Need to talk to a real person about todays MoComCon. Redrawing the World: Creating New Landscapes in Comics - Panel Discussion, 2PM. Crafts- Pipe Cleaner Superhero, 1PM. Crafts - Create a Creature, 12:30PM. LEGO Master Presents - Blast off to space, 11AM. Superhero Storytime, 10AM.
Community “geeks,” obsessed with their hobby, had discovered our library!The Comic-con and costume contest is an ALL AGES event. By the end of our four-hour event, over 1,700 had come to share their love–correction, passion–for everything that the heroes and villains of Sci-Fi, fantasy, comics, games, graphic novels, and gaming meant to them. On Augwe were two hours into our library’s first ComiCon and attendance was surpassing anything we had imagined. Library-Con is a multigenerational programming event that will provide information and expose the world of anime/manga, comics, Star Wars, and TV production to library customers of all ages Come out and connect with the community through culturally based activities, forums, and crafts held throughout the library.Time: 12 noon - 4 p.m.Programs:Star War Family Story TimesLocal Comic Book Author. Learning Outcomes Introduce and familiarize students and patrons with digital resources Strengthen student/patron.
When we found out two years ago that the 2015 theme for Summer Reading would be “Heroes,” it hit us that a comic convention or Con would be the ideal way to culminate the program. We all promote literacy and already had formed a bond through social media. Perhaps the specific details and the actual process they went through will inspire you to host a Comic Con at your library.We are fascinated with the geek culture, especially when fans bring their favorite characters to life from literature. What follows is their collective voice relating how they brought the first Electric City ComiCon to our library. All costumes must adhere to our Rod Con Weapons Policy.How did four young library staff members, who share their love of geek culture and the literature that inspires this fandom, manage to stage such a fantastically successful event? Never have I met committee members on any project who spoke in such concert, who agreed on their goals from the start, and who never faltered in what they hoped to achieve.
She was reluctant to let us hold such a venue without a lot more research on our part. Next, we had to convince our library director, Faith Line. She gave us overwhelming support, became part of the initial planning stage, and was integral throughout the process. We wanted parents to come with their kids to find out what we have to offer, and we insisted that our Con be “family friendly.”We pitched the idea, first, to the Head of our Children’s department. We wanted to offer a safe place to our library patrons in real space for their passion and interests, and what place better represents a safe haven to our community than our library! And, more importantly, we wanted to focus on our younger patrons, our Tweens and Teens.
We wanted to have those who attended in costume have the opportunity to be photographed digitally against the green screen with the background of their choice. Well in advance of our Con we had to write our photography policy and post it publically. She was a very exacting mentor, and we learned to think more from her position as director and to consider all the issues involved: Library Board approval, security, staffing, and a hundred logistical matters.
We developed a sponsorship packet, which didn’t turn out as effective as we wanted because we started too late in the year to approach big corporate sponsors. The Children’s department purchased a green screen for us to use for the photography part of the venue.This was a brand-new library event and we had no track record to convince potential partners or sponsors. Friends of the Library gave us money and we wrote an LSTA grant tied into the Summer Reading program to help pay for publicity. We concentrated on where to find funding. Their organizers graciously shared all their planning notes with us, but it was obvious from their event that they had a substantial budget while we had zilch to spend. We deeply appreciate the guidance Faith gave us and the hard work she put in with us, right up through the day of our event.Faith sent some of us to Spartanburg, SC, to attend their SpartanCon.
We were fortunate that, as we evaluated the costs, we only had to use library funds for prizes for the FanArt and Cosplay contest.As lead-ups to our ComiCon, we engaged regional artist Enoch Vaughn to hold three Super Hero Creation workshops aimed at teens to adults. People’s Bank, BlueRidge Security, Forx Farm, (ever taste goat’s milk fudge? Wonderful!), and the SC State Library sponsored us in significant ways. An up-scale downtown inn, The Bleckley, provided lodging for one of our guest panelists. The Independent-Mail, the local newspaper, provided free ad space. Smaller local businesses donated gifts for the panelists or food for our Green Room. We did a lot of pleading to our sponsors,and they too, had to take a leap of faith.Books-A-Million and Planet Comics agreed to be our major partners.
Library Comic Con How To Approach Weapons
We also wanted artists of comics and graphic novels who could speak to young people about combining art with words.We contacted local cosplayers to talk about cosplay etiquette, how to approach weapons and mask making, what steampunk costuming is, and what cosplay design involves. We scheduled their programs so that panel sessions would not be competing with them.We sought experts for the authors, cosplay, and artists panels who understood heroic characters for young adults, and we wanted local or regional authors and artists. Thanks to them, Batman made an appearance at our Con and wowed the kids. Those books were checked out immediately! To heighten interest we contacted Sybil Todd of White Knight Cosplay—who knew we had such an expert in our own backyard?–and she presented two “Getting Into Costuming and Cosplay” workshops for teens in early July.Since our ComiCon was the culminating event of the Summer Reading program, we planned two sessions for our local young heroes in the Children’s Department on “How To Be a Hero.” These were presented by Heroes in Force, a regional group specializing in motivational activities for kids. Our director bought a dozen or so books on cosplay topics and we set up a display.
We also sent out letters and made myriad phone calls inquiring whether stated fees could be waived. We sent them brief inquiries via email and told them what we were planning. We attended book signings.
Dawson, Robert Venditti, Tara Lynne, George Farmer, Allen Swords, Marla Roberson, Gypsey Teague, and Amanda Finley for their support of our event. We owe special thanks to David Weber, Megan Shepherd, Delilah S. Those who responded “yes!” are great advocates of libraries and literacy and we were thrilled to have them as our panelists. Our mantra became, “They can’t come if you don’t invite them.” The trick was to get them all to come for free!One of the most pleasant surprises was to find out how willing authors, artists, and cosplayers were to work with us once we told them our objectives.
Each staff member who worked our Con wore a special T-shirt, with the same logo on the front as the Summer Reading T-shirt, but with the logos of all our sponsors on the back, a salute of thanks to them for their support.You can’t have a ComiCon without vendors, but we had to get Library Board approval to waive the rule of no commercial activities in our library. With special ALA approval, she modified the official library logo by dressing the Big L in a green superhero cape with mask. And we also knew that there was no way our library could hold this event without the help of staff.The Summer Reading/Electric City ComiCon staff T-shirts were designed by Sara Leady. We didn’t move forward until we all agreed that what we were going to do met our basic goals. ComiCon people do form a very cooperative community.STAFFING AND DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIESWe shared the responsibilities and all of our decisions were made by consensus, although we each had specific tasks we worked on. Enoch Vaughn agreed to substitute and the panel went on as planned.
One advantage for the vendors was that we did not charge a booth fee. We narrowed our list of over one hundred down to thirteen—the number determined by our space limitations. We visited vendor booths at all the major Cons, craft fairs, and through location-based searching on the internet.
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