Tardy's Comic's Owner Gets Once In A Lifetime Experience At SDCC

If you consider yourself a nerd, there is one thing that is almost guaranteed to be on your bucket list: going to San Diego Comic Con.

Getty Images

The mecca of nerdom returned to a full in person event for the first time since 2020, and people from all over the united states flocked to the San Diego Convention Center to celebrate everything from comic, sci-fi, anime, and more. Amongst them was one Grand Rapids business owner who ended up winning a once in a lifetime experience.

Gavin is a familiar face if you've been to Tardy's Comic Book Store on Eastern Ave in Alger Heights. He's always happy to greet you and dig into comic talk (the fact he always indulges me in talking about Godzilla is one of my favorite reasons to visit) but, this past weekend he found himself face to face with an iconic nerd super star after entering a contest at San Diego Comic Con.

Tardy's Corner on Facebook

According to a post on facebook, Gavin entered a QR code contest at the convention for a chance to win tickets to Clerk's director and nerd culture icon, Kevin Smith's panel at Hall H, which is one of the premier places to see celebrities and trailer reveals at the event.

Gavin said he picked up his tickets, sat up close, and really enjoyed the panel and would have been entirely happy with just that... until the sea of fans after the panel parted, and he was grabbed by Kevin Smith's team for a photo op.

Tardy's Corner on Facebook

He said meeting one of his heroes was exactly as awesome as he had hoped.

I thought I was gonna get rushed out but I'm standing right next to Kevin Smith and I get his attention and I got to talk to him! Not like 30 seconds either, we got to sit there and talk for like 5 minutes! Super cool very down to earth, when I told him how he inspired me he gave me a big hug and said "I'm glad you made it to your dream". I floated down the stairs after and for the rest of the day I was just floating. The con was great, the clerks panel was great but the 5 minutes to t l talk to someone who unwittingly helped you through self doubt and got me to the other side was priceless

I know they say you should never meet your heroes, but based on Gavin's experience, I'm looking forward to the chance to meet Kevin Smith myself one day.

And speaking of- you don't have to wait. Kevin Smith will be bringing a screening of his upcoming movie Clerks 3 to 20 Monroe, and you can purchase tickets and a VIP upgrade to meet Kevin yourself.

Awesome Cosplay from the 2022 Motor City Comic Con

I have never been to a comic con before, but I knew going into it that many people choose to wear very elaborate and detailed costumes and garb of their favorite pop culture icons. Whether it was from a Disney movie, an epic comic book, a live-play Dungeons and Dragons show, or somewhere in between, there were plenty of people who put their talent to use to create some awe-inspiring cosplay looks. Check out some of the awesome cosplay in the gallery below, and get a sneak peek at what it's like to attend a comic con.