Seventh annual Cape Comic Con starts today

Artists don't just hang around in museums or art galleries; they can also be found in your local comic book store. And this weekend, some of their works (along with some of their fans) will be featured at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.

The seventh annual Cape Comic Con will begin tonight and run through Sunday. Cape Comic Con will have professional comic book artists, publishers, and over 100 tables of comics and merchandise from a variety of genres. Organizer Ken Murphy is impressed at how much the event has grown since its start in 2005.

Kevin Carter, as Rorschach, and Amanda Bruns, as Harley Quinn, pose June 25. (Southeast Missourian file photo)

"After outgrowing the first two locations, we have found a home at the Osage Centre," Murphy said. "We have grown from 350 attendees our first year with one guest and 12 vendors, to 900 people with 24 vendors and a dozen guest artists. It's great to watch it become something bigger every year."

Some of the vendors scheduled to attend include Chicago Comic Con featured exhibitor the companies 6700 Curtis Brainstorms and Burg Comics from Harrisburg, Ill., and highly respected comic artist Brad Moore.

"It's funny because I used to be a customer in Ken's comic book store in Cape many years ago. I kept coming back to Ken partially because of his great attitude, and that spirit keeps us coming back to the Cape Con," said Jamie Hickson of Poplar Bluff, Mo., vendor Helock Comics. "You'll see special items, like the two new issues we'll be debuting. But we really love meeting the people and hanging out with the fans. It's special."

Cape Comic Con will also host a variety of gaming tournaments, including the ever-popular Magic: The Gathering, Pathfinder and HeroClix.

"The Cape Con offers gaming enthusiasts a chance to explore their interests as well," Murphy said. "We'll have around 100 players in the Magic tournament alone. It will add a lot to our weekend, and maybe some new interest in what's happening here."

Matt Schultz, as a biker scout, and Chad Collins, as Darth Maul, pose June 25 during the sixth annual Cape Comic Con. (Southeast Missourian file photo)

Special guests slated to appear will be Jackson Bostwick and Brian Koschak. Bostwick is best known for his role as Captain Marvel in popular 1970s show "Shazam!" Bostwick also appeared as the head guard in the 1982 sci-fi hit "Tron."

Koschak is a professional comic book illustrator and writer from Springfield, Mo. He has drawn, among other works, a number of "Star Wars" comics for publisher Dark Horse and is excited to meet the Cape Girardeau audiences.

"I've heard lots of great things about the Cape show. It's always cool to get out there and share your creativity with like-minded people," Koschak said. "The whole experience is memorable. People get to talk to me about some of the things I've done, and I get invaluable feedback and discussion this way. But I get to meet and talk to some people I am a fan of, as well."

Comic books line the tables during the sixth annual Cape Comic Con on Saturday, June 25, 2011, at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau. (Southeast Missourian file photo)

But, even with everything else offered for the fans, it's the every day costumes and costume contest (taking place Saturday at 3 p.m.) that Murphy describes as "the most exciting part of the con to many."

No matter what fans are into, they can often invest as much into the look and quality of their costumes as history buffs invest in Civil War uniforms for battlefield re-enactments. Fans strive for authenticity and accuracy for costumes inspired by video games, comics or animé. Costume designs can range from Naruto, Pokémon and Power Rangers to "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" and superheroes like Green Lantern, Wolverine, Batman or Wonder Woman.

Tickets for the Cape Comic Con -- which runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday -- can be purchased at the door. A single-day pass is $5, and a weekend pass is $15. The three-day game pass is also $15. For more event information, go to www.cape-con.com.

jsamons@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Osage Centre, Cape Girardeau, MO