SoldierCon: Unlikely Marriage of Comics and Cars

It’s never a bad time to thank a veteran, but the Veterans Day season of mid-November is especially appropriate. If you happen to be a big fan of insane car builds, comic books, and bringing joy to hardworking American families, then Carlos Molina and the crew at Projekt Cars might be a good veteran group to thank in particular. After all, they were the brilliant masterminds behind SoldierCon.

Molina is one-of-a-kind and, therefore, he likes to do one-of-a-kind things. A passion for individuality, his visionary builds for Projekt Cars astound crowds all the way up to the hallowed SEMA show. In particular, Molina’s Spawn-inspired builds (done with the blessing of their creator, Todd McFarlane) showcase both his love of the famous comic book antihero and his unreal knack for creating truly unbelievable aftermarket artwork.

SoldierCon: Military Appreciation Comic Convention

It is at the juncture of these two passions—the comic book and automotive worlds—that Molina conceived one of his greatest accomplishments: SoldierCon, a convention that somehow manages to showcase them both. And growing up in a military family, as well as serving in Afghanistan himself as an Army Captain, Molina knew exactly who his target audience should be.

SoldierCon, held on El Paso’s Fort Bliss, brought this special mashup of fun to the front doors of busy service families. Many of whom have multiple children, a single parent trying to hold things together during a deployment, and little time or resources to leave the base.

“The reason we are doing this is for the military spouse that has three or four kids,” Molina said. “When there’s something going on downtown, it’s like a logistical nightmare just to get over there. This, SoldierCon, allowed people just to walk across the street to Freedom Crossing.”

An Early Passion

The real origins of this community event reach as far back as Molina can remember. He recalls a love of cars and automotive design as early as preschool. “It was then that I explained to my parents a desire to become a scientist, so I could ‘make new cars.‘” The first vehicle Carlos ever modified was his high school pony, a ‘66 Mustang. A few months of hard labor tuned his stock straight-6 into a Deluxe Edition with a 289 cubic inch V-8, hand-painted in bright Ford Blue.

Fast forward a few decades through a college degree and military deployment, and Molina finds himself at the helm of Projekt Cars. He originally began this endeavor as a more reliable way for soldiers overseas to acquire aftermarket parts online. But clearly, that is not where his company stopped growing. He made friends and connections in the SEMA community. And with an ever increasing fan base and a year-round build schedule, Projekt Cars shows no signs of slowing down.

From the company’s inception up to today, Projekt Cars’ resume is beyond impressive. The company has built over 200 booth vehicles for SEMA since 2000, collaborating with top brands like Rugged Ridge of Truck Hero, Air Design USA, and Bullydog. Molina’s builds have appeared in numerous worldwide publications, and he has been working as an aftermarket spokesperson with various companies for over a decade.

The Man for the Job

That’s a lot to heap on one man’s plate, but Molina relishes the daily challenges and welcomes a busy lifestyle. “I am self motivated,” he said, “and I know no one else has the stamina to do what I do, or will be able to push me more than I do myself.”

So when it came time to bring Molina’s comic book love into his flourishing automotive world with SoldierCon, his own intrinsic drive was all he really needed. (A working relationship with Todd McFarlane didn’t hurt either!)

While working with McFarlane and his crew on a fleet of vehicles inspired by Spawn (check out the Spawn Jeep and Mustang for an insane level of creative synergy), Molina was approached by the people on his home base, Fort Bliss, who had given him the green light to hold multiple car shows in the past. This time, they wanted to see if he could host a Comic Con-style event.

Smash Success

Molina soon realized what a large production SoldierCon was going to be. “I further learned that a Comic Con is 10 times harder than a car show.” Marrying the CosPlay community with the automotive aftermarket, AND doing it on a military base? That’s a lot of variables. But true to his reputation, Carlos met the challenge head on and a successful first SoldierCon was launched.

There were cars and CosPlay, of course. Comic books for sale and a runway for those in costume to show off their hard work and preparation. Actor Noel Gugliemi, of Fast And The Furious fame, even showed up in support of the event. It was a smash hit with soldiers and their families, who seldom get to enjoy this type of experience with any degree of simplicity. “Bringing joy to these families is what it’s all about,” said Adrian Acosta who cosplays as classic X-Men character, Wolverine. “These people who love what we do are what help us and get us up to do it. It’s fun to make all of their days. That’s what makes ours.”

Just the Beginning

The show was so good in fact, that SoldierCon will be returning next year. And always one for growth, Molina hopes to hold multiple SoldierCon events in the future, at a variety of locations. “I see the future of SoldierCon as, hopefully, not only doing it here at Fort Bliss, but other installations. I also see mini-events throughout the year.”

Things tend to go right when people follow their passions and stay true to who they are. By combining two worlds that he loves, and showcasing them for the military community he is a proud member of, Molina is most certainly staying true to himself. And clearly, things seem to be going right.