Friends of the Amarillo Public Library to host AMA-CON 2024 on Aug. 3-4

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – The Friends of the Amarillo Public Library and the Amarillo Public Library system are busy preparing for the annual AMA-CON, a pop culture convention set for Aug. 3-4 at the Amarillo Civic Center.

The annual AMA-CON convention focuses on celebrating “everything that is geeky and awesome,” according to organizers. The event has drawn thousands of pop culture enthusiasts each year for opportunities to engage with various fandoms and new experiences.

According to Director of Library Services Amanda Barrera, proceeds from the convention have also made some of the APL’s most popular programs possible.

“AMA-CON brings people together and highlights Amarillo Public Library programs and services,” said Barrera. “It also raises funds that the Friends use to support Library programs not financed by taxpayer dollars such as our Summer Reading Club, English as a Second Language Classes, the MakerSpace, and many other education and enrichment opportunities provided by the library.”

The convention is set to take place during the weekend of Aug. 3-4 throughout the Amarillo Civic Center’s exhibit halls, said organizers, with admission costing $8 for a one-day pass or $10 for a two-day pass.

Organizers described that some of the highlights of the con will include:

• Five cosplay contests: Kids, Anime, Comic, Gaming, and Sci-Fi/Original Characters;
• Panels on art, literature and trivia;
• Vendors offering comic books, steampunk jewelry, art, merchandise and more;
• Geek Prom, Art Show and Sketch Off;
• Science activities from the Don Harrington Discovery Center;
• Gaming tournaments, demonstrations, and free play; and
• Fantastic creatures from the Amarillo Zoo.

Special guests announced for AMA-CON 2024 include:

• Martha Wells, a science fiction and fantasy author in the Texas Literary Hall of Fame who has published works including The Books of the Raksura series, the Ile-Rien series and The Murderbot Diaries. She has also written written tie-in fiction for Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: the Gathering and won numerous awards.
• Corina Boettger, a non-binary professional actor who has been credited with voice acting roles such as Paimon in Genshin Impact, Tornado in One Punch Man, Naphula in Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun, Mizuki in Ai: The Somnium Files, Sailor Tin Nyanko in Sailor Moon, Somali in Somali and the Forest Spirit, Marshtato Mary in DreamWorks’ Trollstopia and others. They have also appeared in shows including My Name is Earl and Glee.
• Morgan Berry, a professional voice actor, singer and YouTuber known for voice roles in numerous anime series, films, video games and web series such as Pokemon, Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Final Fantasy, One Piece, Borderlands, Frieren, and others. As a singer, Berry has performed at arenas including the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the Toyota Center, the American Airlines Center and Bass Hall.
• Marc J. Gregson, a New York Times bestselling author who also teaches middle school English. His recent novel Sky’s End is his first novel for teens.
• Mychal Threets, Supervising Librarian in Fairfield, Calif. who is not only a recipient of the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award but also one of TIME Magazine’s 2024 Next Generation Leaders, and a 2024 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. He is a literary and mental health advocate who will offer storytime for children and a Q and A.

More information on the upcoming AMA-CON 2024 event can be found here.

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