In addition to dozens of vendors, the Akron Comicon on Saturday will have a number of presentations and competitions. They include:
• Six panel discussions. Prop man Mike May will discuss Hollywood Magic at 11 a.m. The Siegel and Shuster Society (named for Superman creators and Clevelanders Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster) will talk about Superman and the society at 1 p.m. Comic-books veterans Mike W. Barr, Norm Breyfogle and Joe Staton will form a panel at 2 p.m.; writer Marc Sumerak will present How to Create Your Own Comic Book at 3 p.m.; comics legend Gerry Conway will chat with moderator Chris Yambar at 4 p.m., and local comics star Tom Batiuk will speak about the 40th anniversary of Funky Winkerbean at 5 p.m. Each session will run 50 minutes.
• The Akron Public Schools Comic Book Cover Contest. Area students have submitted covers for a comic about an existing character or an original one. Judging begins at 11:45 a.m., with winners announced at noon. Batiuk, Staton and Joseph Miller will judge,
• Costumes for Charity. People in costumes can compete in the categories of best kids, best female, best male, best runner-up and best overall costume. Judging will be during the last hour of Comicon. For every costume worn to the convention, the Comicon will donate $1 to the Hero Initiative, an organization helping aging comics creators with their health-care needs, and another $1 to the Elyria Comic Book Initiative, which promotes literacy through comic books.
Costumes, by the way, must be tasteful, with nothing too revealing, gory or offensive, in keeping with the event’s family focus. And a T-shirt with a logo does not by itself count as a costume.
• HeroClix Tournament. Players can compete in this superheroes-themed strategy board game, with the tournament starting at 1 p.m. There is a $5 entry fee. You can preregister at www.HeroClixWorld.com/AkronComicon.
