All possible universes at the FreakCon in Torremolinos

Carlos Zamarriego

Those who have ever stopped to gaze at the immense chandelier hanging from the dome of the Palacio de Congresos de Torremolinos, filled with 2,700 solid crystal drops pointing to the ground, and thought it could be a perfect hiding spot for the Infinity Gems that always perplex The Avengers, had their big day yesterday at FreakCon 2026, the international festival of pop culture, manga, comics, series, and video games in Southern Europe. The day officially kicked off at 12 noon when a paranormal research and elimination service appeared on the scene with the 'Ghostbusters' theme blaring. But the queues to get in had been evident since ten, showing that tickets had been sold out for days. A Delorean, modified as in 'Back to the Future', with the famous sports almanac on the dashboard, welcomed all fans. You could almost hear 'Doc' saying, "Where we're going, we don't need roads."

Because FreakCon is a journey that could be titled like the movie by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once': thousands of fictional universes merging into more than 70,000 square meters. At a glance, it seemed there were more people doing cosplay, that is, dressed as their favorite characters, than dressed for the summery weather enjoyed this weekend on the Costa del Sol. A simple look from any point of the venue was enough to spot Peacemaker adjusting his helmet; a mature Wolverine with a hat, duster, and blood on his claws posing for photos; a girl Spiderman whose spider sense didn't trigger when passing by Michael Myers from the 'Halloween' saga, knife in hand; or Blue Beetle talking on a mobile phone. Beside me, Yakuya Togami and Chiaki Nanami, from the Japanese video game franchise 'Danganronpa', chatted with a curious Malaga accent.

I also meet the wizard Gandalf and Frodo Baggins. They don't come from The Shire, that idyllic world of Middle-earth imagined by J.R.R. Tolkien, but from Malaga with the aim "to enjoy the costumes, board games, and retro consoles." They are two teenage friends, Saúl and Rogney, escorted by a Mandalorian Captain America. "I'm their father," he tells me with the same conviction as Darth Vader. His name is Andrés Infante, and I ask him who the 'freak' passion comes from. "From me to them, of course."

Activities multiply. Outside, a group is busy leaving a scribble on a life-sized Hulk (whatever his natural scale may be), while the little ones play with 'superthings' or jump in a huge inflatable castle. Inside, one can buy everything from comics to katanas, participate in a 'Kame hame ha' contest (the popular Goku cry to summon his energy ball), enter the Quiz zone to prove you know as much as a 'saiyan' or meet the YouTuber 'Mister Jägger' (giving a talk on how to make a video game). In the board game area, chess attracted players as much as the role-playing game 'Pathfinder' or the Disney character card game 'Lorcana'.

In another hallway, two Beam sharks, from the manga series 'Chainsaw Man', take turns pushing the wheelchair of Juan Antonio, 15 years old. "Last year I also went as a shark, but during recess, I broke my foot and since the character Johnny Joestar [another manga character] is in a wheelchair, I took advantage." The dedicated friends hiding under the shark costume are Oliver and Miguel. It's their third year attending FreakCon and this year the heat is intense. "I have to take it off every now and then."

A line interrupts the passage. Signing autographs is Paula, alias 'ItsPoli', an artist known for her illustrations of the Pokemon universe. She has over four million followers on YouTube and two and a half million on TikTok, platforms where she showcases her work process. Near her appears Salva Espín, a comic book artist for Marvel and famous for his decade-long work with the irreverent superhero Deadpool. His first signature goes to 'Phoenix Soul', a Malaga content creator who asks Salva for a dedication on a Deadpool poster for his nephew Daniel. "Marvel greetings to the future super-artist," writes Espín inside a comic speech bubble. The nephew is thrilled, of course. What do you like most about Deadpool? "His sense of humor." In a 'meet & greet' area, veteran American comic book artists Pasqual Ferry and Jesús Merino attend and draw for their fans.

A trio of twentysomethings peers over the first-floor railing, all dressed as 'Dragon Ball' characters. Ángel is Trunks, and he confesses that he hasn't missed any of the ten editions of FreakCon. "This year there are more things to do," he acknowledges, "and I was surprised that it's three days." His friend José chose Zamasu and Armando has transformed into Goku Black. He assures it's his first year doing cosplay. "My friends did it last year and I liked the experience."

It's lunchtime, and it shows because people are already seeking shade to gather strength in the 'food trucks' area. Not everyone. Some wait in line for their turn at the 'meet & greet' with the streamers Papi Gavi and Óscar Brock while the organization plays 'Gangnam Style', getting the K-Pop girls to dance. Nobody wants to miss anything from this universe and those to come, and there's still the whole afternoon ahead.

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