Pop Con coming to West Virginia University at Parkersburg

WVU-P is teaming up with local businesses for the convention which runs from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday in the College Activities Center for a celebration of comics, science fiction, gaming, costuming, cyber culture, music, film.

Adult general admission for this event is $5, with children ages 12 and under admitted free with the purchase of any adult ticket. VIP tickets are $20 and allow admission to the event at 10 a.m.

For more information about the Parkersburg Pop Con, contact Peshka Calloway, WVU-P alumni specialist, at 304-424-8395 or [email protected].

In a separate but related event, Crooked Letter Creative and Astral Theatre Collective will present the play “Carmilla” at 8 p.m. Saturday in the college theater. Tickets are $15. The group presented “Sherlock Holmes and the Beast of Whitechapel” at the college last year.

“Carmilla” tells the story of a mysterious stranger who enters the lives of an Eastern European family in the late Victorian era. She is charming, she is beautiful, and she is intriguing. Yet for all of these qualities, she carries a terrifying secret. Is anyone safe from the charms of Carmilla in an adaptation of the classic work by Sheridan Le Fanu.

Parkersburg Po Con will showcase national and local pop culture figures, including authors, publishers, designers and artists. Highlights of the event include video game tournaments, table games, podcast panels and cosplay panels.

New to Pop Con, this year is an event called B-Roll inspired by Mystery Science Theater 3000. Audience members will be able to tweet comments about the movie and see them show up on the movie screen. Another new addition will be Exploding Tarantula Entertainment which is screening “Big Terror Film Festival” top selections that will be featured at its Oct. 1 film festival.

Convention attendees will have the opportunity to meet industry professionals, including:

* Jeremy Ambler, a West Virginian actor, director, and writer with acting roles in AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” Adrian Moat’s “Killing Lincoln” and James Franco’s “Child of God.”

* Tim Shinn, a freelance illustrator originally from Elkview, W.Va., who has created artwork for Hasbro, Mattel, Topps, Disney, DC Comics, Dark Horse, IDW, Valiant, Alterna, Dynamite and Upper Deck.

* Rusty Shackles, an illustrator from Dayton, Ohio, known for the Hardcore Gaming 101 cover illustration, retro gaming art on Paletteswap and InsertQuarterBin, as a veteran contributor to ComicsAlliance, 1up, GameSpy, Oni Press, Antarctic Press, MonkeyBrain and numerous Nerdcore music acts.

Over 50 vendors from West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia and Kentucky will be at the convention. Several will be industry professionals, actors, writers, artists, selling comics, toys, food, video games and more.

The event schedule includes:

 10 a.m.: Doors open for VIP ticket holders (80 additional VIP tickets will be available at the door).

11 a.m.: Doors open for general admission ticket holders, and Parkersburg Pop Con begins.

11 a.m. to noon: Wilson’s House of Cosplay panel – Panelists Anthony Wilson, owner of Wilson’s House of Cosplay, Amanda Fisher, and WVU-P student Ashton Buzzard present “Cosplay 101” which will focus on props, costume creation, and makeup.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Tabletop gaming will be presented by Industry WV Games.

11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Indie film festival screening will be presented by Exploding Tarantula Entertainment.

Noon to 1 p.m.: Live podcast will be presented by The Dueling Ogres and What’s Going On? with Cash and Joel and the Freebird.

1-2 p.m.: Judging for youth cosplay contest takes place (Guests can register for this event at the door); Video game tournament “Super Smash Brothers”for Wii U will be presented by River City Rumbles (Registration opens at noon and the entry fee is $10.)

2-3 p.m.: Judging for adult cosplay contest takes place (Guests can register for this event at the door).

3:30 p.m.: Cosplay panel begins, featuring Bunny Bombshell, Miranda Fitzjurls, and WVU-P alumnus Justin Williamson as “Mr. J.”

3:30-4:30 p.m.: Video game tournament presented by River City Rumbles (“Injustice 2: Gods Among Us” for XBOX One. Registration opens at noon, and the entry fee is $10).

3:50-5 p.m.: B-Roll Cinema presents a “Mystery Science Theater 3000”inspired movie showing.

4-5 p.m.: Cosplay contest awards ceremony takes place. Top Cosplayers will be awarded in categories of Best Hero Male & Female, Best Villain Male & Female, Best Youth Hero, Best Youth Villain, Best Prop, and Most Creative.