HeroCon Saves the Day at SBPL July 19

Along with thousands of others, elbow to elbow, Saleena Davidson, made her way through the crowded New York City streets to ComiCon. The hustle and bustle to get to this point had her feeling spent before it even began. Bigger crowds, longer lines, endless fees for travel, lodging, admission, food, and more. No matter how she tried each year, ComiCon was a stretch on every level. 

The mild-mannered (some may argue this point) Young Adult Librarian from South Brunswick Public Library thought to herself "there has to be a better way!" 

And so,  Saleena - using all the powers afforded her as a Master Information Specialist - created HeroCon.  Free admission and conveniently located at the South Brunswick Public Library, its got all the bells and whistles of a certified comic convention, without all the stress.

Open to all ages, HeroCon is an after-hours special event from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 19 at the Library.  Free tickets are available at the Information Desk and the Main Entrance that evening. Pre-Con events begin at 3 p.m.

Do you need money when admission is free? Only if you want to purchase food or buy merchandise from the vendors. Artists will also be selling and signing their work! 

D&D, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic card games, LARPing, Costume Contest, crafts, trivia contest, panels, and more!

Saturday, July 19

3 - 5 p.m.

History of Blacks in Comic Books (a pre-con special event)

Cafe

“And Still the Most Un-told Story of Them All-The History of Blacks in Comic Books”

Yumy Odom, will speak on the impact and influence of Blacks in the comic book industry (1938 - Present). 

Yumy Odom, Founder of The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, Inc. (ECBACC, Inc.), is an award-winning educator, community ambassador, and BlogTalkRadio show host with 35 years of professional experience. Mr. Odom’s latest work is a 250-page web document  A Public Resource Guide to the Epic Myth Continuum that outlines and contextualizes ten thousand years of ancient, modern and neo-mythology. Complementing this web document is a most unique exhibit The Heruic Age: Ten Thousand Years of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Amazons, Witches, Wizards & Warriors inspired by more than three decades of researching, reading, imagining and collecting the myths and lore that connect the genres of modern sci-fi, superhero tales and comic books / graphic novels.

www.facebook.com/yumy.odom

Saturday, July 19

5 - 5:30 p.m.

You've Written Your First Book: Now What? (an after-hours special event)

Cafe 

You’ve written your dream novel.  You want to share it with the world.  How do you do it?  Presented by author Audra Osorio. From beginning to end, she will discuss her experiences publishing a book. This presentation will be about her journey from written novel to published novel. 

Audra Osorio is the Assistant Director/Head of Youth Services at the Mount Olive Public Library in Flanders, NJ   She published her first Contemporary Adult Romance novel The Swear Jar in September 2013.

   

Saturday, July 19

6 - 10 p.m. 

HeroCon Comic Convention (an after-hours special event)

All Library 

HeroCon is our own Comic Convention!  Open to all ages, this event is free, but tickets are suggested as space is limited.  Tickets may be obtained at the Information Desk in the library beginning June 1.

Featured events: 

• Pre-Con Panel "And Still the Most Un-told Story of Them All -- The History of Blacks in Comic Books" from 3 to 5 p.m. Presented by Yumy Odom, founder of the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, Inc (ECBACC,Inc).
• Pre-Con Panel: "You've Written Your First Book:  Now What?" by Audra Osorio, author of The Swear Jar from 5 to 5:30 p.m.
• Story-time with Mark Poulton:  He will share his book A Cat named Haiku with children and answer questions 6:30 to 7 p.m.
• Panel: "How to Draw Cartoons for Fun & Money" by Paul Merklein, cartoonist from 7 to 7:50 p.m.
• Panel:  "Pronto Comics--an Introduction" by Dominic Sparano, editor-in-chief and founding member of Pronto Comics from 8 to 8:50 p.m.
• Panel: "Poetry in Anime: The Power of Words in a Visual Medium" by Ink, Ink writes and edits articles, reviews, and analyses pertaining to anime, video games, conventions, and manga. He can also be seen periodically within the pages of Otaku USA magazine as well as online at FandomPost.com (credited as Mastilo Von Plume).
• Also featuring Costume Contest, viewing areas for shows we love, Karaoke, Pokemon/Yu-Gi-Oh/Magic: the Gathering card games, D&D short game, kids "Make Your Own Superhero Costume" program, Quick build Minecraft challenge, LARPing, and a trivia contest for various levels of knowledge.   
• We will have a variety of artists & vendors, including Comic Madness Comic Store, Lady Mists Cosplay & Design, Cool Geek Madness, Needle Gnomes, Sea Phoenix Creations, Joe Kleinkauf Jewelry, KL Draco, Yennie Fer (aka Remote Angel), GlitterFragGrenade, Ramen Bento, Phoenix Taylor and some locals sharing their talents as well.

For a full itinerary & information on HeroCon; check out our Facebook Event page at http://tinyurl.com/SBPLHerocon or the Library's Teen page http://www.sbpl.info. 

Program Courtesy of the Friends of the Library & lots of hard work by many teens & adults in the community.

*written by Rosemary Gohd, PR/Marketing at SBPL