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JCPL Comic Surge

Are you a die-hard comic book fan or a superhero enthusiast? Just looking for a fantastic day out with the family?

Our 8th annual Comic Surge, on Saturday, October 12th, has something for everyone!

Meet your favorite characters and superheroes, wander down Vendor Alley, indulge in delicious snacks, and show off your costume in our professionally judged costume contest.

This year, you can also:

  • Meet a Dragon: Step into a world of fantasy as you meet our incredible, life-sized dragon and its adorable baby dragons. A magical experience for all ages!
  • Experience the Thrill of Scottish Games: Try out traditional Scottish athletic events such as caber tossing and axe throwing. You’ll even get to meet the Scottish princess and her mother!
  • Enter a Different World: Immerse yourself in the captivating world of anime at our film festival. Enjoy screenings of popular and classic anime films throughout the day.
  • Get Your Game On: Put your gaming skills to the test with the latest tabletop games and our first ever Smash Brothers Tournament!
  • Test your LEGO Skills: Put your creativity to work with our LEGO building challenge. Fun for kids and teens alike, with prizes for the most impressive creations.
  • Virtual Reality Experience: From the moment you put on our virtual reality (VR) headset you will enter an exhilarating experience designed to transport participants into a realm of wonder, adventure, and magic. Whether you’re a seasoned VR enthusiast or a curious first-timer, this will be an unforgettable journey through fantastical landscapes and mind-bending challenges.
JCPL Comic Surge logo
A small boy in a skeleton costume stands between Groot and the robot Big Blue. The boy looks up at Big Blue.
A staff member dressed as Barbie poses in a Barbie box.
A young cosplayer dressed as Master Chief from Halo rides on a speeder from Star Wars.

Schedule of Events

This schedule may change. Check back for the latest info!

10 am — 5 pm

  • Vendors, authors, and artists
  • Costumed characters, props, photo ops
  • Video game truck
  • Scavenger hunts
  • Table top gaming
  • Anime film festival

10 am — 1 pm

Cosplay contestants visit judges to get scored

10 am — 2:30 pm

Smash Brothers Tournament (for rules and registration info, visit our Smash Brothers Tournament page)

10:15 am — 11:15 am

LEGO Building Challenge, K — 5th Grade (Registration is required. Register in person at the event.)

10:30 am – 10:45 am

Performance of The Dream Quest

10:30 am — 12 pm

D&D Session 1

10:30 am – 12 pm

Virtual Reality Experience

11:45 am — 12:45 pm

LEGO Building Challenge, 6th — 12th Grade (Registration is required. Register in person at the event.)

12 pm — 12:30 pm

Baby Dragon Meet & Greet

12:30 pm – 12:45 pm

Performance of The Dream Quest

12:30 pm — 1 pm

Fire Dragon Meet & Greet

12:30 pm — 2 pm

D&D Session 2

12:30 pm – 3 pm

Virtual Reality Experience

1:30 pm – 1:45 pm

Performance of The Dream Quest

1:30 pm — 4:30 pm

LEGO Free Build

2 pm — 2:30 pm

Fire Dragon Meet & Greet

2:30 pm — 3 pm

Cosplay contestants on stage for audience favorite

3:15 pm

Cosplay contest winners announced

3:30 pm — 4 pm

Baby Dragon Meet & Greet

4 pm — 4:30 pm

Guardian Dragon Meet & Greet

Children in the 2022 light saber training class with Lion's Pride Martial Arts
A boy and a man both pose as Luffy from One Punch Man.
A woman cosplaying as a fall fairy pets a white pony with a unicorn horn.

Featured Characters and Attractions

  • Baby Dragon
  • Seraphina, the Guardian Dragon
  • Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked
  • Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons from Game of Thrones
  • Dragon Trainers from How to Train Your Dragon
  • Zelda & Link
  • Moana
  • Jack Frost and Baby Tooth from Rise of the Guardians
  • Merida and Queen Elinor
  • Princess Fiona
  • Batman
  • Lucy Gray Baird and Coriolanus Snow from The Hunger Games
  • Captain Jack Sparrow

Special Guests

Seraphina, the Guardian Dragon, a red and orange cosplay dragon costume

Costume Contest Judges

Innovative Cosplay

Innovative Cosplay is a multi-award-winning cosplayer with over nine years’ experience sewing/crafting her own costumes, and eight years’ experience competing in craftmanship competitions.

She loves learning new techniques/skills with each new cosplay build and enjoys focusing on detail work and screen-accuracy in the majority of her costumes.

She’s worked with multiple crafting mediums, including sewing, wig styling, prop-making and foam armor building. Her cosplay motto is to find “innovative” ways to make things work when the crafting process doesn’t always go as planned.

Facebook/Instagram: @innovativecosplay

Two side-by-side photos of Innovative Cosplay in Pink Power Ranger and Armor Sailor Moon cosplays.

Kim is Possible

Kim is Possible is an autistic, disabled cosplayer who uses cosplay to push the limits of her disability.

She is also a competitive cosplayer, and has won the 2023 fx award at Chicago’s Crown Championships of Cosplay.

She is also going to be a competitor in the 2024 Page to Stage championship show at Dragon Con. 

Instagram: @kim_is_possible

Kim is Possible cosplaying as Elsa from Frozen.

MaryMary Cosplay

Mary has been competing for seven years and is a multi-award winning cosplayer, including multiple placements in the prestigious Crown Championship of Cosplay. She appears as a cosplay guest and helps coordinate and judge cosplay costume competitions, working alongside convention owners and some of the best cosplayers in the world in the process.

Mary’s work has been shown many times in multiple cosplay publications. She’s also a founding member of CosOhana, a family and friends group of cosplayers who enjoy not only wearing cosplay but interacting with attendees as well. She’s helped start up cosplay groups in the Ohio area where cosplayers can network together.

Mary is best known for her Duchess Satine and Maleficent cosplays and many more fantasy, Star Wars, and anime based costumes. She is skilled in multiple maker mediums including multiple types of needlework, leatherwork, foam, thermoplastics, and 3D print. She enjoys the challenge of making her cosplays, learning new skills, and sharing what she knows, and looks forward to each next cosplay adventure!

Facebook/Instagram: @marymarycosplay

MaryMary cosplaying as Snow White.

Vendors

Click the links below to visit vendor websites, Etsy shops, or Facebook profiles.

A vendor from the 2022 Comic Surge with his artwork.
A vendor from the 2022 Comic Surge arranges minifigs on a table.

Cosplay Information

Visit our Cosplay Information page for cosplay rules, photography guidelines, and more.

Food Trucks