MID-OHIO-CON MERGES WITH OHIO COMIC CON

[MattBrady]

Press Release

GCX Holdings LLC announced today that it has reached an agreement to merge Mid-Ohio-Con with Ohio Comic Con. The new Mid-Ohio-Con will bring together the best that both conventions have to offer with respect to special guest list, programming, schedule, venue, and organizational teams. Mid-Ohio-Con 2008 will take place on the weekend of October 4–5 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.

“I couldn’t be more excited about this development,” said James Henry, Managing Director of GCX Holdings, which recently acquired Mid-Ohio-Con. “I strongly believe that Mid-Ohio-Con and Ohio Comic Con will be far better together than they would be separately. This combination is a great outcome for everybody involved, including our creative guests, retailers and other exhibitors, and especially the loyal fans who have attended Mid-Ohio-Con year after year.”

“We are very happy to be combining Ohio Comic Con with Mid-Ohio-Con,” said Teresa Colegrove, Co-Founder of Ohio Comic Con and Packrat Comics. “Our primary goal in forming Ohio Comic Con was always to ensure that there was a great convention in our home state, and we’ve certainly accomplished that with the combination of our two events. We have lots of new ideas that we’re looking forward to contributing to this year’s Mid-Ohio-Con.”

“I’m certainly pleased to see this combination take place,” said Roger Price, Founder of Mid-Ohio-Con. “Our new team has a lot of energy and enthusiasm as well as innovative ideas and I’m look forward to working with them on this year’s event. We’ve just launched our new web site and stay tuned in the coming weeks for news about additions to our guest list for Mid-Ohio-Con 2008, as well as some exciting new additions to our programming schedule.”

[Shonborn]

Awesome. And no Thanksgiving weekend to boot!

[Hunter]

I know a lot of people were down on Mid-Ohio in previous years for the Thanksgiving weekend schedule, but that was the only reason I could attend. I will miss going.

[nyhardcore]

That's good news. I wasn't going to be able to travel to both shows, so this will work out much better for those of us who have to log highway miles to get to Columbus.

[Tony T]

I went to the Mid-Ohio-Con for the first time last year. (2007) It is a five hour drive from where I live here in Central Illinois. I thought it was one of the best comic book conventions I had ever been to, and I'm kicking myself for not attending previously. I was saddened to hear after the con last year that Roger Price was no longer going to be running the Mid-Ohio-Con and that it might not be continuing. I was so happy when I heard the news that the con is going to continue, and that Roger is still going to be involved. They just posted a preliminary guest list today and it looks like it's going to be another winner. I've been to the Chicago Comicon (Wizard World) every year since 1984, and to the San Diego Comic-Con on three different occasions, but I've never been to a con where the creators are as accessible as they are at Mid-Ohio. Not only that, but they are creators that I actually WANT to meet, not has-been wrestlers or unknown B-movie extras. Wizard World Chicago has become a sad parody of the great convention it used to be when it was still the Chicago Comicon. It's unfortunate, but Gareb Shamus is simply not interested in having any creators from the golden or silver age, and only a handful from the bronze age if they happen to still be creating modern "hot" comics.

I wish the Mid-Ohio-Con much success, but I personally don't want it to get a lot bigger. Half of its charm comes from the fact that it is so friendly and personal and easy to negotiate. My 8-year-old daughter loved it too. She got five convention programs filled with jam sketches. Here's to a great 2008 Mid-Ohio-con!

[jmedors]

This is my home town con. i have attended mid Ohio as a guest for many years now, and Roger and all involved make every guest feel like family. i know the guys from over at packrat as well, and they are an amazing group of people i've done a couple of signings there, and i couldnt have felt more at home. i think the new team will make this new show one of the better shows of the con season. i cant wait til this october, and see how the new dates work out!

[Ravengregory]

Sounds cool.

[Sanctum1972]

Originally Posted by jmedors

This is my home town con. i have attended mid Ohio as a guest for many years now, and Roger and all involved make every guest feel like family. i know the guys from over at packrat as well, and they are an amazing group of people i've done a couple of signings there, and i couldnt have felt more at home. i think the new team will make this new show one of the better shows of the con season. i cant wait til this october, and see how the new dates work out!

Me too. I used to live in Cleveland and have gone to the Mid Ohio Con for years but am now living in Vermont (long story). Although, I'm glad it's still alive and active in Columbus. That makes me proud of the ongoing tradition. I used to go to Pittsburgh Con as well.

Great shows.

-Adam

[Joe Willy]

Personally, I'm glad to see the date moved- driving from Michigan to Ohio in snow is not very much fun and Thanksgiving weekend is hard to avoid family commitments- so, this year very well might be my first time at Mid-Ohio. Totally agree with the complaints about Chicago- talked to indie guys with major talent who'd flown across the country and bought a (very expensive) table to sell only a handful of books. Chicago needs a REAL comics show!