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Unstoppable fun at Comic-Con

"Walking Dead" actor Ross Marquand and YJI Junior Reporter McKenzie Andersen at Comic-Con in Portland, Oregon. (Selfie by Ross Marquand)

Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. – Rose City Comic-Con is a great event.

The author with actor Khary Payton of “The Walking Dead.” (YJI photo)

I attended this annual Portland event over the weekend and it was a pretty fantastic experience. The event coordinator was very thorough in helping plan the day out for me and my family.

One of my favorite things about Comic-Con is watching the cosplayers pass by in their costumes. Another is Artist Alley, which is filled with vendors selling a lot of cool items.

A great addition to Rose City Comic-Con are the ADA bands they gave to disabled people attending, so staff would know who to assist.

The person who was helping us immediately arranged safe parking for me. She was considerate and kind and made sure we had a couple of breaks in our schedule.

I use a ventilator – a machine that breathes for me. Because people end up hitting or bumping into it a lot of the time, crowds can be scary.

The person from Comic-Con helping us made sure we had everything we needed, including letting us behind the scenes so it would be less crowded and safer for me.

The author with Star Wars actor Billy Dee Williams. (Photo courtesy of Billy Dee Williams)

It was a little chaotic of course, because it’s a convention.

I got to meet Josh Malerman, my favorite author; actor Billy Dee Williams from Star Wars; actor Giancarlo Esposito from “The Mandolorian” and actors Khary Payton and Ross Marquand, both from “The Walking Dead.”

I had an absolute blast. It was amazing and well worth it. I wasn’t alone in my thinking – some people drove more than three hours to get there.

Giancarlo Esposito, an actor on “The Mandolorian” speaks at Comic-Con. (McKenzie Andersen/YJI)

We got premium seating to watch Esposito’s panel and discovered he’s an extremely powerful speaker.

I appreciated the outrageous amont of work that the scheduler put in to make this happen. She went above and beyond and the staff all went out of their way to provide me and my family with a truly memorable experience!

As a disabled person, I usually don’t have the chance to do stuff like this and have it actually be accessible for me. This was a true luxury.

It was the best day ever and I can’t wait to do it again!

McKenzie Andersen is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.

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