Tips and Side Trips for a Nerdy Indigenous Comic Con 

By MJ Wilke

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In just its third year, Indigenous Comic Con has gone beyond comic books and transformed into an all-encompassing, everybody-is-welcome pop culture convention. From comic books to robots to films and – new this year – embracing indigenous food culture, this con includes it all with the extra bonus of the beautiful New Mexico landscape.

Keep in MInd

Weather. Weather in the desert, especially in November, can range vastly from daytime highs in the 80s to nighttime lows in the 30s. Pack layers and a jacket for the chilly evenings.

Special Events.

• Star Wars. At every convention, Indigenous Comic Con does a screening of Star Wars dubbed in Navajo. This year also features a reunion of all the voice actors from the translated film.

• Dinner. New this year is a food culture element including a special indigenous ingredients chef tasting dinner, separate ticket required.

Take a Nerdy Side Trip

New Mexico, the land of enchantment, is at the crossroads of many tracks of nerdom. There’s the world-famous town of Roswell for X-Files and UFO fans, and Los Alamos and the New Mexico Space Trail to keep space enthusiasts busy—see the highlights below. For more information on these and other locales, check out our Nerdy Places page.

Meow Wolf – A major sponsor of Indigenous Comic Con. Worth the trip north to Santa Fe to visit this art collective’s fun house with George R.R. Martin as the landlord.

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National Museum of Nuclear Science & History and New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science – Both museums are in Albuquerque and offer an overview of Albuquerque’s and New Mexico’s role in science and space developments.

The Very Large Array – Radio Telescopes about 2 hours south of Albuquerque; fans of the movie Contact will recognize it instantly as a filming location.

International UFO Museum & Research Center – Extensive collection of research materials and exhibits. Located in the postcard-worthy city of Roswell.

New Mexico Museum of Space History – The museum covers the history of space study in New Mexico from archaeoastronomy to the future of space exploration.

Bradbury Science Museum – Located less than 2 hours north of Albuquerque in Los Alamos. The TV show Eureka was based on this secretive city.

White Sands National Monument – Otherworldly scenic sand dunes, adjacent to the White Sands Space Harbor and the alternate landing site for the Space Shuttle.

Is your lightsaber packed? We’ll see you there.

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