Maui Comic Con returns Oct. 24-15 for a weekend of fandom, fantasy and fun
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Maui will transform once again into a gathering place for comic-book fans, artists, cosplayers, collectors and pop-culture enthusiasts when Maui Comic Con returns to the University of Hawaii Maui College on Oct. 24-25.
Founded by friends Alika Seki of Maui Comics and Collectibles and comic book fan Kenneth Gardner, the free annual event continues a tradition that began in 2016 with the idea of bringing the excitement of a comic convention to Maui.
"The real inspiration was Oahu kept getting all the fun stuff and Maui got nothing," Seki explained. "Nobody on Maui could afford to fly, and the hotel. Even if their convention was free, it wouldn't be affordable, and their conventions aren't free."
With more than 4,000 people expected to attend the two-day event, the free Maui Comic Con is designed as "a gathering of everybody who is either interested in or creating comics coming together to celebrate the medium," said Seki.
Special guests will include artists Dan Brereton, Jackie Kong, Michael Bair and James Silvani.
"We have some big Marvel artists like Michael Bair and Dan Brereton," Seki noted. "They work on horror titles, so I thought the Halloween theme would fit with them, and Cat Staggs has worked with the movie director John Carpenter. Jackie Kong is a director who actually creates comics. She made a comic for her latest concept of a movie she hopes to make someday, which I thought was a brilliant idea."
Kong is also a producer and screenwriter, and she is known for irreverent comedies and over-the-top horror films. Brereton is known for the Eisner-nominated "Batman: Thrillkiller," and "Legends of the World's Finest" for DC Comics, as well as "JLA: Seven Caskets" and "Legends of the Dark Knight."
Bair illustrated Marvel's "Hellstrom," "Spider-Man/Dr. Strange" and "X-Men," and Harris Comics' "Vampirella." Staggs is best known for her work on the New York Times bestselling title "Smallville Season 11" from DC Comics and the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel "Love is Love." Silvani is a Hawaii-based cartoonist and illustrator whose work spans Disney comics, children's books and fine art.
One of the weekend's major attractions will be the Night Darling Cosplay Competition, organized by Lynn Quiocho, known as Night Darling, who has been cosplaying for more than seven years and has helped make the competition one of Hawaii's largest.
"She does such a great job organizing that she also helps the Kauai Comic Convention," said Seki.
In past years, the competition has attracted 60 contestants, "which would be bigger than some of the Oahu events," said Seki. "On average, there's maybe around 30 to 40."
Besides the goal of the convention hopefully bringing in more fans to comics, Seki said it also encourages literacy. "Comics are one of the main, most efficient gateways into literacy for young readers. I think most people's story nowadays on their literacy journey includes comic books. It inspires young people into being motivated to learn how to read, because the sequential art tells the story, and then they know that the words are telling more of the story that they already like. So they reread it multiple times until their only option is to learn what the words are saying to get more out of it."
As usual, the Maui Comic Con is free to attend. "I believe that a convention is not truly accessible until everybody can get there," said Seki. "That means it has to be free, because once you put any price on it, that's a barrier to entry for some."
The Maui Comic Con will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 24-25 at the University of Hawaii Maui College. For more information, visit TheMauiComicCon.com.
Alika Seki also serves as a director of Maui Nui Media and Creativity Collaborative. The nonprofit recently took ownership of Maui Publishing Co., which owns and publishes The Maui News. Seki had no role in the reporting, editing or publication of this article.