Bing Arts Center readies for Comic Con 2015

Oct. 23, 2015 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

A special Bing Comic Con calendar featuring the artwork of 12 of the participating artists will be on sale at the one-day pop culture show.
Reminder Publications submitted photo

SPRINGFIELD – It’s not just about comic books. Mark Masztal, co-founder of the Bing Comic Con 2015, said the third edition of the one-day pop culture show would feature more artists, writers and crafters than at previous shows.

The annual event will be presented from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 24 at Trinity United Methodist Church’s Asbury Hall on Sumner Avenue.

Admission is $5 and benefits the Bing Arts Center. The event is family friendly.

Masztal said the admission includes the screening of Springfield-based filmmaker acclaimed documentary “DOOMED: The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s ‘The Fantastic Four’” at the Bing Arts Center at 8 p.m. that night.

There will also be a cosplay event at the show this year. Food from Wild Olive Pizzeria will be available.

Masztal said a full color limited edition Bing Comic Com calendar featuring the artwork of 12 of the attending artists, as well as a new Bing Comic Con T-shirt will be on sale.

He added this year ConnLUG, the Connecticut LEGO users’ group will appear. Other new features include an artist “draw-off” in which the exhibiting artists will be paired up to compete in a 30 second drawing contest.

Among the new artists attending the show will be Gary Hallgren. Hallgren, a cartoonist and illustrator with many credits, was one of the “Air Pirates,” a group of underground cartoonists whose parodies of Mickey Mouse sparked a controversial legal test of parody.

Among the guests attending the show will be:
• Stephen R. Bissette, artist of “Swamp Thing,” editor of “Taboo” anthology, artist/writer of “Tyrant” and instructor at the Center for Cartoon Studies.
• Jim Lawson, artist/writer for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and creator of “Paleo Tales.”
• Stephen Murphy, writer of “The Puma Blues,”  “Umbra” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
• Matt Smith, artist and writer of “Barbarian Lord.”
• Michael Kelleher, artist, comic book colorist and digital restorationist.
• Gary Smith, artist of “Tales of J’lleen.”
• Cesar Feliciano, artist of “The Red Ten.”
• Kate Maldonado, photographer.
• Casey Coller,  artist on “Transformers.”
• Todd Mulroney, artist who has appeared in “Heavy Metal.”
• TC Ford, artist and editor

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/bingcon2014.

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