History & Mission
Our History
Founded in 2012 by Bob Jenkins and Michael Savene, the Akron Comicon is an annual event created to celebrate newspaper comics and comic books as an original American art form, and to promote comics as a viable entertainment medium by bringing creators, dealers and fans together for a weekend of fun and interaction designed for the entire family.
Since its inception, the con has welcomed over 60 different professional creators, and has always made it a point to include and promote local talent. This commitment to the men and women responsible for some of the industry’s most influential and long-standing work has been highlighted by an annual Akron Comicon Fan Award given to a distinguished guest or team to celebrate their accomplishments.
A New Ownership Team
Led by local creators Dan Gorman and Jason Miller, Altered Realm Productions purchased the comicon in 2019. While committed to Bob and Michael’s original vision of keeping fans first, the new team plans to continue the show’s growth with the mission of promoting comics past, present and future.
Listen to Dan and Jason every Saturday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Altered Realm Radio at KRMA Internet Radio. Call in at 330-673-2428 or email alteredrealmradio@gmail.com
Our Mission
As stated above, our purpose is to help promote newspaper comics and comic books as an original American art form and viable entertainment medium by bringing dealers, creators, fans and hobbyists together for a weekend of fun and interaction in a family-friendly environment.
Our slogan, “Fans first, fans always!” characterizes our personal commitment to keeping the “comic” in “comicon.” While it acts as our founding principle, the show’s structure is characterized in the statement “celebrating comics past, comics present and comics future.”
Comics Past and Present
Comics past and present are represented by creators of mainstream newspaper comics and comic books. We’ll always invite guests that represent the past and the present of the art medium, and provide programing to celebrate their contributions.
Independent publishers will also be a focus. Given all the changes within the publishing industry in recent years, we see the “indie” publisher as a viable alternative to mainstream publishing. The independent publisher has been and will be blazing new ground for the future of comics.
Comics Future
Comics future is represented through outreach to the next generation that will carry on established traditions. In addition to providing activities designed to promote the medium to younger guests, we’re committed to keeping the show affordable for families.
Many early comic creators were often paid little for their work, and not allowed to keep their creations. That’s why the Akron Comicon is proud to be a charity supporter of the Hero Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators, writers and artists in need.
Now’s your chance to be a hero, and help support the numerous talented individuals that spawned the fictional universes and characters we’ve come to know and love.
Are you a comic shop or independent dealer looking to set up shop for the weekend? How about a creator, organization or club looking to expand your reach? No matter what your marketing and promotional goals are, the Akron Comicon has the right exhibitor space for you.
Keep in mind a floor plan doesn’t have an infinite number of square footage. Don’t be left out. Reserve your spot at the show today.
The Avengers, the Justice League, the X-Men – if our favorite comic books have taught us anything, it’s that no one hero is as strong as a unified team of them.
The same principle applies to the Akron Comicon. As a non-profit organization, we’re always on the lookout for volunteers to help out in a variety of ways. Interested in making your mark? Please consider joining our talented team.
