January 5, 2013 – (left) Gwendolyn Sweezy of St. Louis, MO practices her combat skills during a great sword lesson at the 17th Annual ShadowCon held in the Memphis Airport Hotel. ShadowCon is first of six local fantasy, comic book and gaming conventions that occur in the Memphis area throughout the year and let local fantasy, medieval and sci-fi enthusiasts let their geek out with their fellow fans. The weekend long convention features merchandise, gaming rooms, panel discussions a feast and costume ball. (Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commercial Appeal)