Comic Con returning with characters, Disney artists
MENLO PARK — The Stormtroopers are coming.
The Menlo Park Library is hosting the city’s second free Comic Con from 3 to 7 p.m. May 13, and this time around, Star Wars characters will mingle with attendees.
The first event last October was such a success, luring roughly 250 attendees, that it’s now a permanent annual event to occur each spring.
Library outreach coordinator John Weaver equated getting Stormtroopers to finding the Holy Grail.
“I don’t know that we can do any better than our Stormtroopers,” Weaver said. “Anybody who spends a lot of time going to Comic Cons and comic store events has seen (this group). They’re a fixture at the Comic Con in San Diego.”
The Stormtroopers will be portrayed by the 501st Legion’s Golden Gate Garrison. Also on hand will be the Mandalorian Mercs’ Wolves of Mandalore, a Boba Fett fan club, and the Coruscant Temple of the Dark Empire, portraying Star Wars characters from the dark side. Continuing the Star Wars theme, the Cantina Band returns with music from Star Wars as well as other films and video games. For an additional fee, attendees will be able to participate in a light saber combat workshop.
Weaver said there are more artists on tap this year, including artists from the Walt Disney Family Museum who will show people how to create their own comics. Anna Cebrian, co-owner of Illusive Comics in Santa Clara, will be back with a new lecture titled “How to Run a Comic Project on Kickstarter.”
There will be a cosplay contest, Pokemon Go! lures will be dropped at the top of every hour, the free photo booth returns and two movies will screen during the event, “King Kong vs. Godzilla,” the first time the monsters appeared in color in 1962, and “V For Vendetta,” the 2005 adaptation of the DC Comics graphic novel.
For more information, visit menlopark.org/comiccon, where attendees can reserve a free ticket. Weaver said people who show their tickets at the event will be entered into a raffle and possibly receive goodie bags containing donated comics, books and other items.