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Thor is now a woman. The new Wolverine is, too, since the old one died. Just as many beloved superheroes have evolved and changed over the years, the Reno Superhero Crawl barely looks like it did when it started eight years ago. Due in part to the increased attention brought by national comic book conventions and the work of crawl organizers, the event is now part of a whole day of events with greater focus on art and a wider audience, expected to bring thousands of attendees downtown on Saturday, July 18th for more costumed fun than ever.
According to organizer Ed Adkins, “With great partying comes great responsibility. In the early days, it was fine to focus just on the drinks but we’ve had to grow up.”
Tighter planning, better coordination with police and city services, working with venues to provide a more cohesive experience and partnering with national events have all lead to a quadruple in the number of attendees, and the ability to reach a wider audience. By adding an all-ages fun run, Adkins says that event day has become a better experience for everyone, and this year even another addition is making waves: a superhero pool party.
“What we wanted to do when we started the Arch Rivals Superhero Run, which takes place the morning of the crawl, was to include all ages.”
Adkins says the impetus for expanding came when a few youngsters stopped in front of one of the Superhero Crawl bars a few years ago. “Their heads were about to explode with joy, seeing all those heroes walking around, and I thought we have to find a way to include them.” This year, in between the run and crawl, the Sands Regency is hosting the inaugural pool party which is free for attendees of both the other two events.
Art has also taken a much larger role, says Adkins.
“It’s a no-brainer. These heroes came from comic book art, so why not have more of it involved?”
This year, the Arch Rivals Run, an official part of Reno’s Art Town celebration, will feature an art show along the run with pieces from local artists, as well as a coloring contests for youths who don’t participate in the run. In addition to that, Adkins says that a number of runners as well as the first to show up to the crawl will receive a specially-commissioned print from comic convention favorite, artist Rob Prior.
This year’s Reno Superhero Crawl is expected to draw thousands of participants dressed as heroes, villains and other characters from the rich world of comic books. Participants who purchase a crawl cup and map, available now at Junkee Clothing Exchange and other retail shops, will be entitled to over 50 specials on not just drinks but also food now, at 23 different bars, clubs and restaurants. Crawlers are also invited to participate in 13 different costume contests, with each winner walking home not only with prizes furnished by the venues but also passes to the 2015 Wizard World Comic Con Reno coming back in November.
Commemorative cups and maps will be available for purchase at venues listed at www.crawlreno.com, along with online reservations as well. Anyone interested in more information can go to the event website to get information on crawls fun runs and even the downtown cleanups that Crawl Reno has started in recent months to support Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful.
A portion of the proceeds from both events will go to benefit the organization.
