Minnesota a quiet hotbed for nerd culture conventions

Tyler Reich still remembers the cheers that erupted when he crossed the stage at what for years now has been Minnesota’s largest anime convention. It was 2010, and there he was in public in a chain mail hood, with a red fabric cross glued to his chest.

Fifteen years after Reich made his public debut at the Anime Detour convention, decked out like the title character of the video game “Dante’s Inferno,” he’s become a pillar in Minnesota’s thriving nerd culture. The Twin Cities has become a hub for such events in the Midwest, and this year’s Detour, running Friday through Sunday at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis, is just one of the fan gatherings around comics, games, fantasy and anime planned for the coming months.

“It’s been just a huge community-building effort for over 20 years, and I’ve made so many great friends and relationships through it,” said Reich, a 37-year-old Minneapolis engineer, who is now often recognized at conventions for his elaborate costumes.

There are at least 30 annual nerd culture conventions in Minnesota, and more have been added this year. Similar events in larger cities tend to draw bigger crowds, but local participants say the diversity of Minnesota’s offerings is unique.

CONvergence, the state’s largest science fiction and fantasy convention, is set for July 3-6 at the Hyatt Regency. For fans of video games and board games, the top option is 2D-Con, which runs Aug. 22 to 24 at the Hilton DoubleTree hotel in Bloomington. 2D-Con’s attendance numbers grew from roughly 700 attendees in 2014 to 4,667 in 2024.

A newer addition is Twin Cities Con, offering a classic comic con experience where attendees can meet their favorite superhero actors and cartoon voice actors. Past guests include John DiMaggio, who voiced the robot Bender in “Futurama”; Elijah Wood from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy; and Tom Kenny, who voices SpongeBob.

After starting with just 4,000 attendees in 2021, Twin Cities Con grew to roughly 35,000 attendees in 2024. It runs Nov. 7-9 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Why has Minnesota become a hotbed for these events?

Organizers and attendees mention a large number of passionate organizers, a strong selection of high-quality convention venues, and the area’s friendly reputation. Michael Nicchetta, the deputy chair of Anime Detour, cited the “Minnesota nice aspect, and how we tend to form communities better up here.”

Emi Gibson, president of the Burnsville Anime club, said she has made friends from all over the Midwest.

“A lot of states don’t have big conventions like this or any at all, but Minnesota is pretty lucky to have so many,” Gibson said. As a “cosplayer” (someone who dresses up as a character during a convention), Gibson plans to have a different costume for each of the three days at Detour.

Panel discussions are typically hosted by attendees. Some of this year’s offerings include a deep dive into the lore behind “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and a trivia game on the “Naruto” anime series.

Perhaps the most hyped is the anime music video (AMV) contest.

Attendees pack into an auditorium and watch submissions where contestants edit clips of an anime show to fit with a song layered over it. Often it’s an unexpected mix, and creators will use music to tell a new story, like a romance between two characters that wasn’t there previously.

Detour chair J.C. Horvath said his favorite was Avril Lavigne’s song “Sk8er Boi” played over the comedic sci-fi anime “FLCL.”

Custom art is up for sale at Detour, and attendees suffering information overload can head to the manga room to read comics. The scene at 2D-Con is more analog; the host hotel’s inner courtyard will be stacked with hundreds of board games, and there are gameplay lessons for newcomers. There’s also an indie game developer room, where players try out brand new video games and give feedback to their creators.

The gaming at the convention ranges from casual to ultra-serious. A couple might be playing a friendly round of “Mario Party” next to a crowd intensely watching competitive old-school Tetris players duke it out.

Video game music has become a major focus, as well. Last year’s 2D-Con featured local video game music band Abandon Quest that performed while two people on stage played a rhythm video game similar to “Dance Dance Revolution,” synced with the live music.

Musicians with a love for video games would be wise to check out Minnesota’s video game music convention, VGM CON, April 11-13 at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West hotel in Plymouth. Attendees can learn the basics of video game music transcription, and hear a plethora of bands and genres ranging from classical to rock and jazz.

While Detour has cultivated a laid-back atmosphere, it has been wracked by internal strife in recent years. Its previous chairman was ousted last May by the board of its nonprofit parent organization, Anime Twin Cities, over allegations of workplace harassment and other issues.

On Monday, the former chairman and three other plaintiffs sued the nonprofit in Hennepin County, alleging false statements and misrepresentations about the former chairman’s conduct, and other claims.

Horvath said frustrations had been building inside the organization for some time, and that the previous chairman’s termination split longtime volunteers, causing some to leave.

Still, organizers of this year’s Detour are geared up for another big crowd this weekend, one that’s likely to repeat itself throughout this year’s slate of convention offerings.

Ben Penrod, the founder of Twin Cities Con, said the explosion in popularity of these nerd culture gatherings is not unique to Minnesota. Still, he thinks the passion that the attendees and organizers have for these events, the diversity of each and their different niches, have made the local scene particularly vibrant.

“That [passion is] not something that I’ve seen nationwide; that’s something really special that I think Minnesotan geeks can be proud of,” Penrod said.