How to Navigate Planet Comicon KC With a Four(ty) Year Old

If you want to read a proper blog about Kansas City’s Planet Comicon, you should visit my friend Angie’s posts at KC Geeks.

If you want to learn about how to spend as much money as possible (in as little time as possible) at Planet Comicon (Feb. 16-18 in 2018), then this is the post for you.

Because when you take a four-year-old boy (my nephew) to a Planet Comicon, there WILL BE the constant drum of “I want that.” Who am I kidding. Even if you take a forty-something year-old boy — yours truly–there’s the same chant. But, perhaps, without the same volume. No. The bigger kid’s volume is much worse.

Now … I’ve taken my kids in the past, but the youngest I believe I braved was “D” when she was six or seven. And she was well behaved because she HAD to meet Chewbacca. (I believe she gave me a good brow beating because she wanted Peter Mayhew in costume. A common occurrence I’m sure.).

Regardless, here’s how you keep a four-year-old entertained at Planet Comicon:

At Planet Comicon … You Look at Lightsabers … Lots and Lots of Lightsabers

Now, it’s important to set aside $7-10 for the relatively disposable (soon to be broken) version from a nearby vendor. They are in fact strategically placed. After oohing and ahhing … a preschool child can be placated with a lesser version. The forty-year-old child cannot.

You Hunt the Entire Planet Comicon Exhibition Floor for Wolverine

Wolverine is … so worth it!

You Evade Expensive LEGO Displays AND Retro Video Games

There is often plexiglass that prevents a four year old from touching awesome LEGO displays. Your 36-year-old “kid” brother and you — we’re chastised twice for breaking the “no touching” policy. We should know better.

At this stage in life, the kid demonstrates some button mashing skill in the Tapcade Entertainment Area … but … here’s how I work our PS4 …

You Keep Him From Interrupting Your Buddy’s Planet Comicon Panel

He asked questions quietly of those of us sitting in the row.

While I proceed to heckle my buddy about how he maimed his friend performing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle stunt.

You Play Planet Comicon Business Card Race

While you’re doing all of these things you’re constantly on the run — with little ability to pay attention to the fine proprietors. So … you’re quickly collecting business cards based on instant attraction. And because you feel bad. It’s not like we could stop and chit chat.

Besides, I have some weird attraction to business cards …

Last year, I collected cards from the following:

Casey McBroom (Twitter|Instagram) — who creates Captain America shields. My nephew and I are HUGE fans of Cap.

Chris Rau Art (Instagram) — Very cool Kansas City sports artist. The print of Yordano Ventura gave me chills. My nephew is all about football.

Flow West Print Apparel (Facebook|Instagram) — Art prints loved by our whole group that I can describe with one word people: Pugs.

Rob Jordan (Instagram) — The backside of his business card says it all. Though my nephew didn’t get this one. (I think we’re all still struggling to get this one, buddy.)

Ryan Cain Design (Facebook|Twitter|Instagram) —Awesome pop culture illustration prints. TBH … This was more the older boy’s jam.

Shankalonian — Dude! Gadget parts recycled into X-Wing and Tie-Fighter Art. Oh boy, hands off for both me and the nephew. But for very different reasons.

Ultra Sabers — As previously mentioned, we stared at these Lightsabers for nearly an hour. Like a moth to the flame, folks.

And … finally … before you leave for the day, you absolutely must buy your nephew some Greg Horn art prints. Did I tell you that you get a discount if you buy five prints?

Whether you’re four or forty, how do you roll at Planet Comic Con? We’d love to hear how in the Comments.