For fans of superheroes, sci-fi and fantasy, downtown Buffalo will be a geek's paradise this weekend as Buffalo Comicon marks a pair of firsts during its 15th annual running.
Previously based in Amherst, Buffalo Comicon moves to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center for its first time. It will also be the first time the event is held over two days, instead of one.
"This is a destination marketer's dream of the past few years," said Patrick Kaler, President and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara. "These events have evolved and grown, from comic books to TV to the film industry, everything that's involved, through the action figures, this is so exciting."
Greeting media at a Friday news conference were numerous costumed characters including some from The North Ridge, a Buffalo-based Star Wars club which makes local appearances and participates in the Buffalo Bisons' annual Star Wars promotional night. Other costumed guests included superheroes and Q-bot, a mascot made up of components from several popular comic book superheroes.
Buffalo Comicon founder and Queen City Bookstore owner Emil Novak often times struggled to keep his emotions inside when discussing the growth of the event and its move downtown.
"There's a guy named Jim Steranko who's a direct connection to legend Jack Kirby. He will be here and I'm really proud about that," said Novak, speaking of a writer/artist who worked under Kirby, one of the comic industry's most storied artists, a collaborator with Stan Lee at Marvel Comics.
Steranko, who is best known for Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., is just one of numerous artists and writers who are scheduled to appear at Buffalo Comicon.
Other attractions include a Doctor Who TARDIS replica, a video gaming combat tournament, costume (or "cosplay") competition, and live music.
Scheduled to play is the sci-fi/geek band Ookla The Mok, which was formed in Western New York by two classmates at Houghton College. The band, named after a character from the 1980s Saturday morning TV cartoon "Thundarr the Barbarian," has been a popular draw at similar conventions for more than 20 years.
A full schedule is available at the convention's official website.
Among those on hand to congratulate convention staff and celebrate their expanded event this weekend was Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, who said he would be among those checking out the comic book selections this weekend. He, along with tourism officials, celebrated the expansion of the convention as another sign of downtown Buffalo's overall growth.
"It says a lot about what we've been able to do to grow not only the City of Buffalo and the County of Erie but our smaller independent businesses, and what they've been able to do as a result of it," Poloncarz said.
