During my first trip to the United States, I stumbled upon a truly unique convention: Rhode Island Comic Con. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the American customs and traditions, completely different from what we’re used to in Italy.
There were long lines for the autographs from Jeff Ward (Buggy the Clown) and Steven John Ward (Mihawk) from the live-action One Piece series; they were incredibly kind and welcoming to all their die-hard fans. There were also opportunities to meet countless other stars from the big and small screen; the most notable names were Anthony Starr from The Boys, Jason Lee from My Name is Earl, and Bryce Dallas Howard from Jurassic World.
The convention itself, as mentioned, was completely different from the Italian ones. It was much more focused on American merchandise and comics, well-stocked for any hardcore collector.
Cosplay in Rhode Island, on the other hand, was much less present and obsessive than in our beloved Italy, but as with every rule, there were exceptions. Yet, walking through the corridors, we found exactly that Big Bang Theory atmosphere we’d always thought was a bit romanticized; in reality, it’s much closer to reality than we imagined.
Finally, we can say that the fun was guaranteed not only with moments of authenticity, but also with many little gems we’ll add to our cherished collection.
