Many comic book stories may start out the same: Heroes walking around in disguise, working by day and fighting crime by night. That is until villains embark on crime sprees and heroes have their limits tested — but it’s not long before the heroes are back on top once again.
But are the characters in the comic books fighting crime really the heroes, or are the heroes the masterminds behind the stories, creating the narrative?
On Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cottonwood Recreation Center gymnasium, the Verde Valley community will get the chance to pick apart the minds of comic book creators, minus the use of
a mind reader machine like the villains in comic books.
The Comic Expo serves a dual purpose for the community as being a place for family fun as well as one of the biggest fundraisers for the Cottonwood Public Library’s reading programs and events.
The event is free for kids under age 10, and regular admission is $5. If attendees bring two canned items to donate to the Old Town Mission, admission will be $3.
Although the event is still in its infancy, according Joyce Read, youth services coordinator at the Cottonwood Public Library, it has been a success since the first year. The the idea for the event began with Anne Roberts, who was a children’s librarian at the Cottonwood Public Library. With the help of Sedona-based comic book artist and cartoonist Jan Marc Quisumbing, aka the Janimal, the two began to collaborate on how to bring a comic book expo to the Verde Valley that was more intimate and had a community vibe, as opposed to some big city conventions.
“They were kind of just talking one day and they said, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat if we had kind of a little comic con in Cottonwood, and the Janimal knows a lot of people, and so they are the two who started this and put it together,” Read said. “Unfortunately, Anne passed away and so we kind of do it in memory of her now, too.”
The idea was an “a-ha” moment as impactful as the climax of a comic book series itself. Quisumbing noted that Roberts’ spirit and appreciation for literature and creativity live on through the continuation of the expo, which provides much of that to the community.
Read and Quisumbing expressed similar sentiments in that the Comic Expo is a fun-for-all event that provides an opportunity for community members to be able to interact with comic book artists, local authors and vendors on a personal level, an opportunity that they may not have at larger conventions like in Phoenix or other metropolitan areas.
“It’s just fun watching people when they come in. They come in with their kids, and the kids get all excited about watching the artist and seeing what people do and the books they write,” Read said.
Read also noted that in the past, the expo has involved big names from across the nation. Last year Chris Giarrusso, a graphic novel author and illustrator from New York known for his G-Man comics, attended and donated some of his books to the library.
This year, there are a total of 51 tables, which include comic book artists, authors and cosplay tables from the realms of sci-fi, pop culture and more. And just like previous years, the expo will continue to aim to feature many of the same perks of larger festival, such as the featuring of big names like the Arizona Ghostbusters and the Heroes United Arizona cosplay, as well as statewide talent from across the creative spectrum.
Some names in particular that will be present at the expo include Brian Augustine and Michael Gallagher, both local comic book artists.
“Michael Gallagher, he wrote for Marvel, ‘Archie,’ ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ in the ‘90s,” Quisumbing said. “He’s a really nice guy. So it’s just nice to know they’re local, whether it’s Jerome, Chandler — they are in the area.”
Quisumbing will also have a table at the event, which he will share with his son who will also be selling some of his comic book creations. He said this will be a proud father moment for him as he has watches his son grow into a talented artist right by his side.
“My son will be at my table and he will have his now little comics and prints and sketches and he will be the artist representing the family,” Quisumbing said. “He will have his little small area …. He is 8, and he draws really well and has a really good sense of humor …. He’s learning to be on the other side of the table.”
To bring the stories of the comic books to life, attendees are encouraged to channel their inner superhero or villain — if one is looking for an appropriate excuse to channel one’s dark side, the comic book expo may be just the place.
And, when dressing for the part, one can also live it as well by participating in the various festivities featured at the event, such as a Yu-Gi-Oh! gaming demonstration, the Jack Kirby 24 Comic Book Challenge with Phoenix comic book artist and poet Russ Kazmierczak Jr., an artist sketch off where guests can have artists draw up their favorite comic book characters, and much more. Read noted that there will be about 20 cosplayers, people who dress up as comic book characters and pose for photos with people.
Come one, come all is the motto for the expo, and Read and Quisumbing said that the more people who attend the event, the more they can band forces to keep creativity alive in the community and the vision of a comic con in Cottonwood alive.
Makenna Lepowsky can be reached at 282-7795 ext. 126, or email mlepowsky@larsonnewspapers.com
