Salon de Manga - Paris

Over the weekend I attended the annual manga convention in Paris, Salon de Manga, but I did not go for the fair's namesake so much as for the fan culture.

I've never been a hardcore collector, enthusiast, or aficionado. No, I liked Star Wars but I never dressed up; I enjoyed Star Trek but I never learned Klingon; I went to see the Lord of the Rings trilogy but I didn't camp overnight to get tickets.

Most people think of such fans as freaks, geeks, or nerds, and they're probably right, too. It's just I tend to think of these terms in a positive connotation - a sort of charming eccentricity often reserved for the learned but socially awkward. So I wanted to be in the culture for myself, even if I had no costume. 

Everyone was open - striking poses for anyone with a camera, posing with children or adults. But this sort of posing and relish for the stage extended beyond the event's own manga theme - Scooby Doo attended, an elaborate (and surely expensive) Predator was also there, many a goth (think Cormac in hot weather), and the obligatory Star Trek fans, as well. Of course here, what would draw criticism outside would receive praise inside. The more you indulged in the details of your costume, the more respect you carried.

Obviously at an event like this, these sorts of people are among family so they can let it all hang out. The only element that seemed out of place was the American-professional style wrestling in one corner of the expo room, nonetheless this was popular, too, and didn't seem to have justify itself for being there, just like me.