Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Oct 1, 2014 22:58:06 GMT -6
The Columbia, South Carolina, convention Supah Pop is modeled along the lines of the nearby Dragon Con, with a strong comics presence (including a guest appearance by former Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas) but plenty of other pop-culture attractions as well.
www.free-times.com/arts/supah-pop-celebrates-comics-and-pop-culture-100114
If there’s a Charles Xavier of Columbia’s comic culture, it’s Chris Foss, owner of Heroes & Dragons. Much like Professor X nurtures young X-Men in his School for Gifted Youngsters, Foss has been nourishing Columbia’s comic scene for nearly 30 years.
Supah Pop Comic and Pop Culture Expo will be Foss’ next contribution to comic culture in this city. It happens Oct. 5 at Jamil Temple.
Supah Pop will be a con — a convention, as in Comic-Con and the like — even if not in name. Comic fans may find themselves starry-eyed at the prospect of meeting industry actors, artists and writers. Among the attendees will be Roy Thomas, former chief editor at Marvel. Fans can also start drooling while they think of picking up that rare book from one of many vendors or finally laying that lingering plot question to rest through the numerous panel discussions. It’s going to be a carnival of fandom, capable of satiating even the most over-indulged comic junkies.
It’s an event that has finally found its time, Foss says.
“When I was young, you had to kind of hide in the closest and read your comics,” he says. “Today, everyone’s into it … it’s not a pigeonholed market like they were at one time.”
Unlike decades ago, Foss says, comics have long since become accepted as part of the mainstream culture.
But Supah Pop will appeal to more than just hardcore comic fans. When creating the event, Foss had in mind Atlanta’s Dragon Con. The cross-genre convention recently brought in more than 50,000 people. Many fans make the trip from nearby smaller towns to attend. Foss wanted to break down the boundaries for comic and pop-culture fans in Columbia who may not be able to go to events like Dragon Con.
Of course, Columbia has other cons, such as the hip-hop based Cola-Con and the animé and cosplay event Nashicon. Supah Pop will bring comics together with the many genres of pop-culture fandom that Foss sees growing in Columbia. Sci-fi fans, fantasy fans, cosplayers, steampunks, toy collectors, gamers, hip-hop heads, TV and movie fans — anything you can conjure, basically, will have a space at Supah Pop.
“I want to cater to the bigger cross-section of culture and comics,” Foss says. “I want to try to tap into all the pop culture going on today at one place and one time.”
That tornado blend of genres and comics into different mediums, particularly film, has resulted in what Foss says is a paradigm shift in today’s culture. The Avengers, The Dark Knight and The Walking Dead are no longer part of a trending pop-culture, but rather massive mainstream successes that have brought fandom out of the closet and created a climate Foss hopes will support Supah Pop in a mid-sized city like Columbia.
Roy Thomas, former chief editor at Marvel and creator of many classic characters, will be a guest at Supah Pop. He’s kind of a big deal. Thomas says he’s enthused to witness the movement of comics into new mediums and genres.
“It’s great to have all these various genres,” Thomas says. “I tried to do that when I was Marvel’s editor back in the early ’70s. Stan Lee and I worked at that time to try and broaden things,” Thomas says. “Since comics are a popular culture and movies are, it’s only inevitable that these blend in.”
If the event goes the way Foss hopes it will, it could amount to a culmination of his lasting contributions to the Soda City.
“I think it’s going to create a good thing for Columbia,” Foss says.
Supah Pop Comic and Pop-Culture Expo will be at the Jamil Temple, 206 Jamil Rd, on Oct. 5 beginning at 11a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. Entry is $5. For more information visit supahpop.com. - See more at: www.free-times.com/arts/supah-pop-celebrates-comics-and-pop-culture-100114#sthash.b6WPkhIY.dpuf
www.free-times.com/arts/supah-pop-celebrates-comics-and-pop-culture-100114
If there’s a Charles Xavier of Columbia’s comic culture, it’s Chris Foss, owner of Heroes & Dragons. Much like Professor X nurtures young X-Men in his School for Gifted Youngsters, Foss has been nourishing Columbia’s comic scene for nearly 30 years.
Supah Pop Comic and Pop Culture Expo will be Foss’ next contribution to comic culture in this city. It happens Oct. 5 at Jamil Temple.
Supah Pop will be a con — a convention, as in Comic-Con and the like — even if not in name. Comic fans may find themselves starry-eyed at the prospect of meeting industry actors, artists and writers. Among the attendees will be Roy Thomas, former chief editor at Marvel. Fans can also start drooling while they think of picking up that rare book from one of many vendors or finally laying that lingering plot question to rest through the numerous panel discussions. It’s going to be a carnival of fandom, capable of satiating even the most over-indulged comic junkies.
It’s an event that has finally found its time, Foss says.
“When I was young, you had to kind of hide in the closest and read your comics,” he says. “Today, everyone’s into it … it’s not a pigeonholed market like they were at one time.”
Unlike decades ago, Foss says, comics have long since become accepted as part of the mainstream culture.
But Supah Pop will appeal to more than just hardcore comic fans. When creating the event, Foss had in mind Atlanta’s Dragon Con. The cross-genre convention recently brought in more than 50,000 people. Many fans make the trip from nearby smaller towns to attend. Foss wanted to break down the boundaries for comic and pop-culture fans in Columbia who may not be able to go to events like Dragon Con.
Of course, Columbia has other cons, such as the hip-hop based Cola-Con and the animé and cosplay event Nashicon. Supah Pop will bring comics together with the many genres of pop-culture fandom that Foss sees growing in Columbia. Sci-fi fans, fantasy fans, cosplayers, steampunks, toy collectors, gamers, hip-hop heads, TV and movie fans — anything you can conjure, basically, will have a space at Supah Pop.
“I want to cater to the bigger cross-section of culture and comics,” Foss says. “I want to try to tap into all the pop culture going on today at one place and one time.”
That tornado blend of genres and comics into different mediums, particularly film, has resulted in what Foss says is a paradigm shift in today’s culture. The Avengers, The Dark Knight and The Walking Dead are no longer part of a trending pop-culture, but rather massive mainstream successes that have brought fandom out of the closet and created a climate Foss hopes will support Supah Pop in a mid-sized city like Columbia.
Roy Thomas, former chief editor at Marvel and creator of many classic characters, will be a guest at Supah Pop. He’s kind of a big deal. Thomas says he’s enthused to witness the movement of comics into new mediums and genres.
“It’s great to have all these various genres,” Thomas says. “I tried to do that when I was Marvel’s editor back in the early ’70s. Stan Lee and I worked at that time to try and broaden things,” Thomas says. “Since comics are a popular culture and movies are, it’s only inevitable that these blend in.”
If the event goes the way Foss hopes it will, it could amount to a culmination of his lasting contributions to the Soda City.
“I think it’s going to create a good thing for Columbia,” Foss says.
Supah Pop Comic and Pop-Culture Expo will be at the Jamil Temple, 206 Jamil Rd, on Oct. 5 beginning at 11a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. Entry is $5. For more information visit supahpop.com. - See more at: www.free-times.com/arts/supah-pop-celebrates-comics-and-pop-culture-100114#sthash.b6WPkhIY.dpuf