Community
A Peachtree Corners Perspective: Finding Support in Difficult Times
Abby Zenon is a Peachtree Corners resident and fiercely loving mother that probably reminds you of many other great young mothers in the community. But Abby sometimes faces challenges that others might not, simply because her family is biracial. With the political unrest and riots across the country related to racial issues, family and friends have wracked their brains about how to show their support for the Zenon Family.
Close friend Amy Sullins of Amy-Cole Photography reached out to Zenon to take a small collection of gorgeous photos of the Zenon family and share it on her business page. On June 3, Amy posted on Abby’s behalf about the fear she has experienced, which we will relay a shortened version of.
Amy: It’s time to rise. I talked to my friend, Abby, a lot on Sunday. I wanted to have a deeper understanding of how she was feeling. Out of that conversation birthed a post she has written for me to share with you. Tony and Abby are not only dear friends, they are members of our church body. As you can see, they’re a couple who love beyond the color of their skin. We have a lot to learn from their marriage and story.
Abby: Tony and I have been together for ten years, married the last four. We met on campus at Georgia Tech, our freshman year. Tony was raised in New Orleans and I was raised in the suburbs of Atlanta. Our backgrounds are opposite, but we were raised by loving parents who taught us to love like Jesus no matter how the love looked.
As I begin to write, the reality of what is happening sinks in deep. My Dad called my husband, Tony, to make sure we were heading home. He knew we went to the pool that afternoon. His call was one of concern. There was a protest about to occur three miles from our home. In that moment, we felt like we were living a nightmare. This is hell! The two recent deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery have forever changed my family and our country. We are broken! I believe the saddest part for me, is that racism has always been here. It’s just now, where cameras are at our disposal, everyone is seeing it for themselves and it is igniting a fire.
And as of today, I really fear for my husband when he takes a drive or goes for a run alone.
I want to make statements that I am sure you’ve heard, but I want to restate for emphasis in this post. Not all blacks are criminals, not all whites are racist, not all cops are bad, and ignorance comes in all colors. It is a time for education. Talk to people or friends from another race and ask them about their background. Many people are raised in a community where their race is a majority. When this happens, they are never taught about other races and cultures. I believe that no one is born racist, but it’s a taught behavior.
To shed more light on my husband’s story and race, here are just a few of Tony’s experiences. While still living in New Orleans, Tony witnessed his uncle being handcuffed in front of him and the police placed drugs on him, during the arrest. Tony was also a victim to Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane displaced his family and they moved to Albany, GA; a town where the population is known for racism. Tony played high school football there. As he played, several different teams would call the players the “N” word.
And even now, as a married couple, we have gotten several dirty looks (even in church) and have been overlooked because we are a biracial couple. That changes at times when they discover that Tony played college football. It’s strange how they love us then. As a white person, I’ve observed that racist whites love you on the field, but hate you off of the field.
Since the beginning, several friends have reached out to me asking for a better understanding and to teach them how they can better pray and teach their family. It’s time to wake up. Black people are treated differently because of their color. They shouldn’t have to protest to be heard. Nothing will change until those that aren’t affected become effective.
Amy Sullins’ SHORTENED FACEBOOK POST
When asked about her reasons for speaking up, Abby said “The world right now is forcing people to deal with their hearts and where they stand. My husband and I are normally not the type to speak about sensitive social, political things going on in the world but for once I spoke to him and he said Please.”
She went on to say she has received an outpouring of support and concern from friends and neighbors, and no direct backlash, but with two young daughters it is daunting to prepare them for the harsh realities they will eventually face.
It’s hard to know what the right thing to say or do is in such a charged political climate, but it costs us nothing to be kind. Thank you for reminding us of that, Zenon family.
For the Facebook posting in its entirety, visit Amy-Cole Photography on Facebook.
Annual multi-genre convention celebrating Japanese anime, American animation, comics and gaming sets new record with 59,222 attendees
— Article updated May 29, 2025
Atlanta welcomed nearly 60,000 fans of cosplay, comics, gaming, anime and music over the four-day Memorial Day weekend — all meeting up at the Georgia World Congress Center to celebrate MomoCon 2025 and its 20th year in the city.
One of the fastest growing, all-ages conventions in the country, this year’s numbers topped the 56,000 guests that attended in 2024, and was estimated by the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau to have a $42.2 million impact on the metro area.
Equally important, the buzzing enthusiasm and pure joy of the weekend, from both attendees and featured guests, was unmatched. Everyone seemed to be having an incredible time. And plans are already in the works for an even more impressive — and expanded — MomoCon experience in 2026.
Organizers say they are expanding into both Hall A and Hall B next year, increasing the total space to a massive 1,045,178 square feet for exhibits and gaming. The team is already hard at work planning amazing new guests and activities for MomoCon’s 21st year.
Registration for next year’s event is already open, with early-bird discounts for fans who want to lock their passes in early.
Giving back to the community
In addition to the money brought into the city and to the convention itself, MomoCon chooses a charity each year in which to support with donations. Funds are raised through sales of specialty merchandise and custom events that have donation elements built in.
The 2025 official charity was the Johnson STEM Activity Center. MomoCon raised more than $5,000 for the center and contributed an additional $7,500 in matching funds, bringing the total donation to $12,500. MomoCon organizers also worked with 11 Atlanta-area, youth-serving nonprofits to give back by bringing more than 900 kids in need to the convention.
Nonprofits receiving tickets this year included Scouting America, Horizons Atlanta, ReImagine ATL, the New Media Education Foundation of Georgia, Purpose Possible, Lekotek, Focus, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlanta, Wellroot Family Services and the YMCA.
Fan-favorite comic book artists
Comic book artists (and original members of the former Atlanta-based Gaijin Studios), Cully Hamner and Brian Stelfreeze made their first appearances at MomoCon this year, invited to attend and show off their work in the Artist Alley.
Fans lined up to meet them, along with fellow award-winning artist and longtime friend, Wade von Grawbadger, to get photos, autographs and artwork and spend a few minutes chatting with the guys.
Hamner talked briefly about an upcoming project, “Ruby Actual” that he’s doing with Greg Rucka. “Not sure when it will come out,” he said, “But we’re hoping first quarter 2026.”
In the meantime, comic fans can continue to enjoy his previous work — the acclaimed, creator-owned RED (which was adapted into two films), the current Blue Beetle (also adapted to film) and all of the other work he’s done for DC, Marvel and other publishers over the last 30 years.
They can also look forward to his return to MomoCon in the future if schedules work out.
“This has been a lot of fun,” Hamner said on Sunday, the last day of the convention. “I’d love to come back if they invite me again.”
Stelfreeze agreed. “I enjoyed [MomoCon],” he said. “I really liked seeing the younger audience.”
That definitely seemed true on Sunday, as the crowds had thinned out some and Stelfreeze had more time to hang out and talk with people who stopped by the Essential Sequential booth. With some fans, he spent ten minutes or more discussing art, comics and other topics, and even came out from behind the table at times to meet people and say hi to old friends.
Featured guests
Other featured guests also drew long lines of fans who were eager to meet their favorite creators.
Darryl McDaniels (from RunDMC and now a comic book and children’s book author), Greg Burnham (Norcross-based comic book writer known for his indie comic hits), Reed Shannon and Mick Wingert (voice actors and stars of Netflix’s “Arcane”), Ryō Horikawa (Japanese voice of Vegeta in “Dragon Ball Z”), veteran voice actor and producer, Chris Sabat, and online personalities such as Damien Haas were just a few of the standouts.
In fact, as the convention was winding down on Sunday afternoon, Haas’ fan line was still so long, the crowd filled multiple rows of the cordoned-off autograph area, both inside and outside of his designated line.
A full list of 2025 celebrity guests can be found here.
New for 2025
While most of the fun features of MomoCon 2025 were returning favorites — Artist Alley, Exhibitor’s Hall, panels, movie screenings and the cosplay showcase —convention organizers kept things fresh with a new theme (‘90s Retro) and a few new highlights, including a skating rink, an expanded online gaming area and the return of the“Bring Your Own Computer” space.
Workshops on everything from miniature painting and D&D to Gunpla modeling, as well as live performances and a massive vendor area and fan car showcase rounded out the exciting weekend.
Though tired from a whirlwind weekend of geek culture camaraderie and large (but super friendly) crowds, we can’t wait to see what MomoCon has in store for 2026.
For more about MomoCon, visit momocon.com.
More moments from 2025; photos courtesy of MomoCon
From Boardrooms to the Himalayas: Vandana’s Journey to Purpose and Growing with Intention [Podcast]
Guardians of the Jukebox to Play the VoxStage on May 31
“Geek Culture” Shines at 2025 MomoCon
Brandon Branham Honored for Transformative Leadership in Peachtree Corners
Music Matters Productions Expands Peachtree Corners Headquarters
Celebration and Community: ICAGeorgia Wraps Up School Year with Two Festive Events
Vox-Pop-Uli Launches RED Initiative for Veterans’ Support
The PCBA Awards $500 to Light Up The Corners at After-Hours Event
City Collaborates with DNR for Deer Overpopulation Solutions
Peachtree Corners Festival Awards Debbie Mason Drama Scholarship for 2025
Vox-Pop-Uli Launches RED Initiative for Veterans’ Support
The PCBA Awards $500 to Light Up The Corners at After-Hours Event
“Geek Culture” Shines at 2025 MomoCon
Celebration and Community: ICAGeorgia Wraps Up School Year with Two Festive Events
Guardians of the Jukebox to Play the VoxStage on May 31
Music Matters Productions Expands Peachtree Corners Headquarters
Light up the Corners [Video]
Capitalist Sage: Business Leadership in Your Community [Podcast]
Cliff Bramble: A Culinary Adventure through Italy
Top 10 Brunch Places in Gwinnett County
A Hunger for Hospitality
THE CORNERS EPISODE 3 – BLAXICAN PART 1
Top 10 Indoor Things To Do This Winter
The ED Hour: What it takes to Remove Barriers from Education
