Abundance of collectibles keeps superfan era alive

I used to be a superfan. I still have a collection of toys, trading cards, and stuff for Xena, X-files, Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, etc.

In the age of DVDs and the Internet, it's easy to be a superfan.

There is a universe full of collectibles, conventions, comics, novels and even fan-written fiction for whatever you're into. Name practically any genre movie ("Lord of the Rings," "Kill Bill," "Sin City") or cult television shows ("The X-Files," "Highlander") and you'll find plenty of freebies to keep you busy.

Now I'm a superfan only once each year, when I attend Dragon*Con.

Superfandom is also alive and well at two upcoming nearby events. The Heroes Convention, June 24-26 at the Charlotte Convention Center, is a great place to shop for all things comic and sci-fi and meet some of the people behind your favorite books. Dragon Con (www.dragoncon.org), the annual Labor Day weekend sci-fi convention in Atlanta, features Q&A and autograph sessions with actors, directors, and authors, performances, games and classes.

Via the Charlotte Observer