Comic Hero event scheduled for this weekend
Courtesy of Frank Sarris Public Library
The three-day-long Comic Hero Weekend starts at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum on Friday. Families can interact with comic heroes and explore the trolley museum.
Courtesy of Frank Sarris Public Library
Comic book editor, cartoonist and writer Peter Tomasi, best known for his work for DC Comics, will appear at Frank Sarris Public Library Comic Hero Weekend. The three-day event, which begins Friday at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, also features Disney artists Patrick and Shelly Block, Pittsburgh native and cartoonist Joe Wos, and local caricature artist Clarence Butler and includes several events and activities.
courtesy Frank Sarris Public Library
The Frank Sarris Public Library FanFest will take place Oct. 2 and 3 and will includes several pop-culture and comic-related events and activities.
Calling all comic-book lovers, super hero fans, gamers, and kids of all ages: Comic Hero Weekend is here.
The three-day pop-culture event – which features Disney Comics artists Patrick and Shelly Block, professional cartoonist Joe Wos, DC Comics editor and cartoonist Peter Tomasi, and local cartoonist Clarence Butler – kicks off Friday at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum and continues Saturday and Sunday at Frank Sarris Public Library.
The Comic Hero convention was masterminded (no diabolical plots are included) by Frank Sarris Public Library, and is partially sponsored by Washington County Tourism and Promotion Agency.
Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Promotion Agency, said the organization was excited when the Trolley Museum “joined with the library to create a super – excuse the pun – weekend of events centered around comic book enthusiasts as well as families.”
Comic Hero Weekend begins with Comic Hero Night from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, where kids and families can interact with comic heroes and explore the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. Activities will include a Junior Hero Training Academy, trolley rides, free caricatures, free quick cartoon drawings, and a scavenger hunt. Everyone is encouraged to show off their favorite comic hero costumes or T-shirt.
All children who attend will receive a drawstring backpack and a book, compliments of the library.
Tickets for Comic Hero Night can be purchased online or at the door for one of three sessions: 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m.
Visit Comic Hero Night at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Facebook event page.
On Saturday and Sunday, the library will host FSPL FanFest, an all-ages celebration of comic books, anime, and pop culture.
FanFest runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, and features appearances by Tomasi, Wos (a Pittsburgh native and professional cartoonist since the age of 14 who is the artist behind the internationally syndicated feature MazeToons, a hybrid of cartoon-illustrated mazes that has appeared in newspapers ranging from the United States to Australia), the Blocks, and Butler.
Other FanFest offerings include vendor and artist tables, a cosplay contest, trivia, workshops, and Q&As.
Kids can work their way through a pop-culture themed escape room. Gamers can join one of two Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournaments. Youngsters can participant in Junior Hero Training Academy.
The library hosted a Comic Hero event in 2019, but COVID-19 scuttled any plans to have a comic convention last year.
Beth Kairush, the library’s assistant director, said she and some of her colleagues “are geeky, enjoy pop culture, and wanted to bring (Comic Con) to the community for a more reasonable price point than typical comic cons.”
“We wanted to bring the atmosphere and that fun to our community, and let people enjoy it,” said Kairush. “We realize we are not San Diego Comic Con, nor will we ever be, but we wanted to have that vibe and stay true to what we are and what we do here.”
For information on daily FanFest schedules, visit the Frank Sarris Public Library website at franksarrislibrary.org.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
Note: Face masks are highly recommended for all people over the age of 2 attending the Comic Hero Weekend at both the Trolley Museum and library. Face masks are required on public transportation, including trolleys. Face masks will be available at the door for both events. For cosplayers, face masks may be taken off for judging at FSPL FanFest and for photographs at both events.