Terrebonne Comic Con creators say event allows them to connect with readers, fans

Hundreds of heroes, gamers, and their families gathered at the local library to swap comics and stories, and to play retro video games.

Both floors of the Terrebonne Parish Public Library Main Branch were crowded with heroes, villains, furries, artists and anime characters who talked about their passions for well told tales and artistic expression. This is the sixth comic con at the library, and the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"My favorite comic book would either be the Marvels, I like the Marvel comic books, really Spiderman," 8-year-old Jackson Vedros said. "I also like the anime comic books, One Piece. It's just really cool. It's really like nothing else."

Dressed as Ash Ketchum, Jackson, was with his dad, Ben Vedros, 36. The two learned of the convention from a recent video game convention in Morgan City. Ben said he saw some of the same faces behind the booths, too.

The two were equally excited about the video game set up that let visitors play retro games like those from the Super Nintendo and the Playstation 1. The booth was run by Davey Lusco who Ben met at a Morgan City video game convention.

"I talked to the guy that put on the thing, and he had real good vibes, real positive energy," Ben said. "I feel like they are really trying to do a lot of good with this."

Video games are a part of culture, the 24-year-old Lusco said. Like books, television and music, they are a medium for storytelling. He is preserving older consoles and games to share past stories with today's generation.

Upstairs, artists and authors showed off their novels, comics and drawings. Creators met with fans and prospective fans, sharing their ideas and visions with any who would listen.

Kristen Kortright, 24, of Thibodaux, was doodling between potential customers. She is a comic book artist, animator and writer who is aspiring to make it a full-time job. She has a 75-page issue, and two standard length issues about The Black Shadow, a character she came up with with her brother.

The character is an ambitious inventor who gets thrust into saving the day when a collapsing building threatens people's lives. Like Spiderman comics of the past, The Black Shadow doesn't always succeed at stopping the major villain, but makes enough of a difference rescuing people to keep trying.

She said conventions like this are important because they allow artists to link up with one another and get invited to other local conventions. This helps get the word out of their creations to the public, as well as meet and learn about the people who buy their art.

"They help a lot, because they help you get noticed by locals, and people like to see local artists," she said. "And then they help with networking, and I swap books with other artists a lot, too."

Nearby, Mark Scioneaux was selling his novels. Scioneaux is from New Orleans and was selling his stories, which he describes as "fun horror." Think Sam Raimi styled horror, in that it doesn't take itself too seriously. He has titles like Poacher, Inferno, Slipway Grey and Cannibal Fat Camp.

His books blend the macabre with the comical. For instance, he wanted to write a book about a shark, but in a unique way. Slipway Grey became a story about a serial killer who befriends a bull shark, and they go on a killing spree together. He said these conventions are the bread-and-butter of writing and selling books. They allow the writer to sell directly to the audience and in doing so find out what the readers like and don't like.

"Conventions help because they give you that personal connection," Scioneaux said. "You make a connection with your readers, you get a fan base, you get to share your passion for the books with other people.

He added that its gratifying when someone buys a book at one convention, then shows up at another for more.

"That makes me feel really really good that something I love is being shared with other people," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Terrebonne Comic Con draws hundreds to enjoy comics and video games