'Wildcat Comic Con' Preparations
By: Jayne Ann Bugda
Updated: March 18, 2013
Registration is open for the second annual Wildcat Comic Con, to be held Saturday, Sept. 28, on the main campus of Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport.
Formulation of the programming schedule is well under way, and a number of last year's presenters have already signed on to return.
"The Wildcat Comic Con was an amazing event for me as both a professional cartoonist and a fan," artist Jerry Craft said. "It was great to be able to show a room full of my fans how I create my 'Mama's Boyz' comic strip and children's books, then getting a chance to interact and answer their questions."
Craft was featured in three well-received sessions at the 2012 event: "Create Your Own Comic Book Characters," "Self-Publishing Your Comics/Graphic Novels" and "Finding Your Voice."
"Then, once my workshops and book-signing were done, I took off my 'pro' cap and put on my 'fan' cap so I could be in the audience," he said. "Meeting folks like Jimmy Gownley, David Small and Chris Wilson was a great experience. Plus, the closing ceremonies with 'Star Trek's' Walter Koenig was worth the trip alone! Can't wait to attend this year's!"
A variety of artists, writers, educators, editors, publishers and commentators are also scheduled to return, including: Robert Berry, Dave Elliot, April Line, Jamar Nicholas, Mike Pawuk, Alex Simmons and John Weaver. John Shableski, organizer and publisher liaison for the 2012 event, will be among the presenters this year.
Newly added to the lineup are Nancy Basile, who has covered television animation for a variety of media since 1999; Gene Kannenberg, a comics historian and director of www.ComicsResearch.org; and Kambrea Pratt, who writes the "Shadowbinders" webcomic drawn by her husband, Thom (another 2012 presenter set to revisit campus this fall).
The keynote speaker will be Michael Bitz, executive director of the Center for Educational Pathways, whose Comic Book Project and Youth Music Exchange have enriched more than 100,000 students by infusing creativity into the teaching/learning process.
Admission to the 2013 Wildcat Comic Con is an all-inclusive $20 per person (children under 12 are free). Tickets are on sale at the Community Arts Center's ticketing site, https://tickets.caclive.com.
Visit the Wildcat Comic Con home page - http://wildcatcomiccon.pct.edu - in the coming months for more about programming and presenters, authors' book-signings, cosplay (costumed play), "Star Wars" characters and the Artist Alley vendor area, among other attractions.
