This coming weekend, on March 24th and March 25th, Gem City Comic Con is set to take over the Dayton Convention Center.
Gem City is composed of local Dayton community members who share a common passion for art, fiction, comic books, and spreading those to all who enjoy them. This year the event moves to the Dayton Convention Center, located on 5th street in downtown Dayton; the biggest venue Gem City has been held in so far. The 2018 Gem City Comic Con marks its 13th (thirteenth!) rendition of the event, and it’s only getting bigger and better.
The event features several attractions catering to all different types of fandoms across the board. For those interested in table-top gaming, enjoy a newly revamped Game Developer’s Lab, including never before seen home-made games from Dayton’s finest!
The lab hopes to introduce “new and innovative table top games designed by local game developers” as well as a chance to “play test and demo newly created gaming systems, expansions and home-brews from innovative minds that aim to make their mark in the gaming world.”
Cosplay contests will also be held for both adults and kids on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The winner will receive prizes of course, but all who come in cosplay garb will receive a nice $2 cut off their admission ticket.
And of course what’s a comic convention without comic books? Gem City is proud to host over 50 shops and dealers on the show floor selling comic books, fandom memorabilia, and much more. Not only that, but the convention features several guests and speakers prominent in the comic book world.
Barry Kitson
Attendees will get the chance to meet and greet these artists in the “Creator’s Corner”. Among the featured guests are Barry Kitson — a longtime contributing artist for both Marvel and DC comics, P. Craig Russel — a legendary pioneer of graphic storytelling in comic books, Mike Grell — a comic book writer most known for his work on DC’s Warlord and Green Arrow series, and many more.
After meeting the artists, guests also are invited to attend any one of the several panel talks prepared for the event. The panels run throughout the day and cover a wide range of topics such as voice acting, drawing, writing, even tips on getting your own comic published.
The event ends on Sunday with a casual gathering at Dayton’s Warped Wing Pub, where attendees and creators will get the chance to mingle and work on new creations.
The event runs from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be bought at the door on location for $10 per day — however children under 12 get in free with a paying adult. For more information on the event; including maps, panel schedules, and a full list of the featured guests, check out Gem City’s website here.
