Friday, August 16th, 2019

Bam! Pow! Fan Expo is Back!

By William Kincaid
CELINA - A squad of valiant superheroes and diabolical villains will take over the Mercer County District Library area on Saturday with the return of the Grand Lake Fan Expo, the area's first and only comic convention.
The expo's debut last year was considered a smashing success. Yet organizers promise an even larger affair on Saturday with more activities and games for the young and young-at-heart. Of course, comic books and merchandise galore will be available for purchase from numerous vendors.
"I thought it was great for the first year and everyone just gave us such positive feedback, saying, 'It's such a nice thing to have in the community,'" librarian and expo organizer Renee Carpenter said, noting that more than 200 people made their way through the doors. "So we definitely wanted to bring it back another year. Hopefully, we'll bring it back every year."
The event, which is free to attend, is a partnership between the library and Steven Severt of Celina, the expo director and founder of Rival Comics. It's set for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the library, Marilyn Frahm Memorial Library Park and Richardson-Bretz Building directly behind the library on Fulton Street.
Expected to be present are comic and gaming vendors, costumed superheroes posing for photos, sci-fi groups, cosplay, fan art contests and comic creation workshops, according to Severt.
"We have a lot of vendors again and artists," Carpenter said.
Carpenter said organizers also will take advantage of the vast interior of the library this year by hosting a gaming station for a Super Smash Bros. video game tournament, a face painter and free-roaming costumed characters. Younger kids will have the chance to make superhero masks and other crafts.
"We're trying to bring more over here this year just to make it a big block party of superheroes," she said.
Organizers have booked YouTube sensation OmegaVibe, who is expected to dazzle expo-goers with a musical demonstration.
Library director Elizabeth Muether agreed that hosting such an event shows that the library has grown leaps and bounds beyond antiquated notions of being a mere book depository and now meets the evolving needs of a changing society.
"We tried to listen to our community, see what they're interested in, what their needs are," she told the newspaper.
Severt pitched the idea a few years ago to library officials, Muether pointed out.
"He thought that the library would be the perfect place to collaborate and have the event, and we're super excited to partner with him and Rival Comics to make it happen," she said. "The outpouring from the community and the fan-expo-comic-con community as a whole across the state has been overwhelming."
Severt had talked to the newspaper last year about making a local comic book convention a reality.
"I've been interested in comics my entire life, and there's really not much of a community for that here," Severt had said. "I grew up outside of Celina, but we always came into town whenever we needed to do anything, and there was a comic shop here when I was a kid on Buckeye Street. It closed up in the mid-'90s when the industry kind of tanked, and so there really hasn't been any community for that around here."
Not only does he view the fan expo as an opportunity to build a community, but Severt also said he hopes to inspire a new generation of creators.
Carpenter said it's a one-of-a-kind event for the area. She hopes it continues to blossom for years to come.
"I'm really hoping that we can just keep growing it and growing it and people will hear about it and want to come," Carpenter said. "And the vendors were excited to be here because there isn't anything like this in the area, but there are people interested in it, definitely."
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
CELINA - "Everything went very well" during the 167th annual Mercer County Fair, manager Cara Muhlenkamp said as the fair wound down Thursday.
"I'm very pleased with how things went. The weather was great and the crowds were even better," she added.
Windy Point deadline is May 1
CELINA - The second time was the charm for Mercer County officials looking to secure a contractor for the Windy Point wetlands restoration project.
Program gives children with challenges a leg up, director says
CELINA - Many Mercer County children face both physical and financial challenges that place them at an early disadvantage academically.
Head Start
Area Roundup
St. Henry adds another tournament title to collection
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
The Midwest Athletic Conference made a clean sweep of the trophies at the Celina Girls Golf Invitational held Thursday at Celina Lynx Golf Club.