Lockport’s Comicopolis embraces comic fandom, creative costumes

Lockport’s Comicopolis continues to serve as a gateway to the world of art and imagination by encouraging visitors to dress as their favorite characters and learn from artists.

The event Saturday, hosted by the White Oak Library District, also served as a way for artists and writers to better connect with audiences.

“I do a lot of these library shows, and I usually do really well and I meet so many people – [including] so many people who I still see years later,” Ashley Esper, author of the comic “Ralphs,” said during a panel discussion.

Comicopolis has been a downtown staple in Lockport since 2015. The event attracts up to 2,000 people to a city about 35 miles southwest of Chicago. It is similar to San Diego’s Comic-Con, and it complements Lockport’s Summer Art Series.

“In Lockport, there’s a lot of interest in art and steampunk,” said Patricia Jarog, the liaison for the White Oak Library Foundation.

When Comicopolis began in 2015, it attracted 600 people, Jarog said.

“We didn’t really expect it,” she said. “We were like, ‘We’ve got to do this again.’”

Jarog said Comicopolis now brings 2,000 people, and she expected even more to have visited Saturday.

Some of the key activities at Comicoplis included a cosplay contest for all age groups, an art jam with comic artist Justin Castaneda, music from School of Rock in Plainfield and a panel discussion with artists.

Visitors could meet in person with those artists, such as Steve Horton, the writer of 2020 graphic novel “Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns, and Moonage Daydreams.” The novel ranked No. 15 on The New York Times’ list of bestselling graphic books and manga.

“I think comics are a great way to teach people to read,” Horton said, adding that it was his first time at Comicopolis, and he thought it was great the library was “supporting comics.”

During the panel discussion, Horton told the audience that it has never been easier to “break into comics.” He said aspiring artists can fund their projects through Kickstarter, use the web to market themselves and find local printers to publish their work.

“You don’t need permission to make what you want to make,” said Max Bare, creator of “Hero Beards,” a comic about super heroes with super beards.

The other artists on the panel included Julia O’Brien, creator of “Lazara,” a work of dystopian science fiction; and Bret Juliano, creator of “Dust Bunny Mafia,” which he described as “Looney Tunes” mixed with “The Godfather.”

Besides comics, the event also allowed visitors to entertain themselves with video games. Chicago Game And Go, based in Bolingbrook, provided a trailer packed with popular games and virtual reality gaming.

“[Comicopolis] is a lot different than what we usually do, but it’s fun,” said Cierra Lee, co-owner of Chicago Game And Go.

For the last hour and half of Comicopolis, numerous youths and adults competed in the cosplay contest. A few costumes were based on characters from classics such as “Star Wars” and “Batman,” but many others were based on more recent video games and anime.

Jarog said Comicopolis was aimed not only at comic enthusiasts but also people who enjoy pop culture.

“They love art. They love to dress up,” Jarog said.