Comedy Central

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At the Camden Comic Con, held on April 5 at Rutgers University–Camden, Superman, a.k.a. Brian Gregory, eagerly reads about his latest exploits, one of the many superheroes, villains, and characters animating the hundreds of comic books available for purchase during the inaugural event, which drew hundreds to canvass table after table of offerings, talk to illustrators and authors, and sit in on panel discussions.

Photography: 

Benoit Cortet

Comic book illustrators and authors, both novice and seasoned pro, came from all points on the compass to take part in the inaugural Camden Comic Con, held on April 5 at Rutgers University–Camden during a daylong jamboree for artists, aficionados, and their families. The event, put on by the Art Students League at Rutgers–Camden and the Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts, had vendors doing a robust business in memorabilia and art while the rock band Knuckle Puck Time filled the Campus Center with theme music from favorite cartoons and video games.

Among the speakers heading up panels, Julie Still and Zara Wilkinson, librarians at the Paul Robeson Library, discussed women and gender in science fiction, fantasy, and comics. Writer, educator, and film buff Robert Repici CCAS’09 talked about the evolution of superhero comics. Jan Marc Quisumbing MGSA’04, art director for Pronto Comics, gave portfolio pointers to aspiring artists; and Mark Robinson, creator of I Love Trouble and Dragon Age, led a youth workshop on graphic-novel basics.