Capital City Comic Con Returns to Breslin September 8

Capital City Comic Con will return to the Breslin Center Saturday, September 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., showcasing a wide variety of artists from all over the country.

Comic Con organizer Christina DeJong said a con (short for “convention”) is “a lot of things to different people. Most people probably think of San Diego. But your experience can vary greatly depending on where you go.” In addition to the well-known San Diego Comic Con, there are Comic Cons in many American cities and across the globe.

DeJong said the Lansing event was started by a group of friends who thought the Capital area would benefit from a Comic Con. There were related events on the east side and the west side, but nothing central.

That first Comic Con was much smaller, taking place in Haslett high school in 2015. According to DeJong, “We all had so much fun, we decided to scale up and move to the Breslin Center.” She adds that the local event focuses on four Cs: comics, creators, collectibles, and community.

DeJong said the purpose of comic con is to provide something “really fun for our community,” and to create an event that is family friendly, where parents can spend the day with their kids. There will be different craft stations around the Breslin Center where kids can get their faces painted, make masks, or learn to draw comics.

Above: cosplayers at the inaugural Capital City Comic Con

She also sees Comic Con as a wonderful place to showcase the work of artists, so people can see what is being created around the country and in their own community. Featured artist Alexis Noriega creates life sized wings that actually move, and often makes them for cosplayers. Cosplayers are people who dress up and play a character, often embodying personality traits of that character while they are in costume.

DeJong said another way convention organizers give back to the community is by partnering with The Reading People at the Capital Area Literacy Coalition, a nonprofit organization that helps children and adults learn to read, write, and speak English. Capital City Comic Con will support CALC with a portion of the proceeds from the 2018 event.

Capital City Comic Con also funds an original Art Scholarship in Comic Studies, and this year the winner is MSU student Mary Mitchell (above). According to the event’s website, “Mitchell is currently pursuing the BFA major in Graphic Design and a Comic Art and Graphic Novels minor at Michigan State University.”

The scholarship is to encourage the study of comic art and is offered exclusively to current MSU students. Mitchell’s art will be featured at Comic Con and she will be officially recognized during a presentation on the main stage.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at the door or in advance online. General admission tickets are $15 for attendees 8 and up. Discounts are available for college students, active military, and seniors (aged 65 and up). Kids 7 and younger receive free admission. For more details, visit the Capital City Comic Con website.