Behind the Scenes at America’s Most Gagworthy Conventions

From the furry fandom to fetish culture and the brotherhood of bronies to comical clowns, Photographer Arthur Drooker explores subversive and overlooked conventions in his photo series “Conventional Wisdom” dropping on August 22, 2016.

Before attending each conference, Drooker reached out to the organizers to openly disclose his motivation for attending the conference. “I assured them that in no way was I out to make fun of their group,” he said. “Thankfully, they all welcomed me.” Attending the conventions, Drooker was struck by the vibrant energy and camaraderie pulsing through the spaces, whether united by a love of mermaids, taxidermy, clowns or military history.

Drooker’s photos are easy to love. Chock-full of wigs, latex, face paint, bleached beards, puppets, big smiles and close friends, the series shows that sometimes you have to engage in some intense cosplaying to truly feel like yourself.

Drooker described his involvement as:

I see conventions not as revenue sources but as visual treasures. To me, they’re unique expressions of community, culture and connection.

Drooker even went to a Bianca Del Rio Convention, REALLY QUEEN?!

The wisdom I’ve gained from this project has shown me that regardless of what they’re about, where they’re held or who attends them, all conventions satisfy a basic human urge: a longing for belonging.

Much like the conventions Drooker attended in search of community and like minds World of Wonder supports the notion of finding community. Jump on tickets to Rupaul’s DragCon 2017.

C’MON CONVENTION FAMILIES!