For fans of pop culture around the world, Comic-Cons are a way to get closer to their favourite creatives while having the space to share their love for certain media through fan gatherings and cosplay events. Indigo Pop X (IPX), held at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, is a comic-con which aims to showcase Native American and Indigenous talents. Like most cons, they also provide a holistic fandom experience by serving as a safe space for Indigenous fans and fans of Indigenous pop culture to gather and cosplay characters to their heart's content.
In doing so, IPX helps to spread the word about Indigenous and Native American talents working in the American creative ecosystem. This move will hopefully open up more opportunities in the industry and inspire a future generation of Native and Indigenous creatives. This aligns Indigo Pop X with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Reduced Inequalities.
IPX is the first event of its kind. By showing Indigenous and Native American creatives who work in pop culture, the comic con was founded to dispel narratives that present Indigenous and Native American people and culture as a thing of the past. It is a ticketed event that welcomes attendees from all backgrounds, regardless of their race, sexuality, and other diverse backgrounds.
Despite being a relatively new comic con, the event has secured the attendance of big-name creatives. This includes Killers of the Flower Moon actress Cara Jade Myers and PREY's producer, Jhane Myers.
True to its mission, the event's line-up also includes IPX-specific workshops to learn traditional Indigenous and Native crafts. Take, for example, a workshop on traditional metalsmithing held by Cheyenne Sky Studio and another on writing Indigenous stories by writer Anthony Falcon. Of course, these events are also coupled with those found in other comic cons, such as cosplay workshops and fantasy art drawing workshops.
The cosplayers who attended Indigo Pop X were certainly a force to be reckoned with. Indigenous cosplayers turned up dressed to the nines, and some, such as one Harley Quinn cosplayer, even adorned their characters with traditional Indigenous and Native American accessories, a move that helped to further share their pride and appreciation of their community.
Other cosplayers also attended dressed as Indigenous and Native American characters. One cosplayer attended as Danielle Moonstar, a Native American X-Men whose powers include telepathy and placing people in immersive hallucinations. By cosplaying Indigenous and Native American characters, these cosplayers are representing Indigenous and Native voices in pop culture, shedding light on characters that are still underrepresented in today's pop culture climate.
By providing a platform for Native American and Indigenous creatives in pop culture, IPX celebrates their contributions and challenges stereotypes and misconceptions that Indigenous and Native cultures and peoples are part of the past. The event also helps to foster a sense of community and empowerment amongst Native American and Indigenous fans and aspiring creatives, a move that will pave the way to a more equitable future for Native American and Indigenous creatives.
Find out more about Indigo Pop X con and their other initiatives by checking their Instagram @indigipop_x and their website at www.indigenouscomiccon.com