During years of traveling across the country for gaming conventions, Travis Reynolds always had an idea in the back of his mind - open a comic book and gaming store in Charleston.
He and his friends had discussed it since childhood, but they knew they could never get it off the ground.
"That's probably a surefire way to go broke," Reynolds said.
Instead they founded CharCon, a small gaming and pop culture convention that's been held annually in Charleston since 2006. Somewhere between 600 and 700 people are expected to attend the three-day convention, which will continue through Sunday at the Clay Center.
Attendees can participate in activities like board game competitions, miniatures and role-playing games. They can also attend panels, participate in singalongs and compete in costume contests. Reynolds and several other staff members spend months planning ahead to make sure visitors have a good time.
"It's just a whole buzzing weekend of things to do," Reynolds said.
It's the convention's first year at the Clay Center and first time taking place in the summer. Crowds still braved the heat, traveling from other states and making new friends.
"We've got friends we see only here or at other conventions," Reynolds said.
He said they all spend time together, grabbing meals or celebrating at the convention's after party. People of all ages attend the event, from adults to small children. He said tabletop gaming has practical skills too - it requires players to use problem-solving skills and arithmetic, and it has a social aspect video games don't.
"One of our big missions is we want to bring gaming back to the table for families, and their children are all playing tabletop games," Reynolds said.
That includes his family - his children, now teenagers, grew up going to the conventions. Every year they can spend time with other families at the event. People plan work schedules and vacations around it.
Reynolds said CharCon has also grown the gaming community in West Virginia, teaching participants about new games. He said before it was a niche hobby, but as more people attend the event, they find new interests.
"It wasn't a big hobby here, but now it is," Reynolds said. "We're really proud to have helped foster it."
A Sunday pass for CharCon costs $20, which includes the ability to play games. It's $10 for children 12 and under to participate.
For more information on CharCon, visit www.charcon.org.
Reach Ali Schmitz at
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