SPRINGFIELD – As geek culture has become fashionable over the past couple of decades, comic conventions have become big business. Tickets for one day of the 2019 Rhode Island Comic Con, for example, go for as much as $53. At many cons, fans wait in long lines, hoping to meet the famous names behind mainstream comics and possibly have something signed, often at a cost.

That’s not the experience at the Bing Comic-Con.

Mark Masztal, one of the creators of the con, said that for an admission of $5 with free parking, con-goers can cosplay and meet artists, writers and crafters but in a comfortable setting and for a fraction of the cost.

Bing Comic-Con has two goals, Masztal said. The first is to give local artists an affordable venue to display their work. Renting a table at a large con can cost the artist as much as $300. Masztal said that independent creators are often priced out and can’t recoup the cost of appearing.

The second goal is to raise funds for Springfield’s Bing Arts Center. Located at 716 Sumner Ave., the Bing Theater was open from 1950 to 1999, after which it sat empty until 2010. The first phase of renovations saw the former lobby repurposed into a multiuse space which now hosts art forms ranging from music and spoken word performances to film screenings to visual art exhibits and art classes.

Phase two of renovations involves refurbishing the main theater, a project that Brian F. Hale, president of the Bing Arts Center Board of Directors, said will cost an estimated $375,000 to $1 million.

“We’re on a very tight budget. We’re all-volunteer,” said Hale. The money that the Bing brings in is used “to stay ahead of the bills, which we’re barely doing,” he said. For that reason, Hale called the fundraising from the convention, “very significant.”

Hale also said the con reaches an underserved part of the community. The event is currently one of, if not the only, game in town. That was the original reason for putting the show together. Masztal said he and some friends wondered why there aren’t comic conventions in Springfield.

This year marks the seventh Bing Comic-Con. The first one was held in the Bing, itself, but the event soon outgrew that space. Since 2014, the con has taken place in the Trinity United Methodist Church and now spans four rooms.

“They’re very generous, allowing people to use that beautiful space,” Hale said of the church.

The convention continues to grow. Masztal said the first year there were 27 artists and creators. This year, there are nearly 60. The crowd has grown, as well. Last year, Masztal said that despite rainy weather, 300 people came to meet the artists and creators.

This year’s artist lineup includes Jim Lawson – best known for his work on the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – ” Gary Smith, Brett E. Swanson’s Sick Puppy Studios, Tom Ryan, Kristina Moy’s Blackout Art, among many others.

Masztal will be debuting his book, “Chronicles of Shar-Pei,” at this year’s con. The book is a collection of nine stories that were previously written by Tom Sniegoski and drawn by Masztal. Masztal describes the main character of the “Chronicles of Shar-Pei” as a genetically altered creature, more dog than man, who travels the world defeating evil. The 300-page book, published through the self-publishing platform IngramSpark, sells for $20 and includes pin-ups drawn by local artists.

Richard Pini, who co-created the comic and graphic novel series, “Elfquest,” will be appearing for the third year in a row. Masztal said Pini told him he loves coming to the show because of its casual atmosphere.

“With our show, everyone is accessible. There’s no big pressure to buy anything,” Masztal said. “Everyone’s approachable.”

In addition to the artists and crafters there is a cosplay contest, music by DJ Vertigo, and lunch and refreshments available. The show is also family-friendly.

“A lot of grandparents bring their grandkids, the kids all think it’s cool,” Hale said.

Bing Comic-Con is Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, Asbury Hall, 361 Sumner Ave.