Ohio Comic Con

The Wizard World Ohio Comic Con, formerly known as Mid-Ohio Con, is a comic book convention held during the fall in Columbus, Ohio, United States, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Initially held in early November, from 1994–2007 the Mid-Ohio Con took place on the first weekend after Thanksgiving. Normally a two-day event (Saturday and Sunday), in 2012 it expanded to three days (Friday through Sunday).

Ohio Comic Con
Former Mid-Ohio Con logo
StatusActive
GenreSpeculative fiction
VenueRichland County Fairgrounds (1985–1988)
Hyatt Regency/Columbus Convention Center (1993–1996)
Adam's Mark Hotel (1997–1999)
Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center (2000–2005)
Greater Columbus Convention Center (2006–present)
Location(s)Mansfield, Ohio (c. 1980–1995)
Columbus, Ohio (1996–present)
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1980
Attendance5,000 – 8,000[1]
Organized byWizard Entertainment
Filing statusFor Profit
Websitewww.wizardworld.com/home-ohio.html

The Mid-Ohio Con was founded in 1980. In 2010, the convention was acquired by Wizard Entertainment. Wizard hosts thirteen annual conventions, including in Chicago, Philadelphia, Anaheim, Austin, and New Orleans.

History

The Mid-Ohio Con was founded in 1980 by voice actor and announcer Roger A. Price.[2] Over the years, Price used the show to raise money for various charities (frequently the March of Dimes), raising a total of over $1,000,000.[3] (Price himself was a polio survivor.)[4] Initially, the convention was held in various venues throughout central Ohio before settling in Columbus, where it has been located since 1993.[5]

The 1985 show, held at the Richland County Fairgrounds in Mansfield, Ohio, featured the announcement of John Byrne's relaunch of the Superman books. (Byrne made regular appearances at the convention from 1981–2004.) In 1988 small press publisher Bob Corby premiered the first issue of Oh,Comics!, a 40-page minicomic featuring the work of twelve Ohio small press artists. Corby produced new issues of Oh, Comics! in conjunction with the Mid-Ohio Con for the next twenty years, ultimately publishing the work of over 100 creators ranging in age from ten to sixty.[6]

By 1993, the show had moved to the Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention Center.[5] The 1994 show featured an auction and a costume contest/dance party, both benefiting the Columbus Ronald McDonald House.[7] The 1996 show featured a "Small Press Expo."[8] The 1997 show moved to Columbus' Adam's Mark Hotel and featured a Tony Isabella roast.[8] The 1998 show was promoted in the panels of Tom Batiuk's syndicated newspaper strip, Funky Winkerbean, in which one of the characters journeyed to the show to search for a long-lost Hopalong Cassidy comic book.[9]

In 2000, the show expanded and moved to the Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center. The 2002 and 2003 conventions featured special karaoke parties hosted by actor Andy Hallett. Both parties raised money for the American Diabetes Association.[10]

In 2006, the Mid-Ohio Con increased in size again and moved to Battelle Hall, part of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

In January 2008, founder Price announced he was retiring, and his company R.A.P. Promotions would entertain offers for the convention.[11] In May 2008, the show was acquired by James and Bill Henry of GCX Holdings, and merged with Jamie and Teresa Colegrove's Ohio Comic Con.[2] By then, the show had been struggling a bit, and GCX invigorated new life into it, as well as working closely with Columbus-area comics creators.[12]

In November 2010 the Mid-Ohio Con was acquired by Wizard Entertainment.[13]

Dates and locations
DatesLocationOfficial guestsNotes
November 1980
November 14, 1981Quality Inn Park Place, Mansfield, OhioSpecial guest of honor: John Byrne
November 1982
November 1983Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, MansfieldDavid Prowse
November 1984
November 1985Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, MansfieldJohn Byrne
November 8–9, 1986[14]Fairhaven Hall,[14] Richland County Fairgrounds, MansfieldGuests of honor: Frank Miller, John Byrne,[14] Stephen R. Bissette, John Totleben, and Bill Sienkiewicz
November 1987Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, MansfieldGuest of honor: Dave Sim; other guests: Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, John Ostrander, Denys Cowan, Mike Grell, Carol Kalish[15]
November 26–27, 1988Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, MansfieldStan Lee (special guest), Todd McFarlane, John Byrne, Terry LaBan[16]
November 1989Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield
November 1990Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield
November 1991Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield
September 1992Ashland University, AshlandRoger Stern, John Byrne, and Jim ShooterConvention coincides with publication of DC's The Death of Superman.
November 27–28, 1993Hyatt Regency/Convention Center, ColumbusJohn Byrne, Mike Mignola, Roger SternTickets: $5/day[5]
November 26–27, 1994Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention CenterDick DeBartolo, John Byrne, Jeff Smith, Bernie Wrightson, and Sergio Aragonés15th anniversary show[7]
November 25–26, 1995Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention CenterSpecial guest: Barry Windsor-Smith; other guests: Mark Evanier, Roger Stern, William Messner-Loebs, John Byrne, Sergio Aragonés, Brian Michael Bendis, Martin Egeland, Dick Giordano, David Mack, Joe Pruett, Beau Smith, Jim Shooter, Jeff Smith, and Bernie Wrightson[17]
November 30–December 1, 1996Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention CenterRoger Stern, Darryl Banks, Dick DeBartolo, Tom and Mary Bierbaum, Tony Isabella, Paul Jenkins, Mark Waid, Leah Adezio, Dan Mishkin, Berni Wrightson,[8] Mark Crilley, P. Craig Russell, Jim Shooter, Murphy Anderson, Dick Ayers, Tom Batiuk, John Byrne, Dick DeBartolo, Julius Schwartz, and Jeff Smith[18]Admission: $10/day, $15/weekend[18]
November 29–30, 1997Adam's Mark HotelJohn Byrne, Roger Stern, Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, Sergio Aragonés, Mark Evanier, Mart Nodell, Tony Isabella, Joseph Michael Linsner, Sheldon Moldoff, Terry Moore, Steve Lieber, Jim Ottaviani, Paul Smith, Alvin Schwartz, Murphy Anderson, and Bernie Wrightson[19]
November 28–29, 1998Adam's Mark Hotel[9]Adam West, Frank Gorshin, Tom Batiuk,[9] Tony Isabella,[8] Mark Waid, Paul Storrie, K.C. Carlson, Dan Davis, Roger Stern, Beau Smith, Steve Lieber, Bob Ingersoll, and "Trilogy Tour" II members Jeff Smith, Charles Vess, Linda Medley, Mark Crilley, Jill Thompson, and Stan Sakai
November 27–28, 1999Adam's Mark HotelGuest of honor: Harlan Ellison; other guests: Lou Ferrigno, Dawn Wells, Mark Goddard, Gerard Christopher, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Tom Grummett, Karl Kesel, Joe Kelley, Mike Wieringo, Barry Kitson, and Dave Olbrich20th anniversary show
November 25–26, 2000Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town CenterJune Lockhart, Bill Mumy, Angela Cartwright, Jon Provost, and Yvonne CraigConvention moves to new venue
November 24–25, 2001Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town CenterDave Gibbons and John Byrne
November 30–December 1, 2002Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town CenterJune Lockhart, Yvonne Craig, Ted Raimi, Dick Giordano, Bob Layton, Mark Millar, Mark Evanier, Alan Burnett, Al Feldstein, Jon Provost, Roger Stern, Bob Ingersoll, Paul Jenkins, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Jan Duursema, Jeff Mariotte, Sergio Aragonés, Chuck Rozanski, Tony Isabella, Jeff Smith, David Yukovich, Farel Dalrymple[20]
November 29–30, 2003Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town CenterMike W. Barr, Brian Michael Bendis, Kevin Eastman, Christopher Golden, David W. Mack, Sean McKeever, Jim Mooney, Michael Avon Oeming, Robin Riggs, Chris Sprouse, Mark Verheiden, Mark Wheatley, Mark Waid, and Matt Wagner. Media guests: Walter Koenig, Brad Dourif, Andy Hallett, David Carradine, Michael Jai White, Yvonne Craig, June Lockhart, and Kathy Garver
November 27–28, 2004[21]Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town CenterSergio Aragonés, John Byrne, Talent Caldwell, Stan Goldberg, Marc Hempel, David W. Mack, Michael Avon Oeming, Jeff Smith, and Tom Batiuk25th anniversary show;[21] because of a problem with UPS, the program booklets (with cover art by Adam Hughes) didn't arrive in time for the convention[21]
November 26–27, 2005[21]Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town CenterGreg Horn, Bob Ingersoll, Matt Feazell, Art Baltazar
November 25–26, 2006Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention CenterHerb Trimpe,[22] Beau Smith, Dan Davis, Matt Webb, Darryl Banks, Paul Storrie[23]Convention moves to new venue
November 24–25, 2007Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention CenterSpecial guest: Arthur Suydam; other guests: Doug Jones, Noel Neill, Mark Goddard, Raven, Sergio Aragonés, Matt Haley, Barry Kitson, David W. Mack, Tom Mandrake, Sean McKeever, Brian Pulido, and Steve Rude[1]
October 4–5, 2008Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention CenterDan Mishkin, Chris Claremont, Alan Davis, Joe Kubert, Lou Ferrigno, Jason Mewes, Dick Ayers, Art Baltazar, Tobias S. Buckell, Chris Eliopoulos, Mark Evanier, Gary Friedrich, Mike Grell, Tony Isabella, David W. Mack, Bob McLeod, Steve Rude, P. Craig Russell, Roger Stern, Marc Sumerak, Arthur Suydam, Billy Tucci, Ethan Van Sciver, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, and Bernie Wrightson
October 3–4, 2009Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention CenterBeau Smith, Billy Tucci, Lora Innes, Gary Kwapisz, Ron Frenz, Tony Isabella, Maggie Thompson, Joe Jusko, Michael Golden, Darryl Banks, Jay Fife, Mike Grell, Fred Hembeck, Sean McKeever, Keith Pollard, Josef Rubinstein, P. Craig Russell, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Scott Kolins, and Chris Sprouse[24]
November 6–7, 2010Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention CenterGuests of honor: David Finch and Adam Hughes; special guest: Frank Cho;[25] featured guests: Michael Berryman and Lou Ferrigno. Other guests: Kurt Busiek, Sergio Aragonés, Mark Texeira, Matt Wagner, Jamie Snell, Uko Smith, and Darryl Banks[26]30th anniversary show
October 22–23, 2011Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OhioHeadline guests: Adam West, Burt Ward, Rob Liefeld; other guests: David W. Mack, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jeff Smith, Arthur Suydam, Pasqual Ferry, Mike Grell, Greg Horn, Phil Jimenez, Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Charles Skaggs, Chris Sprouse, Eric Wight, Eliza Frye, Steve Hamaker, Ed Piskor, Thomas Scioli, Marc Sumerak, Carol Tyler, and Ryan Ottley[27]
September 28–30, 2012Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention CenterDean Cain, Lou Ferrigno, Jorge Molina, Greg Horn, Arthur Suydam, Mike McKone, Tom Batiuk, Chad Cicconi, Stuart Sayger, Eliza Dushku, Patrick Stewart, Dirk StrangelyShow renamed Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
September 20–22, 2013Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center
October 31–November 2, 2014Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center
September 18–20, 2015Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center
July 29–31, 2016Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center
August 4–6, 2017Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center
June 8-10, 2018Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center
October 18–20, 2019Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center

Events

Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, there are portfolio review sessions with top comic book and video game companies, and such evening events as a costume contest. Traditional events include hours of programming on all aspects of comic books and pop culture. For many years, comics writer/editor Tony Isabella was the show's panel programming director.[28]

A popular event for a number of years (c. 1995–2001) was the panel game show Comic Book Squares, based on Hollywood Squares. In Comic Book Squares, hosted by Joe Edkins, a group of comics industry "celebrities" sat in a squarish setting, answering comic book and guest-related trivia questions while contestants (selected members of the audience) won prizes.

Like most comic book conventions, the Ohio Comic Con features a large floorspace for exhibitors, including comic book dealers and collectibles merchants. The Ohio Comic Con includes an autograph area, as well as an Artists' Alley where comics artists (as well as writers, models, and celebrities) sign autographs and/or sell or do free sketches.

Criticism

With the show's 2010 acquisition by Wizard Entertainment, according to comics writer Dara Naraghi, complaints arose almost immediately about the change in atmosphere.[12] Whereas once the show was known as relaxed and congenial, and guests were easily accessible to fans,[29] the Wizard-run show forged an aesthetic that Naraghi found to be louder, brasher, and more expensive.[12] Writer J. J. Ulm of the Columbus Free Press had similar complaints about the 2014 show.[30]

Mid-Ohio Con founder Roger A. Price has appeared as a comic book character in Marvel Comics. In The Star Brand #12, written and penciled by frequent Mid-Ohio Con guest John Byrne, Price is introduced as a Red Cross worker (using a cane, married to Jane Price, and living in Mansfield, Ohio,[31] as in real life)[4] who also claims to be "director of the north central Ohio division of the March of Dimes" (a reference to the Mid-Ohio Con's ongoing support for the March of Dimes). The Price character dies in The Star Brand #14 but is later reborn as a temporary holder of the Star Brand. Altogether, the character appears in six issues of The Star Brand.[32]

See also

References
  1. Grossberg, Michael. "Comics treated seriously at convention," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 21, 2007).
  2. Press release. "Mid-Ohio Comic Con merges with Ohio Comic Con, launches new website," Comic Book Resources (May 19, 2008).
  3. Mosby, Chris. "Mid-Ohio-Con Toy Drive," Archived 2011-08-21 at the Wayback Machine Tales from the Longbox (Nov. 12, 2007).
  4. Vrattos, Steve. "I Slept with Stan Lee, Part I: The Cleveland Show," Heroes in My Closet (Aug. 7, 2011).
  5. "This Week in the Arts," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 21, 1993).
  6. Corby, Bob. "Oh,Comics! 20th @ Mid-Ohio Con: Oh,Comics! Celebrates 20th Anniversary at Mid-Ohio Con," Archived 2013-01-19 at Archive.today Back Porch Comics' SPACE (Oct. 1, 2008).
  7. Feran, Tim. "Comic-Book Convention Includes Auction, Party," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 24, 1994).
  8. Van Domelen, Dave. "Dave's Mid-Ohio Con Page," Dave's Online Nest (Dec. 16, 1999).
  9. Bush, Bill. "Convention Gets Plug on the Funny Pages," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 28, 1998).
  10. Press release. "Mid-Ohio-Con & 'Angel's' Andy Hallett support The American Diabetes Association," (Nov. 17, 2003).
  11. Melrose, Kevin. "Roger Price retiring, selling Mid-Ohio-Con" Archived 2012-01-06 at the Wayback Machine. Newsarama (Jan. 20, 2008).
  12. Naraghi, Dara (August 25, 2011). "Why I’m not attending Mid-Ohio-Con 2011 (or: Wizard World can go straight to hell)" Archived 2015-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. Ferret Press–PANEL Blog.
  13. Press release. "Headline Guests Adam West, Burt Ward, Rob Liefeld Announced for 2011!," Archived 2013-04-06 at the Wayback Machine Wizard Entertainment (Nov. 13, 2010).
  14. "The Lively Arts," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 3, 1986).
  15. Davis, Michael. "MICHAEL DAVIS: Who To Blame, Part 2," Comix Mix (Oct. 4, 2011).
  16. "Face Front, True Believers! The Comics Industry Sounds Off on Stan Lee," The Comics Journal #181 (Oct. 1995), p. 88.
  17. "Comics VIPs due in Columbus," Cleveland Plain Dealer (Nov. 19, 1995).
  18. "Top Comic-Book Talents Convene for Aficionados," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 28, 1996).
  19. Sangiacomo, Mike. "Superman Vet Had Write Stuff: Alviin Schwartz will make Rare Public Appearance and Discuss Years at DC," Cleveland Plain Dealer (Nov. 27, 1997).
  20. Conley, Steve. "Mid-Ohio Con Announces Panels Schedule," Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine Comicon.com: The Pulse (Nov. 6, 2002).
  21. "JOURNAL DATEBOOK: Mid-Ohio Con Turns 25, Loses Program Books," The Comics Journal #266 (Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books, 2005), p. 34/
  22. Sidman, Ray. "Comics News and Notes: Trimpe cancels Mid-Ohio-Con cancellation," Archived 2015-09-19 at the Wayback Machine CBGXtra (Nov. 16, 2006 ).
  23. Smith, Beau. "Manly Mayhem At Mid-Ohio Con," Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine Busted Knuckles (Nov. 28, 2006).
  24. Smith, Beau. "Busted Knuckles: The Mid-Ohio Con Report," Comics Bulletin (2009).
  25. Press release. Mid-Ohio-Con Names Adam Hughes as Special Guest for 30th Anniversary Show," Archived 2012-05-23 at the Wayback Machine Comic Related (2010). Accessed June 27, 2012.
  26. Ali, Reyan. "Mid-Ohio-Con Celebrates 30th anniversary," News Journal (06 Nov 2010), p. A.3.
  27. Press release. 12 Eisner Award winners and nominees to attend Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic Con," Captain Comics (Sep. 9, 2011).
  28. Isabella, Tony. "Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic-Con: A New Hope," Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing (Oct. 25, 2011).
  29. Rozanski, Chuck (December 2007). "Roger Price's Wonderful Mid-Ohio-Con". Tales From the Database.
  30. Ulm, J. J. "Wizard World Ohio Comic Con Was Hardly Ohio or Comic," Columbus Free Press (Nov. 20, 2014).
  31. Seitz, Lee K. "New Universe Timeline," Nuke Me With the New. Accessed May 15, 2015.
  32. "Roger Price," Comic Vine. Accessed May 15, 2015.
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