Ultracon: Comics and cosplay draw 5,000 to South Florida Fairgrounds

WEST PALM BEACH — Under what circumstances would Captain Jack Sparrow, "CHiPs" stars Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox, and the voice of Elmo be under one roof?

South Florida’s UltraCon Convention, of course.

A crowd that organizers estimated at about 5,000 people poured into the Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds on Saturday for a second day of sporting their costumes, meeting the voices behind the characters they love and, of course, shopping.

The three-day comic convention event featured more than 200 vendors selling art and toys, celebrity voice actors from top shows across the anime, animation and science fiction genres, and a cosplay contest with a top prize of $1,000.

Tables of international snacks, unique collectibles like carved-out records and vintage pins, and mystery Funko Pops lined the aisles. One vendor had more than 50 swords for sale. No anime series, TV show or movie was off-limits. People of all ages sported their own versions of characters from "Scooby-Doo" to "Stranger Things."

For Sparrow — brought to life by Sebastien Del Valle of New Port Richey — the convention was more than 75 hours and five people in the making. At least, that’s what went into assembling his costume.

“People are the world,” Del Valle said behind a cheerful smile. “It’s really cool to be able to dress up and show joy to others.”

For Del Valle, 34, the costume started in high school as a joke because his dreadlocks matched those of Sparrow. He kept it up through college, with a friend’s dad even asking him to dress as Sparrow for his daughter, whose world was Captain Jack.

“I cried with the parents,” Del Valle said. “And I was like, I have to really do this.”

So, during the pandemic, his hot-glued Goodwill Sparrow outfit received a major upgrade — a custom-tailored shirt from the U.K., a sash cut from his grandmother’s Ikea shower curtain and a 3D-printed trident he’d hand-painted.

“You made my day, just by going out of your way and putting all that on,” one convention-goer said to him.

Victor Del Corro, dressed in a homemade armor set from the Japanese video game "Monster Hunter," stopped him. He remembered him from MegaCon in Orlando.

Del Corro showed off a custom outfit of his own — one he’d handmade from EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) foam, typically found on the floor of gyms or children’s play areas. Its light material allowed him to be covered from head to toe on the sweltering August day, spiked helmet and all.

He’d arrived dressed as Spider-Man. But as an artist, he wanted to showcase something he’d made, so he changed.

“You can literally find everything here,” said Del Corro, 29, of West Palm Beach. “You just have so many different fandoms here, and there's something for everyone, even if you're someone that's not into dressing up.”

The dozens of fans lined up to meet the actors of "CHiPs" might agree.

Posing beside a motorcycle from the 1970s hit crime drama, Estrada and Wilcox, who’d played Officers Frank "Ponch" Poncherello and Jon Baker, laughed between bouts of autographs and selfies.

“Sometimes older people become 8 or 10 years old, and they're like little boys or girls in grown bodies,” Wilcox said. “It can be entertaining, humorous and sometimes humiliating to go that young, all of a sudden, in front of somebody. But it's always wonderful.”

The pair often meets now-retired police officers who based their careers on watching them on the show, Wilcox said. He finds it equally humbling and complimentary.

“For me, the reward is, ‘Wow, you gave them that much joy,’ ” Wilcox said. “But you're just like them. You're just another guy that got a job, you just happen to be on TV.”

For Estrada, the fun is when fans drag their kids, who often are at the convention for the comics, over to the CHiPs corner because it's “their turn.”

“I’ve always loved Florida,” Estrada, who hails from New York City, said. “This is nice because it's my first time being at this Comic Con. I love it. I've been running into Latinos left and right, which is kind of great.”

And a few tables down, David Newell, who’d played Mr. McFeely — the delivery man on "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood" in the late 1960s — greeted people from 5 to 50 years old. He was in the original chauffeur hat he’d worn on the show.

One man, in his 80s, was wheeled over to Newell by his son. Both were familiar with his role since the show had aired on PBS until the early 2000s. It was Newell’s favorite part of the day, he said.

Personalities aside, the rest of the center bustled with vendors. One sold vintage Barbie dolls. Another had collectible Lego figurines.

Meg Grant showcased dozens of handbags she’d made on the second floor of her home in Stuart. People of all ages stopped by, drawn in by their unusual patterns and shapes — a takeout box, a jack-o’-lantern and a taco, to name a few.

“I’m a geek at heart,” said Grant, 48. “I love these fandoms. Meeting other people who want to show their fun geek side on the outside and who are able to express themselves. It’s important.”

The convention will run through Sunday. Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. General admission is $30 and tickets can be found at ultraconofsouthflorida.com.

Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ultracon comic convention draws 5,000 to South Florida Fairgrounds