Phillipsburg High School will host their annual Comic Con on May 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Headlining guests include Joe Kelly, the creator of Ben 10, Fabian Nicieza, the creator of Deadpool, and José Luis García-López, iconic DC artist. For a $5 entrance you can meet over 70 comic artists, writers, letterers, and colorists.
While the Phillipsburg High School Comic, Anime, and Unify Clubs host the convention, the entire community comes together to sponsor the event. Local businesses like Joe’s Steak Shop, Jimmy’s Doggie Stand, and Nicolosi’s Pizza are providing free lunch to attendees (while supplies last) and local businesses and organizations like Phillipsburg Education Association, McWane Ductile, JAF Comics, and Aw Yeah Comics help fund the event.
As in previous years, there will be free activities for kids from 10am to 2pm including inking a comic page, coloring a cover, creating a superhero, building a superhero bracer, or making hand paintings.
Attendees can also get a comic con exclusive print by bringing a canned food item or making a monetary donation to the NORWESCAP food bank. They can also bid on original art and signed items in the silent auction – proceeds from the auction benefit The Domestic Abuse Sexual Assault Crisis Center of Warren County (DASACC)
Nearly every hour, the students will be hosting panels with the comic creators. In the past, panels have included basic writing tips, industry stories, sequential storytelling, virtual Q & As and in-person discussions about writing and publishing.
The Phillipsburg High School cafeteria is transformed into a comic lover’s dream with creators displaying their work, engaging with Comic Con attendees and giving students an inside look at how they can continue to pursue their passion for art and writing.
Faith Roncoroni, the 2021-22 Warren County Teacher of the Year, and an English teacher at Phillipsburg High School, helped to create the Comic Con to expose her students to opportunities they might not have.
Roncoroni teaches comic books and graphic novels in her English classes as a way to expand the canon and make reading more accessible for students. She also teaches an Analyzing Comics elective and co-teaches Making Comics with Keith Dwyer, a PHS art teacher who also loves comics.
She is amazed at the hard work and dedication students have displayed over nearly a decade of holding the Comic Con: “The students work every day to prepare for the comic con,” Roncoroni says. “They contact creators, send out monthly cards, paint posters, and work with local comic book shops and restaurants. This project really brings out their leadership skills and perseverance – as anyone who’s ever had to organize an event will tell you, it takes persistence!”
For more information about the Phillipsburg High School Comic Con, go to phillipsburgcomiccon.com.