ComiCon returns to Triangle

Crowds of comic lovers filled the halls of the Durham Convention Center in celebration of the fifth annual NC ComiCon this past weekend, coming dressed as superheroes, wizards, aliens, cartoon icons and dozens of other characters from all areas of pop-culture.

Boxes of comics and an array of collectibles packed the rooms as hundreds of fans took in the atmosphere. Cosplayers, writers, artists and fantasists all enthusiastically embraced comic book culture.

This year’s guests of honor played a key role in drawing large crowds. Fans of all ages lined up early Saturday to see Arrow and Doctor Who star John Barrowman as he hosted panels and signed autographs. Barrowman’s sister, Carole E. Barrowman, also spoke to a large audience during a writing panel, which she hosted Saturday afternoon.

Jeffrey Niski, a senior studying biochemistry who also attended the convention last year, said getting to see John Barrowman and meet some of the other artists were major reasons he was excited to come visit the convention again.

“I really like the atmosphere of the convention,” Niski said. “Everyone is super relaxed and nice to each other.”

Niski said he recently got into comics but had developed an interest in anime and manga in middle school. Another benefit ComiCon is that it provides a stage for people to display their creative talents.

“If you are interested in doing a cosplay, whether it’s just emulating a character or putting in the time and effort to do the paintings and body work, the con gives you a place to do that and show off your skills,” Niski said. “The convention is an all-around great experience. If you’re kind of a closet nerd and your friends clash with that, this is a place where you can hang your nerd flag free.”

The convention also featured a weekend-long film festival, which screened films included Akira, The Iron Giant, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret of the Ooze, the 1989 Batman and even Howard the Duck.

Several attendees even displayed their love for Legos. Duncan Lindbo, a software developer, set up a table where he showcased his various creations. He said that his Lego Iron Man, which garnered a substantial amount of attention, took about a week to construct.

“As long as I can remember, I’ve been playing with various Legos,” Lindbo said. “When I was 7, I got a real Lego set and I’ve been playing with them ever since.”

Beyond the blockbuster names in attendance such as Barrowman, legendary Batman artist Neal Adams and Saga co-creator Fiona Staples, the NC ComiCon also provided an opportunity for some of the newer and not well-known writers and artists to discuss their work.

Anthony Ruttgaizer, a former pro-wrestler and the writer of the recently published comic The F1rst Hero from Action Lab Entertainment, talked about his experience breaking into the industry.

“This is a dream I’ve had since probably my teens, which is what I talk about in the first few editorial issues,” Ruttgaizer said. “It’s 30 years of wanting this to happen, and it finally has.”

Unlike DC and Marvel properties, The F1rst Hero is creator owned material, which according to Ruttgaizer, gives him the freedom to tell the stories he wants to tell.

“Thankfully I’m hooked up with Action Lab, which is a great growing company, and a lot of the mind numbing, baffling work that would go into being completely self-published is taken care of by a great group of guys who came together to make books like this happen,” Ruttgaizer said.

Ruttgaizer said creating comics is something he wanted to do since he picked up the first issue of Wolverine as a kid. He said he hosted panels at Toronto ComiCon in the 1990s and has interviewed writer Chris Claremont, famous for his run on X-Men in the 1980s.

However, this is the first time he has been a guest on a panel.

“It’s fun to interact with the audience,” Ruttgaizer said.