Pocket Con 2025: Blizzard-Proof, Community-Built, and Full of Heart
- Elgin Smith
- Dec 17, 2025
- 4 min read
Despite a full-on Chicago blizzard, Pocket Con 2025 was one of our most powerful and well-attended gatherings to date. Artists, youth, families, cosplayers, educators, gamers, and creatives showed up with warmth, joy, and purpose—proving once again that community will always find a way.
Hosted at the Chicago History Museum, Pocket Con 2025 celebrated Black, Brown, LGBTQIA+, women, youth, and independent creators through comics, performance, workshops, gaming, and live art. Whether you joined us in person or tuned in via the livestream, your presence meant everything.
A Personal Thank You
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who came out to Pocket Con 2025. Despite the wild weather, you showed up with love, energy, and support for Black, Brown, LGBTQIA+, women, youth, and independent artists across Chicago. Seeing all of your beautiful faces—in person and on the livestream—filled my heart. We appreciate you more than words can say.
Pocket Con is never the work of one person. It is built by a village, and this year that village showed up in extraordinary ways.
The Team Behind Pocket Con 2025
• Kendra Mealy Wilk, my co-creator, for holding down the Five Nights at Freddy’s Escape Room and keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes.
• Katie Heard, Director of Organizational Development and Volunteer Coordinator, who ran Pocket Con like a well-oiled machine while expecting her first child. Thank you for your leadership, skill, and heart.
• Natalia Sustaita and Virafuentes Nat, for leading Draw On Demand and contributing powerful creativity to our workshops.
• Terry Dee, for holding down the Colosseum Game Room and supporting youth gamers year after year.
• Kenneth Jo Jack Taylor and First Aid Comics, thank you for helping us fill hundreds of goodie bags for our young attendees.
Sponsors & Community Support
Pocket Con 2025 would not have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors and partners:
• Busy Beaver Button Co. for the amazing custom buttons • Print Ninja for beautiful programs and artist cards • Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts for your continued belief in our mission • Blick Art Materials • Chicago Public Library • The Colosseum • Quimby’s Bookstore • Center for Cartoon Studies
And a special thank you to all of the young artists who submitted work to our Drawing Contest—your creativity continues to inspire us.
Workshops, Gaming, and Interactive Experiences
Pocket Con 2025 was packed with hands-on experiences for youth and families:
• Draw On Demand, where young attendees requested custom sketches directly from artist vendors
• Creative workshops led by working artists and educators
• The Five Nights at Freddy’s Escape Room, one of the most joyful and memorable interactions of the day
• The Colosseum Game Room, offering safe, inclusive gaming spaces for youth
These spaces embodied what Pocket Con is all about—access, imagination, and direct connection between artists and community.
Honoring Turtel Onli: Father of the Black Age of Comics
One of the most meaningful moments of Pocket Con 2025 was our Turtel Onli Tribute Panel, honoring the Father of the Black Age of Comics.
• Ytasha L. Womack, thank you for guiding the conversation with such care and grace
• D-Nick of The Microphone Misfitz, thank you for creating and performing a powerful tribute song
• Deep gratitude to Floyd Webb, Joe Robinson Currie, Jiba Molei Anderson, and Stanford W. Carpenter for sharing wisdom, history, and personal reflections
This tribute reminded us why Pocket Con exists—to preserve legacy, uplift creators of color, and pass stories forward.
Performances That Lit Up the Stage
Pocket Con 2025 featured unforgettable performances from artists and youth groups who brought energy, heart, and excellence:
• Happiness Club, delivering pure joy and movement
• Ultimate Threat Dance Team, tearing up the stage as always
• Zion Ali, closing the night with a powerful, grounding performance
• The Microphone Misfitz, the heartbeat of Pocket Con—special shoutout to Baby Row Row on the turntables and J for always rocking the stage
Photos, performance videos, and the full livestream replay are available below.
Thank You, Chicago History Museum
A massive thank you to Greg and the entire Chicago History Museum team. Your hospitality, professionalism, and care helped make this one of the smoothest Pocket Cons we’ve ever produced. We are deeply grateful for your partnership and belief in this work.
Watch, Share, Support
• View performance photos and videos below • Watch the full Pocket Con 2025 livestream replay
Pocket Con—and the majority of Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative programming—remains completely free to the public. If you believe in keeping this space accessible for young people, artists, and families, please consider supporting our work.
Donate to support Pocket Con and future free programming: https://givebutter.com/0LrJws
Thank you again for making Pocket Con 2025 a beautiful, safe, warm, and inspiring gathering of community and creativity. Stay safe, stay encouraged—and God willing, we’ll see you next year.
— Elgin BokariExecutive Director, Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative