Mississippi drag queen Seraphina Amor spent months planning the June 26, 2026, Comic Con Drag Show and After Party for her debut as a drag-show organizer.
Coinciding with the first night of the Mississippi Comic Con and one of the last nights of June, the event at Hal and Mal’s in Jackson, Mississippi, celebrated Pride Month with a costumed performance that incorporated pop-culture fandom.
“The crowd was great, and everyone was interacting with us,” Amor told the Mississippi Free Press. “… I think this is something that will become pretty big and consistent.”
Five fellow Mississippi drag queens and Drag Show season 10 star The Vixen joined Amor on stage, all seven drag queens putting on at least two performances in different costumes, with Amor taking on some extra wardrobe changes as event host.
“Seraphina is one of my closest friends, and to watch her strike out on her own and plan this production—I was very proud of the turnout,” drag queen Ivy Serena White told the Mississippi Free Press. “The crowd truly came to have a great time, and they enjoyed themselves.”
Creating Opportunities
Amor was inspired to plan her own drag shows due to a lack of in-person opportunities.
“I got tired of constantly essentially begging for bookings,” Amor said. “I’ve been doing drag for eight years now, and we had way more opportunities available when I was coming up in drag (versus now).”
Amor began exploring drag in 2018 and performing in 2020, when most drag shows were online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Later on, I started to compete in local competitions week after week for nothing, but those competitions helped me become who I am today,” Amor said. “I would travel to Louisiana, Alabama, Pensacola and even Memphis here and there.”
Amor has observed a decline in drag show opportunities since the initial post-pandemic bounce back. “There were so many drag competitions as well, but not really any more,” she said.
To help remedy the issue, Amor plans on continuing to organize drag shows under the name Phi Phi’s Playhouse.
“I want to create more opportunities for girls who can’t get their foot in the door,” Amor said. “You can’t expect someone to grow without giving them a chance to show you what they have to offer.”
Her next show is scheduled for July 19 at 9:30 p.m. at Purple Rain Lounge in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Amor is also hosting a weekly drag-queen competition beginning in October, with a new theme each week. Winners will receive a $1,000 cash prize alongside things like custom wigs and jewels, Amor said.
Another drag queen who performed at Amor’s event, Penny Nickels, hosts monthly trivia night at Hal and Mal’s on the first Monday of each month.
Other drag queens who performed at Hal and Mal’s last weekend include Yue Capri, Frontala Botomi and Strawberrie Zorra.
See photos from the Comic Con Drag Show and After Party below.
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