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As we’ve been noting of late, the local comics scene has been blowing up—pretty much around the globe, from Dubai to Denver. And tomorrow Asbury Park gets its first comic-con, courtesy of organizer Cliff Galbraith, (left) aka frequent Beat commenter Citizen Cliff. Cliff sent along a fact sheet on the Asbury Park Comic Con and some photos of the venue, which is a cool retro bowling alley/club a few blocks from the Asbury Park Boardwalk and a bunch of fine restaurants and bars. Admission is a mere $5, with $1 going to the Hero Initiative. You can read all the deets in the PR below, but everyone we’ve spoken with has been psyched about going to this show; if we weren’t so conned out, we might be tempted by a birthright journey back to Jersey. We’re always especially charmed by seaside conventions like San Diego, MeCaf, Long Beach and now….Asbury Park.

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[Disclosure: The Asbury Park Comic Con is a Beat Advertiser, but their ad is so cool looking we’re actually going to be sad when it goes.]

The first annual Asbury Park Comic Con will kick off on Saturday, May 12, 2012. The one day mini-convention will be held in the intimate setting of the Asbury Lanes, a small bowling alley / rock club at the Jersey Shore one block from the historic Asbury Park boardwalk.

Asbury Park Comic Con will feature a wide variety of comic book & pop culture purveyors as well as many comic book creators, artists and illustrators from the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. Comic fans will have a rare opportunity to meet the artists, who will be available to sign books that will be sold at each artist’s table. Commissioned sketches are also available from many of the artists for a fee.

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• Eisner Award winner Evan Dorkin (creator of Milk & Cheese, co-creator of Beasts of Burden, writer for Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Shin Chan,)
• Sarah Dyer (creator of Action Girl, writer for such television shows as Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Shin Chan, Superman, and Batman Beyond)
• Michael Kupperman (creator of Tales Designed to Thrizzle and Mark Twain’s Autobiography 1910-2010)
• Jamal Igle (Super Girl, The Ray, Green Lantern Corps, and many other DC and Marvel books)
• Danny Hellman (cartoonist for New York Press, Time, Sports Illustrated, Screw, Village Voice, and many others)
• Steve Mannion (creator of Fearless Dawn published by Asylum Press)
• Fred Van Lente (co-creator of Cowboys and Aliens, writer for Marvel, Valiant, and Evil Twin’s Action Philosophers)
• Stephanie Buscema (illustrator for Web of Spider-Man, Girl Comics, Adventure Time Comic)
• Mike & Ming of the AMC television show Comic Book Men. The pair from Secret Stash and the podcast I Sell Comics will be doing a live broadcast from the Asbury Comic Con.

Exhibitors include Mike Carbonaro the legendary dealer of rare comics and original art, Image Comics’ 27 creator Charles Soule, Action Philosopher artist Ryan Dunlavey, artist Dave Ryan will be debuting War of the Independents #3 and many others.

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The event features a unique location for a gathering of the comics community. The Asbury Lanes is a second home to punk rockers, hot rodders, artists, and bowlers. Built in 1963, the Lanes is like a time machine to a bygone era of low-brow bowling heaven and rock’n’roll refuge. The venue has hosted music legends and cult heroes such as Dick Dale, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Reverend Horton Heat, Mick Jones of The Clash, The Supersuckers, The Butthole Surfers, Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys, The Gaslight Anthem, Murphy’s Law and Bouncing Souls.

Saturday May12, 2012
10 AM to 6 PM
at
Asbury Lanes
209 4th Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ 07712

Admission is $4 plus a .90 service charge. One dollar from the sale of each ticket goes to Heroes Initiative, a nonprofit to assist comic creators in need.

1 COMMENT

  1. Wait…

    Is this a Comic-Con [per the article]— or a Comic Con [per the press release]— or a Comicon [per the ad at right]??

    Inquiring (and retentive) minds want to know!

  2. Hey Cliff–that looks like an AWESOME place to hold a con. Reminds me of this place my band used to play in LA called Mr T’s Bowl (one of those places I’ll never forget). Would love to go to the equivalent in comics, and I’ve never been to Asbury Park, either.

    Good luck, and hope I can make it out there next time!

  3. Love the Lanes (basically, my Corner Bar here on Fourth Ave in Asbury); looking forward to the Con, an event that’s being organized by the best possible guys for the job…

    BUT anyone who hasn’t been there before should know that the atom-age bowling pin sign has seen better days…and the Shepard Fairey punk rock icons pictured on the side of the neighboring building (once the legendary FastLane rockclub) have long since peeled away…so neither of those landmarks are presently visible as a point of reference…

    Handy hint: the Lanes often represents the only sign of life on its block!

  4. Yessiree! Can’t wait. I’m debuting my comic, Deadhorse, here. Stop by and say ‘I hate the way you look!’. Also looking forward to finally meeting Cliff and buying a copy of Rat Bastard. Should be a great/ chill time.