long boxes at a booth on the show floor at iMagicon on Friday.

“Knowing that there’s more than just sports fandoms out there. A lot of people feel embarrassed that they have these hobbies, but it’s no different than if you’re a big fan of the Vikings and have Vikings stuff everywhere. If you have a whole bunch of Gundam stuff, what’s the difference? It helps people get open about what they like,” Meske said.

One vendor on the show floor at this year’s iMagicon is Mythic Emporium, Minot’s lone comic book shop which was inspired by owner Emily Pogatshnik’s experience at the convention in 2023. Pogatshnik said she heard that Minot was without a comic book store after it closed around that time, and she was called, “to fill that need.”

“That was the year that we had no comic books store and no comics at iMagicon. You kind of need that for this type of convention. I’m a lover of all things nerd and geek. I opened up in October 2023. It was a very quick process,” Pogatschnik said.

Pogatschnik said iMagicon provided her with a chance to engage with and appreciate her interactions with attendees, many of whom are her customers.

“For me, and especially last year, it was the amount of people and friends that I have there. I didn’t expect most of my time to be spent talking to people who may have stopped in the store once or twice or people looking for my dog. Overall, it’s how tight knit it feels and uplifting everyone is at iMagicon. No one is trying to outdo one another,” Pogatschnik said. “I’m really excited to be at the State Fair grounds this year. I was looking at the map, and it looks like double the amount of vendors this year.”

Charles Crane/MDN Emily Pogatshnik, owner of Mythic Emporium, engages with an attendee at her booth at iMagicon on Friday at the North Dakota State Fair Center.

Pogatschnik said there’s a little bit of something for everyone at iMagicon – from trivia contests, events, panels to celebrity appearances.

“I’m sad that I’m going to have to miss out on some panels on Saturday because between my sister and I, we can’t leave between these hours and it’s really busy for us. We’re running both tills and we have a line at the booth. I said to her last night, ‘I hate being a vendor sometimes because I want to go do some of these things,” Pogatschnik said. “iMagicon is my favorite event that we go to, especially now with how many people we actually know.”