Super Heroic

In the fall of 1969, Queen City Bookstore, one of America’s first comic book shops, opened in Buffalo. The three generation family owned and operated business is the city’s oldest running bookstore and its owner Emil Novak would surely bleed comic book ink if you cut him. Novak is also the promoter for this Sunday’s Buffalo Comicon convention 10am to 5pm at the Marriot Inn in Amherst (1340 Millersport near UB).

Comic Conventions, or Comic Art Conventions as they were called back in the beginning, have been around since the mid 1960s. Back then they were a combination of science fiction books, horror magazines, sports cards, character toys, people dressing up in costumes, movie memorabilia and of course comic books.

As time went by all of the sub-genres that were at Comic Conventions, like sports cards, eventually separated and went their own way. The core attraction remained comic books, dressing in costumes, horror magazines and some science fiction.

Fast-forward to the early 2000s and a comic book convention aptly named “Comic-Con International: San Diego” tosses aside the core of the original 1970s promoters of the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) and partners with Hollywood. Today the San Diego comic convention is as famous as any popular culture event in America. Yet in spite of its Hollywood glitz and media coverage, it still remains a comic book convention. There’s a reason for that.

True comic book fans still love the good old fashioned comic book, always have and always will. And no matter how much Hollywood media and superhero movies are mashed into the Comic-Con culture those little funny books will always be close to the hearts of comic fans.

With Comic-Cons springing up in major cities across the U.S. and as far away as India, Algeria, Malaysia and elsewhere, it was natural for Queen City Bookstore to create Buffalo Comicon; now in its 15th year this annual comic book convention thrives in Buffalo, NY.

Check out a Comiccon and its entertaining cast of fans in costumes, booksellers and colorful displays of fantasy. You won’t be disappointed. Today they call dressing in costumes “Cosplay” and this is always a hoot to see or even participate if you want to let out your inner super hero. Buffalo’s best comiccon is this Sunday, October 5, 10am-5pm.

Like jazz music and hamburgers, comic books are 100% American. And for the record, real comic book aficionados prefer comics on newsprint. The glossy image of today’s comics are undeniably amazing, but newsprint is how it started and its charm still resounds for those original gems.