Frederick Comic Con returns to Clarion Inn Event Center

Nov. 20—Even in a crowd dotted with wigs, hand-made masks, latex and at least two Sonic the Hedgehog onesies, 15-year-old Nicholas Klee and 17-year-old Melissa Rogers still stuck out.

Dressed as Beast Boy, a chaotic prankster and shapeshifter from the comic book and TV series "Teen Titans," Klee was painted a pale shade of green and was sporting a pair of pointy ears and plastic fangs he had molded himself.

His girlfriend, Rogers, was dressed as Raven — a half-human, half-demon who is also Beast Boy's (far gloomier) love interest in the "Teen Titans" TV show.

Frederick Comic Con comes to the Clarion Inn Frederick Event Center three times per year, but the event on Sunday was Klee's first time attending a comic convention. His eyes — especially noticeable from behind a pair of white contact lenses — shone with excitement.

His grandfather, a lover of Marvel comics, was his gateway into the fantasy worlds celebrated at comic conventions. Now, he and Rogers — who often joke that their relationship is a lot like Beast Boy and Raven's — are avid players of tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

He and Rogers paused to talk about their costumes in front of a table covered in comic books. Nearby, collectors chatted with customers behind tables stacked with fantasy card games, figurines and Legos. People grinned at the couple as they walked past. One, dressed as Link from The Legend of Zelda video game series, called out a greeting.

It felt good to be surrounded by other "weirdos and freaks," Klee said with a smile.

Nick Shoff, owner of Shoff Promotions — the company that organized Sunday's comic con — is well acquainted with the joy that comes along with conventions. He's been hosting shows for more than 40 years.

Unlike big city conventions, which draw tens of thousands of people and charge high prices for entry, Shoff wants Frederick Comic Con to be an affordable place where the whole family can enjoy themselves.

Tickets are only $8 per person, and he doesn't charge children 12 and under for admission. Although attendees can find rare and valuable comic books for sale for thousands of dollars, they can also find copies priced at $1, Shoff said.

"It's just a day out from your regular life," said Shoff, who was in charge of a lab at a veterans' hospital when he started organizing conventions. "It's fun. And that's what I want — a fun family show."

At first, Shoff's conventions were almost entirely focused on sports cards. He didn't venture into comics until the 1990s.

Frank Brevard, owner of the comic book and collectible store Frank's Cool Stuff in Salem, Virginia, gives himself some credit for helping Shoff make the shift.

He met Shoff at a sports card show in Silver Spring. Though Shoff was hesitant at first, Brevard said, he convinced the collector to let him set up a comic book table at one of his upcoming conventions.

"And the rest is history," Brevard said.

Brevard and his wife, Lisa Brevard, were selling fantasy and trading card game sets, comic books from TV movies and other collectibles on Sunday.

Comic books have been a part of Frank Brevard's life ever since he can remember — his mom collected comics and taught him and his sister to read with them.

Lisa Brevard, a writer, isn't into figurines, model kits or anything else her husband's store sells. Instead, as she likes to joke, she's just into Frank.

But she pointed out that his passion for comics and collectibles might be why she has a head full of gray hair, and his hair is still a solid black.

"It keeps him young," she said.

Dro Torres and Silva Halo, owners of Silvadro Collectibles, are newer to the business than the Brevards. The couple started selling collectibles about a year ago, after losing their jobs during the pandemic.

Though they currently run their business out of their one-room apartment in Ellicott City, they hope to one day buy a house. They've been saving profits from the shop to help them get there.

Their favorite part of selling collectibles is watching kids smile after buying a plushie, Torres said. Sometimes, they'll give parents or children discounts to make the purchase easier on them.

Halo pulled out her phone. Above her mask, her eyes squinted up in a grin when she found the photo she was looking for. In the picture, Halo and Torres stand beside a little girl who is beaming from ear-to-ear and clutching a huge stuffed animal.

"Seeing those smiles just really makes our days better," Torres said.

Follow Angela Roberts on Twitter: @24_angier