Saturday, October 14th, was a pleasant fall day for the second annual Comic Book Fest! Families and fans alike came out to meet the seventeen Independent artists from a vairey of genres.
A new addition this year was the Cos-Play Contest! We had a great turnout by cosplayers ranging in ages 3-adult. The three age categories produced 1st, 2nd and 3rd place all were awarded a prize. The Cos-Play contest brought a very cool element to the fest.
We held creator panels again this year. Our guests did a great job answering questions. This is one part of the fest we tend to improve on for next year.
From inddependent comic book creators, authors, illustrators and artists, the fest was a huge success. We are already in the works of planning next years third annual Comic Book Fest!
A huge thank you to The Athol Public Library and a special thanks to Emily and Robin, and of course to all of the people who took part – we could not do this without all of you!
All posts by Diana Tamulevich
The Canadian Shield Issues 1 & 2
Blending Christianity and comic books seems an unlikely match, but Rick Piper at Cross Comics has done just that with his comic book series “The Canadian Shield.” Although there is a Jesus vibe to his stories, it’s not preachy. Rather, he uses various elements and plot structures to introduce an angel messenger from God who sends Canadian Shield off on missions of moral pursuit. But I am getting ahead of myself…
In his first issue of Canadian Shield, the reader is introduced to his protagonist, Man Like Cougar, the name reflects the character Indigenous heritage. Man Like Cougar, begins his journey with Jesus, but it’s not that simple. Add time travel and a suit that allows the wearer to become an enhanced version of himself with super powers then pepper in heroic adventures blessed by God, makes this comic book an interesting read!
Canadian Shield #2 uses the same protagonist, Man Like Cougar. In this issue he continues to receive heavenly orders and meets the antagonist, Toxico. This character is on a mission to destroy a nuclear power plant, possibly killing millions. Man Like Cougar aka the Canadian Shield is sent to stop Toxico. Throughout the narrative, Piper touches upon Christian theology, but again he does a good job of not shoving it down one’s throat, so to speak. Once again Canadian Shield, a superhero for God, takes down Toxico one punch at a time!
The Positives.
Rick Piper’s desire to combine his love for superheroes and his love for Jesus is appreciated. I enjoyed the quirkiness of his character’s and his creativity in the overall story arcs. The basic superhero plot structure is duly noted in both issues. The pacing in both issues was reasonable and it had enough dialogue/action to keep the reader engaged. I preferred the coloring, panel layout and dialogue boxes in issue 2, however, issue 1 idiosyncratic’s coloring, panel layout and lettering at times diverted my attention from the story.
Areas that need work.
The most notable area in issue 1 that should be addressed is the different styles of fonts used as well as the many typographical and grammatical errors. An editor would have been able to help in this area. Issue 2 on the other hand did not have those errors. I enjoyed the addition of Piper Pulpit, but the overall tone and word usage could use some tightening up. To take these stories to the next level and reach a wider audience, a solid comic book editor could really help.
Overall both issues were an interesting read and since I know the creator, I know how much of his heart and soul he puts into his work. I look forward to reading his next issue of Canadian Shield!
The Berge Sisters Tour The Neitherswarth – Book Review
Author JL DuRona’s love for mythical, macabre and peculiar does not disappoint in his fantastical tale entitled, “The Berge Sisters Tour The Neitherswarth.” He received his BA in Children’s Literature from Castleton University in 2007 and earned his MFA from the Center for Cartoon Studies in 2011.
If you are a fan of books like Goosebumps, by R.L.Stine and The Night Gardener, by Jonathan Auxier, then you are in for a wonderful journey into the wondrous world of the The Berge Sisters!
Stepsister’s Cal and Lacey have a tumultuous beginning but as they embark on a crazy journey into a world unknown located in the depths of her great uncle’s mysterious mansion their relationship grows into love and respect. Monster’s, spiritual forces and relatable themes are all found in this well-written, thoroughly engaging chapter book for the young adult population. Although, as an adult, I enjoyed the complexities of the characters and the interesting twists and turns that held my attention throughout.
JL DuRona birthed a wonderfully paced young adult story that will keep even adults turning the pages. His characters were well crafted, likable as well as relatable. The plot was suspenseful and engaging. He used contemporary themes such as step families, sibling rivalry and death of a parent and was able to write them in a way young adults can relate. His use of prose was brilliant! All in all, I give his first book five stars and I look forward to his next book!
A Fun Time For All!
In it’s second year, the Rail City Fan Fest did not disappoint. Held in the beautiful Saint Albans, Vermont on June 24-25, 2023, Luke Hungerford the owner and promoter of this new event did an amazing job welcoming the vendors and artist’s alike.
The Fan Fest was held at the Collins Perley Sports Center, Luke provided bottled water, donuts, coffee, finger sandwiches as welll as pizza for all of the vendors and artists. The two-day event featured a varity of pop-culture vendors, comic book creators and the typical comic con bling. There was a video game tournament, cosplay contest , trivia contest for both children and adults, as well as entertainment by NYE Mechworks Fighting robots.
Hero Shack’s personal highlight was the introduction T-Mach, the all in one creator and producer of the current Hero Shack collection of amazing comic books.
Overall, it was a well run and friendly event. One in which we plan to attend next year!