Lit lightsabers and superheroes filled the halls of Headquarters Library as more than 150 fans gathered for the “Fandomonium” event September 27.
The six-hour event, held at the largest branch of the Alachua County Library District, featured artists, cosplayers and sword fights. Attendees, many of whom traveled from across the state, had the opportunity to participate in several different activities throughout the library, including read-alouds, art exhibitions and duels.
Several Star Wars cosplayers looked on as children’s librarian Cynthia Massre spent the first half of the event leading an interactive reading of “Star Wars: A New Hope.” She led kids and parents as they acted out a visual retelling of the story, including a father and son acting as Luke Skywalker and the Death Star.
Massre said she was happy to be doing Fandomonium again, citing the pause the library took in the years surrounding COVID-19 before returning in 2023, along with the increase the library has seen in graphic novel readership in the past decade.
Massre added she’s seen kids over the years become more passionate about comic books and graphic novels, such as Star Wars, and she’s noticed they encourage more children to read and learn.
“A lot of people don’t know and don’t appreciate that any kind of reading encourages literacy,” Massre said. “Passion encourages literacy … They do encourage children to read.”
A nationwide survey of public schools conducted in 2023 found about 69% of libraries reported significantly increased interest in graphic novels among elementary school children “over the last few years,” with the genre climbing to the third best-selling genre of books in 2023. Unlike traditional books, comics and graphic novels shorten the words on a page and replace them with artwork.
Visual cues can help kids learn to associate words with images and objects, Massre added, which is a common hurdle learners face when strengthening their literacy skills.
In Alachua, just 54% of 2nd through 5th grade students enrolled in K-12 public schools were reading at their grade level in the 2024-25 school year, based on English-Language Arts standardized test scores. The statewide average wasn’t much higher at 57% for the same year.
Emmanuel Payne, a digital cartoonist based in Gainesville, said art can help kids connect to stories and tune into their imaginations when reading.
Payne led an interactive art workshop where attendees created their own comic book panel. He guided the group as they drew a worm superhero, which they dressed in a blue-and-yellow superman-style costume. Payne said he’s been doing similar interactive activities with families for years, something he hopes inspires people to express themselves artistically.
“I wasn’t around a lot of kids that were into the same thing I was into,” he said. “If I knew these kids back then, we would’ve been cool. I love it, seeing kids express themselves through art.”
Akien Lopez, a 17-year-old Gainesville resident, said comics and graphic novels inspired her to read more frequently, saying the art brings a different element to reading compared to traditional books. Lopez said she was so inspired by comic books that she began writing and illustrating her own, something she always wanted to do when she was younger.
“Comics really inspired everything I do,” Lopez said. “It’s a lot easier to understand… the colors and stuff make it 10 times more entertaining.“
Lopez came to the event cosplaying with her friends as characters from Genshin Impact, a popular action video game. Events like Fandomonium have helped her connect with her favorite media, she said, and given her a “hot spot” to connect to those with similar interests.
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @logandmcbride.
Logan McBride is a journalism junior and the Fall 2025 K-12 education reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows or playing basketball at Southwest Rec. He is also a big football fan and will die for Dak Prescott.
