This year’s MALCon, held on Saturday, April 11, was our biggest and most vibrant convention yet! We welcomed a remarkable 12.51% increase in attendees compared to 2025 and saw an impressive 30.28% jump in participation across panels, workshops, demos, and hands‑on creative spaces.
From the moment the doors opened, guests enjoyed a lively mix of returning favorites and brand‑new experiences designed to celebrate creativity, storytelling, and fandom in all its forms.
New Additions That Energized the Day
Several of this year’s new offerings quickly became standouts.
• Writer’s Workshop with Alex White drew enthusiastic aspiring authors eager to sharpen their craft.
• Board Game Design 101 with Mondo Davis guided participants from concept to creation.
• The Chaos Box RPG event, presented by Goblin’s Corner, delivered unpredictable fun and constant laughter for the participants and audience.
Our creative spaces thrived as well. The Miniature Painting “Paint & Take” station saw strong growth and constant activity throughout the event. Attendees of all ages enjoyed getting hands‑on, trying their hand at painting miniatures with color and texture. Over in the kids’ area, our special Storytime with Gina Gallois, Ph.D., delighted families and created lasting memories, starting the day off right.
Panels, Cosplay, and Community
Throughout the day, attendees connected deeply with panelists who shared their expertise in storytelling, worldbuilding, cosplay design, and the craft of role‑playing games.
Among the day’s lineup were panels such as:
• Improv vs. Pre‑Scripted Adventures
• Publishing 101
• Crafting a Compelling World
• Getting Started in DIY Cosplay
• Mental Health and Disabilities in Cosplay
What Attendees Had to Say
Feedback from guests was overwhelmingly positive. Here’s just a sample of the comments we received:
- “This was such an amazing, fun, engaging event. I loved the mini painting. The panels were awesome and the fighting demo was amazing.”
- “This event was fantastic in every regard and it’s continually impressive that a public library is able to provide it. Much congratulations to you all and thank you.”
- “The panelists worked really well together and bounced off each other very well. This panel could have gone on for another hour...” (regarding the Crafting a Compelling World panel)
- “The ASIFA staff were super sweet and helpful. My kids had a blast and would love to see other workshops or information from them.”
- “This was so much fun! The vendors, staff, and volunteers are so amazing. This was a wonderful event!”
- “Congrats on a successful MalCon! My kids went back with the hubs for the entire goblin D&D session. The whole thing was great!”
A Thank‑You to all Our Special Guests, Creators, Partners, and Volunteers
MALCon wouldn’t be possible without the talented creators, authors, artists, cosplayers, game designers, and groups who shared their time and expertise with our community. This year, we were thrilled to welcome:
Attending Professionals
Cattzs, Isabelle Hardesty, Jessi Ann York , Karen Gonzalez , Sarah Madsen, Thomas Hraynyk, WesTheDragon, Elizabeth Beckley, Judy Black, Alex White, Gina Gallois, Marshall J. Moore, Eric Holden & Matt Staples (Goblin’s Corner), Jeanix, Mondo Davis, Jason Kochis, Jenn Lyons, Eric - Spider00x, Amir S Hamer, & Sarah J. Sover
Attending Groups
ASIFA-South & Ritterkunst Fechtschule
Special Vendors
Gromidez, Sylvia Draws, EJS Creations, & Zaneta
Food Vendor
Vanilla Crepes
MALCon 2026 Sponsors
Peace Love and Pizza (Milton)
Friends of Milton Library
Reaper Miniatures
Atomic Mass Games
IDH Alliance Dunkin
Milton Volunteers
We were thrilled to have 28 of our incredible local volunteers generously donate their time and talent to help make MALCon run smoothly from start to finish. Their support touched nearly every part of the event—acting as guest liaisons, keeping panels on schedule, gathering important event statistics, running the ever‑popular Paint & Take area, and keeping the snacks and lunch station flowing for our guests.
Their enthusiasm, adaptability, and dedication played a huge role in creating such a welcoming and well‑organized experience for everyone who attended. We truly could not have achieved this year’s success without them, and we are deeply grateful for the energy they bring to our community.
All these contributions helped make MALCon 2026 our most successful event to date.
Looking Ahead
We’re grateful to everyone—attendees, presenters, vendors, volunteers, and staff—who helped make this incredible day possible. Your excitement and creativity are what make MALCon such a special celebration each year.
We can’t wait to see what MALCon 2027 will bring!
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