Comic con comes to Massena!
The latest effort from Watertown-based comic book artist Ed Yancey, who’ll be appearing at the Upstate Comic Con. Image via Upstate Comic Con’s Facebook page
Comic lovers, avid collectors and Magic enthusiasts, rejoice! The first annual Upstate Comic Con is coming to Massena! The convention is slated to take place on August 2 at the VFW on West Hatfield Street. Organizer Elijah Winfrey said he hopes to make it an annual event.
Winfrey told The Daily Courier-Observer that 15 percent of the admission ticket sales and 100 percent of raffle ticket sales will go to the Massena Boys and Girls Club. He wants to offer support as the club looks to open its doors on a part-time basis in September.
Starting at 4 p.m., organizers have lined up some outdoor activities designed to lead up to the actual convention. Weather permitting, BD Entertainment will be outside with inflatables and Rapidz Ice Cream will be selling ice cream cones. “In bigger cities, they do a Comic Con every year, they focus on comic books and things of that nature. Up here we’re talking about comic books. We’ll have lots of comics,” Winfrey said.
In addition to vendors selling items, they’ll also be showing two Batman fan films, “The Batman Chronicles” and “Joker Rising,” and will have a panel discussion by Brother’s in Awesome Studios, a North Country video game company.
Other activities slated for the evening include a “Magic the Gathering” tournament, a Pokemon tournament, an art contest, face painting and photography available by Vandal Films for everyone who dresses up as their favorite superhero.
Winfrey runs a group called the North Country Acting Society, which he said is trying to create a filming industry in the North Country. The group is trying to schedule three events each year (including this comic con) along with an award show and a film festival.
General admission tickets are $10 per person and are available at Star Tech Computers, 260 East Orvis St., Massena, and I Got Game, 205 Ford St., Ogdensburg. Tickets will also be sold at the door until 7:30 p.m. the day of the convention. Tickets and the event are cash only.
VIP tickets, which will not be sold at the door, are $20. The VIP package includes one hour early access to the event, 10 free raffle tickets, a “hot pass” to be first in every autograph line, front row seating at every panel and a limited edition “Upstate Comic Con” poster.
For more information, check out Upstate Comic Con on Facebook.
