MomoCon Returns to Atlanta, Attempts a Record Spider-Man Gathering

Since 2005, MomoCon has brought thousands of anime, comics, gaming and other genre fans to the Peach State (“Momo” is the Japanese word for “peach”). This year’s fest will see another attempt at the world record for most people dressed as a Spider-Man gathered in one place. The neighborhood has never been friendlier.

MomoCon will run Friday, May 24, through Monday, May 27, at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The all-ages convention features panels, cosplay contests and an enormous array of games, from videogame tournaments to open table top gatherings—even a wrestling ring. With 50,000 attendees expected, it’s come a long way since its creation.

“We had 700 people our first year and even that was crazy to us!” remembers Jessica Merriman, founder and co-chair of MomoCon, about its launch. “We were just a group of nerds at Georgia Tech hosting events on campus and saw the space available to us and thought, you know what would be cool? We could host a con! We pulled together all our personal video game systems and talked to local comics artists to be guests and voila, an event was born!”

“I always dreamed of it growing a lot bigger, from even the early years,” co-chair Chris Stuckey adds. “But seeing what 50,000 people look like in one place is so much bigger than I even imagined.”

The all-ages event has become an annual tradition for my family of anime and gaming fans. After taking time off during Covid, we’ve attended the last three.

“MomoCon is special because it’s about connection,” Stuckey says. “It’s about all of the connections I’ve made to our team, partners, volunteers, and even the attendees. But it’s also about knowing that our convention helps people share their passion with others. Knowing that I have a part, through MomoCon, to help people meet each other and geek out over their shared interests, means a lot to me.”