GalaxyCon OKC and the Rise of Romantasy

romantasyillustrat
May 27
2 min read

Last weekend, I made the drive up from DFW to Oklahoma City on Thursday night to attend GalaxyCon OKC. The event ran from Friday through Sunday, and I arrived at the venue early Friday morning, excited but a bit unsure of what to expect.

I met up with Andre, owner of The Blushing Rose and partner of Romantasy Illustrated, and we set up our tables side-by-side in Artist Alley. From the start, I noticed a few artists with a couple of familiar Bookish pieces (ACOTAR and Fourth Wing), but I was the only vendor whose table was entirely dedicated to Bookish and Romantasy content.

At first, I was worried that we might be completely out of place. Would con-goers be interested in romantasy? Would they stop by a table filled with bookish magazines and merch in a sea of other pop culture such as film, animation, comics, and cosplay?

But slowly, things shifted.

Book lovers started trickling in, some in Feyre cosplay, others wearing bookish T-shirts. A few men even pointed out the table to their wives or girlfriends, recognizing the references before they did. There were also many times that I heard someone stop, turn to their friend, and say “oh look, it’s the books that I read!” In those moments, seeing romantasy resonate with such a range of people was quite a victory.

One of the most surprising reactions? The excitement around the magazine itself. Many people were genuinely thrilled to see a physical publication. In a world that’s gone increasingly digital, the nostalgia and novelty of flipping through pages felt fresh again. They appreciated that print was making a comeback, especially for a genre they love.

Throughout the weekend, I had several people stop by just to say how excited they were to find any romantasy or bookish content at a comic convention. Some recognized us from past Bookish Balls, while others asked how and where to attend one or mentioned they already follow us online.

While I wouldn’t say GalaxyCon is our core audience yet, it’s clear that the romantasy community is growing and showing up. Even in unexpected places. And as this genre continues to rise, I only see it becoming more prominent in spaces like this.

This weekend was a reminder: Romantasy fans are everywhere, and they’re hungry for community and content that reflects the stories they love. We’re just getting started.