Holy growth, Batman! Comic book conventions are trending in Augusta.
In fact, two new comic book conventions are coming to the CSRA, CanaCon this Saturday in Grovetown and AugustaCon this November in Augusta, to join the five-year-running JoeFest in Augusta, which has grown so much that the co-coordinator just announced rebranding for it toward the end of this week.
For decades, large cities such as San Diego and New York City have been known for their comic conventions. Smaller cities have been adding them during the past couple of decades or so, and Augusta is starting to catch up this year after JoeFest started the regional trend around five to six years ago.
The inaugural CanaCon is coming this Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Liberty Park Community Center from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. on 1040 Newmantown Rd. in Grovetown, and the inaugural AugustaCon will be from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Nov. 6 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Augusta. JoeFest was held in June. The next one is June 9-11, 2023 at the Augusta Convention Center but with a new name to be revealed below.
“My goal is to support all of the other great shows in town. We hope that our larger event can be a platform to promote these focused shows. There is room for everyone,” Jeremy Mace, co-coordinator of JoeFest, said.
Mace also had a major announcement to make regarding JoeFest.
“We are announcing that we are changing the name of the big convention (JoeFest) to the, ‘Soul City Super Con featuring JoeFest’. I am committed to involving the city and our community in a magnificent show,” he said.
Next, at least one con coordinator wanted to start his new con, CanaCon, for charitable reasons.
Thomas Hancock, event coordinator for CanaCon in Grovetown this Saturday, Sept. 17, said, “I wanted to start something to bring the community together for a great cause and what better way to do that than a con! The cause is for a local church in Harlem, Mount Tabor Baptist, to start up their youth program.”
Hancock agreed that people attending cons like JoeFest did have an impact.
He said, “I believe that the local area had been starved of this kind of thing for years and finally got a taste for it and now lots of cons are starting up which is great for the community.”
Hancock said, however, “I would say my con stands out because it’s not just a comic con; it’s for the whole family. We have inflatables, raffles, prizes, a cosplay contest and each vendor has a special flavor for the whole family.”
Among CanaCon’s special guests are Hip Hop Artist Gorganus, author Trey Nevard and local wrestling star Saint Hunter Young among others. Jonathan Carroll was scheduled to appear but had to cancel due to injury.
Hancock said his con emphasizes local vendors such as Danny Meade of Logans Toy Chest and Tina of Unique Designs by Tina.
“We have local vendors like the Augusta Book Exchange and Sweetart Art, who is a local crochet vendor,” Hancock said.
The owner of Augusta Book Exchange at 1650 Gordon Hwy. weighed in on the growth of local conventions. Paul Roger’s store Augusta Book Exchange has been a vendor at JoeFest since its inception and is starting at the new CanaCon.
“I think the success of JoeFest here in Augusta has made it clear to a few individuals that Augusta is a good city to have an event. Also, I do think it is part of an overall trend,” Rogers said. “If someone is successful doing a show, that will give people who are on the fence about running a show the confidence to try running one too.”
And he doesn’t see a problem with having three cons in one year.
Rogers said, “I think that there is room for all these shows as long as there is a few months between them. He said he wished all of them well and much success, though.”
Chris Galloway, the owner of Top Dog Comics in National Hills, has been a vendor at JoeFest as well and weighed in on the emergence of new cons in Augusta.
“I am okay as long as they are well thought out and put together; JoeFest has been a great show for five years and brought a lot of attention to shows in this area,” he said and speculated that Joe Fest’s success likely spawned interest in other cons.
Carmine Desanto, the show promoter for AugustaCon coming up in November, said, “This is our first show in town. We are a for-profit organization, and this is not a national show.”
Desanto said they have the creator of “Deadpool”, Fabian Nicieza (the writer), coming to the con as well as Jennifer Cihi, the voice actor of “Sailor Moon”, among others as guests.
He said they have over 50 local artists coming to the event. There will be other artists and guests from other areas as well.
Desanto said they are still looking for exhibitors or artists for artists alley via their website.
As for the Soul City Super Con featuring JoeFest’ its organizers plan for an even larger event in 2023.
“We have plans to add a film and music component to the expanding convention. More artists, more vendors, more exhibits. The show was started six years ago by Ed and Loren Schumacher. He and Loren made the show work at various locations until it outgrew each of them,” Mace said.
He said they finally “landed on the Marriott” and that it has been a good home for JoeFest and the Augusta Toy and Comic Show they have also put on.
Mace said he has been involved with JoeFest about two years and became co-organizer with Ed last year.
“His focus is building and serving the GI Joe and Toy community, where my focus is story-telling and comics. I also know what potential we have here in Augusta and want a great event to match. That’s why we are expanding,” he said.
Ron Baxley Jr. is a correspondent for The Augusta Press.
