By Louis Zylka
The 830 Time
This year’s Del Rio Comic-Con (DRCC) featured a variety of exhibitors, from cosplayers,
filmmakers, dancers, artists and a Hall-of-Fame professional wrestler.
DRCC 2025 was held Saturday and Sunday with more than 20 vendors inside the Del Rio Civic
Center. Food and beverage trucks, including Funnel Cake, HTeaO and Hibachi Food Truck, and
other vendors could also be found outside the civic center entrance.
pictures with the turtles along with actor and producer Johnny Huang from Bell County, Texas.
Huang said it was his first time being in Del Rio, Texas during the weekend, and he said, “the
people are nice, the food is delicious – DRCC was bigger than I expected. I know the city’s
population is small, but the fandom and the turnout are great, and the energy is great.” (Photo by Lou Zylka)
Paul Mancha, DRCC executive director, spoke with The 830 Times on Sunday and said his
team is expecting to count more than 9,000 passes for both days.
He said he was pleased with the turnout for the annual pop-culture event.
“(It’s fun) seeing the kids smile and seeing the kids dress in cosplay,” Mancha said. “It’s the little
things that make us say, ‘(DRCC) is special.”
The convention had a lineup of several performances on both
the first day of Del Rio Comic Con 2025. Urteaga said he has been cosplaying at
DRCC since it was at the Casa de la Cultura, adding he was having a good time at DRCC 2025.
DRCC was held on Saturday and Sunday at the Del Rio Civic Center. (Photo by Lou Zylka)
days, including performances by
the Del Rio High School Dance Company, Folkoriko dance groups and the GIAM Taekwondo
Del Rio group. Kolorful Kas was a returning local vendor offering on-the-spot tattoos, and Star Wars stormtroopers from the 501st Legion, were in attendance to celebrate Star Wars Day.
Cosplay contests for kids, teens and adults were held on both days as well.
The biggest highlight of the convention was WWE wrestler Solofa Fatu Jr., who is famously
known as Rikishi. The Hall-of-Fame wrestler was in attendance both days, signing autographs
and answering questions during a live panel.
Fatu said the fans from Del Rio are “amazing,” adding that he is “looking forward to coming back
(to Del Rio).” Fans were lining up throughout the day on Saturday bringing action figures,
pictures and shirts for Fatu to sign. Marco Rios, a Del Rio local and long-time Rikishi fan, got
some merchandise signed by Fatu and said he was a “cool guy.”
One of the other attractions at this year’s convention was the movie-accurate Teenage Mutant
Ninjas Turtle cosplayers with their famous turtle van. The turtles were invited by Johnny Huang,
an actor, producer and artist from Bell County, Texas. Huang spoke with The 830 Times and
talked about his busy schedule in 2025, including working on a movie called Zombie Plane,
starring Vanilla Ice and Chuck Norris.
DRCC is known for highlighting local talent, with both new and returning artists. Melodie
Guerrero, a local artist, was selling her anime and space artwork at her booth called Slice of
Melo. Guerrero said DRCC 2025 was her second time attending the convention, adding that she
gets happy when people see her art.
The Con included artists from other cities, such as Alejandro Juvera, who traveled from San
Antonio to sell stickers, pins and issues of a comic he started called “Lovewave.” Cosplayers
from Mexico were also in attendance. Regina Salomon, a cosplayer known as Richelle from
Piedras Negras Coah., Mexico, was promoting an anime convention called Anime Fest AF
happening on May 25 in Mexico.
DRCC ended on Sunday at 6 p.m., and Mancha said his team is planning another comic con
