Nerd seeking nerd: Speed dating at Salt Lake Comic Con is the opportunity for fans in order to make cosplay love connections

The phrase “nervous sexual tension” might not be the first thing that comes to mind if Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Harry Potter, Harley Quinn, Wolverine and several Jedis were all gathered in a room.

But that’s exactly exactly what occurred Thursday on starting nights Sci-Fi Speed Dating at Salt Lake Comic Con, where about 100, mostly costumed, pop-culture fans arrived together into the hopes of creating a love connection that is nerdy.

Or at land that is least a date when it comes to brand new “Thor” film.

It was the very first of 10 speed that is hourlong sessions during Comic Con — two of those reserved for LGBTQ folks — and it is a huge draw every year, stated Ryan Glitch, the evening’s referee, whom hosts these dating activities at around 60 conventions every year.

“With conventional rate relationship, there are not any guarantees you’ll have anything in keeping with anyone,” Glitch stated. “ minichat Here, even if you’re not really a ‘Star Wars’ fan, you at the very least comprehend the ‘Star Wars’ fandom because you’re a fan of one thing too. That commonality is had by you to generally meet individuals and build from.”

That does not suggest all Comic Con folks are obviously appropriate.

“Star Trek” fans versus “Star Wars” fans?

“Those never appear to work,” Glitch says.

Marvel fans versus DC fans?

“That frequently leads to a few figures.”

Before things began, Glitch laid straight straight down a couple of ground guidelines: this will be anonymous rate dating, therefore no exchanging of names or phone numbers — that’ll be sorted away later on if there’s a match. Each pairing has precisely three minutes to have familiarized ahead of the males need certainly to slip one seat off to the right and progress to the next girl.

Glitch, a natural standup comedian, kept things entertaining: a Utah-is-so-white break, a dig at one dater whoever Spider-Man costume he declared become “too Walmart,” and a tip that “Hi, do you need to see my number of individual fingernails?” is a truly bad starting line.

“I’ve always tried in order to make individuals laugh, as well as in a situation similar to this, when they’re laughing, they’re perhaps not nervous. We figured i really could make people laugh and bring them together, that is the whole reason behind achieving this,” he said.

Caitlyn Smith arrived down from Boise for Comic Con and thought she’d provide Sci-Fi Speed Dating an attempt. She’s in a vivid red wig, dressed as Anastasia through the 1997 animated movie of this name that is same.

“I’m trying to come out of my boundaries and fulfill people that are new” Smith stated. “I’ve attempted dating to my own terms and it didn’t work down simply because they don’t have similar interests. . I’m extremely conventional. Dating to me personally is much like courtship, me to a potential wedding. and so I would instead someone court”

Sami Newell-Nickel of western Jordan — decked down as Elizabeth Liones through the anime that is japanese Seven Deadly Sins” — said she ended up being “looking for somebody who shares comparable passions and who’s prepared to happen to be other Comic Cons in Sweden and Japan.”

“If i recently get one quantity using this, I’ll be delighted,” said Slade Trevethick of Southern Salt Lake, who’s rocking an appearance through the anime video clip game “Steins;Gate.”

“i eventually got to fulfill lots of people. Much better than last time.”

Joshua Rush, whom lives near Logan and it is dressed being a “Star Wars” Sith, stated his 3-minute dates went very well.

“It ended up being enjoyable and there were a large amount of good girls, that was really refreshing,” Rush said. “For the $20 registration charge it had been well invested. Love does not have any cost that way, appropriate?”