Karen Rello, who co-owns the convention with her husband, Bob, said they brought the anniversary show back to June, the month when the convention was held for more than 20 years, and expanded it to two days because the Allentown venue is too large for many attendees to cover in a single day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tested out this location for one day,\u201d Rello said. \u201cThe location is just too big to cover in one day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event will include more than 500 tables and more than 60 featured guests, with dealers, creators, artists, and vendors selling comic books, toys, anime and manga items, Lego, Funko Pops, video games, non-sports cards, and other collectibles, according to the convention.<\/p>\n
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Attendees browse vendor tables at a Lehigh Valley Comic Convention event. The convention\u2019s 25th anniversary show is scheduled for June 6-7 at the Allentown Fairgrounds Agri-Plex\/Expo Center. (Photo courtesy of Lehigh Valley Comic Convention)<\/p>\n
The convention\u2019s featured guest list<\/a> includes comic book artists, writers, actors, voice actors, and creators tied to franchises such as \u201cTransformers,\u201d \u201cBatman,\u201d \u201cPok\u00e9mon,\u201d \u201cSouth Park,\u201d \u201cDragon Ball Z,\u201d and \u201cMasters of the Universe.\u201d<\/p>\n Scheduled guests include Nathan W. Pyle, the Pennsylvania-based creator of \u201cStrange Planet\u201d and a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author; actor William Sadler, whose credits include \u201cThe Shawshank Redemption,\u201d \u201cBill & Ted\u2019s Bogus Journey\u201d and \u201cIron Man 3\u201d; David Joyner, known for portraying Barney the Dinosaur; Disney animator Peter Raymundo; Bob Budiansky, a key figure in the Generation 1 Transformers comics mythos; and Bob McLeod, co-creator of the New Mutants, according to the convention.<\/p>\n Rello said the convention remains rooted in comic books but has grown with changing fan culture.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it says comic book convention, and we do have comic books, but it\u2019s a pop culture convention,\u201d Rello said. \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s TV, movies, anime, manga, Legos, toys.\u201d<\/p>\n The anniversary event will also feature movie and television vehicles, including a screen-used Megatron from \u201cTransformers: Dark of the Moon,\u201d a fan-built Optimus Prime truck replica, and a \u201cStranger Things\u201d Pizzamobile replica, according to the convention\u2019s vehicle page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Other scheduled attractions include a Sunday cosplay contest, gaming tournaments, a kids zone hosted by Crayola, comic book grading drop-off, and signature-series services through The Collectible Conservancy, the convention said.<\/p>\n Saturday admission is $20 and includes Sunday admission, while Sunday-only tickets are $10 at the door, according to the convention\u2019s frequently asked questions page. Rello said children 12 and under are admitted free.<\/p>\n The convention has used several homes over the years, Rello said. She said it started as an earlier convention, which she and her husband took over and renamed Lehigh Valley Comic Convention in August 2001.<\/p>\n Rello said the event began in a fire hall, later moved to Lehigh Carbon Community College, and now uses the Allentown Fairgrounds site for its largest show. The convention still holds other events at the community college, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe started out at a fire hall 25 years ago,\u201d Rello said. \u201cWe outgrew that location.\u201d<\/p>\n Rello said the convention has also become part of her family\u2019s history. Her husband has collected comics since he was 8, she said, and their daughter, Sarah, grew up around the convention.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody knows our family, everybody knows us,\u201d Rello said. \u201cAnd then we have staff that\u2019s been helping us from the beginning, so everybody knows our staff.\u201d<\/p>\n Rello said she has watched some early attendees return years later with families of their own.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is amazing to see, like 25 years ago, a little girl came in to get her photo taken with Supergirl, and now she\u2019s 25 years old, and she has children,\u201d Rello said.<\/p>\n The anniversary event is also intended to be accessible to a wide range of fans, Rello said, including people who may not consider themselves comic book collectors but connect with older toys, animated characters, television shows, or movies.<\/p>\n \u201cWe welcome everyone because we know how important the community is,\u201d Rello said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a good time, and we want everyone to enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\tThis is the part where we ask.<\/p>\n No billionaire owner. No paywall. Just you keeping local news free.<\/p>\n
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