MORGANTOWN — From photo ops with The Flash to meet-and-greets with zombie-slayers, Mountaineer Comic-Con will debut for comic fanatics and pop-culture enthusiasts alike.
“Morgantown is prime — there’s nothing to this magnitude to be held like this in the area,” said Dave Plavi, promoter for the comic and pop culture convention. “You have to travel to Pittsburgh or Washington, D.C. just to have something like this of this size [or] this type in the area.”
Lex Luthor, The Armorer from The Mandalorian, and a squad of Power Rangers are just a few who will make an appearance at the event, which will be held from Sept. 24-26 at Mylan Park’s Hazel and J.W. Ruby Community Center. On Friday and Saturday, doors will be open from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Featuring 30 guest celebrities and 150 vendors and artists, attendees are traveling from across the country to check it out. Plavi said more than 4,000 tickets have already been purchased from 39 states and two Canadian provinces.
Tickets will also be available for purchase during the event and Plavi said organizers anticipate an additional 2,000 tickets will be sold throughout the weekend. Tickets for entry, photo-ops and more can be purchased in advance online. Tickets for entry start at $25.
Vendors will be loading up their inventory and making the trip to West Virginia from several states as well, including Florida, Wyoming, New York and North Carolina. Among the vendors will be Bill Kridle of Smithfield, Pa., owner of the online store Finders Keepers Comics and Collectibles. Kridle’s shop specializes in Funko POP! Vinyl Figures and comic books.
Although he has traveled to several other conventions, this will be his first in the Mountain State.
“It’s just exciting to know that we’re starting to build a comic con locally here in the area,” he said, “just so we can have something within Morgantown and also the tri-state area that we can have for years to come.”
Attendees can also visit with vendors local to Morgantown, including Four Horsemen Comics and Gaming.
“Anything that drives individuals to come into Morgantown for events like this is great for our community,” said Nick Seiler, comics manager. “It helps local businesses, helps promote local businesses, and genuinely draws attention to a really great community.”
Plavi has been working to make Mountaineer Comic-Con a reality since December of 2019 and said it has been no easy task. He typically puts together events in Orlando and Atlanta, but decided it was time to bring an event closer to home.
Looking to the future, Plavi said he is excited for this weekend’s event to be the first of many Mountaineer Comic-Cons.
“It’s all about being able to keep events like this in the Morgantown area and keeping them going and getting bigger and bigger every year,” Plavi said.
Additional information on the event can be found at www.mountaineercomiccon.com.
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