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Ohio Comic Con

The Wizard World Columbus Comic Con, formerly known as Mid-Ohio Con and then the Wizard World Ohio Comic Con, was a comic book convention held during the fall in Columbus, Ohio, United States, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Initially held in early November, from 1994–2007 the Mid-Ohio Con took place on the first weekend after Thanksgiving. Normally a two-day event (Saturday and Sunday), in 2012 it expanded to three days (Friday through Sunday).

Ohio Comic Con
Former Mid-Ohio Con logo
StatusDefunct
GenreSpeculative fiction
VenueRichland County Fairgrounds (1985–1991)
Hyatt Regency/Columbus Convention Center (1993–1996)
Adam's Mark Hotel (1997–1999)
Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center (2000–2005)
Greater Columbus Convention Center (2006–2019)
Location(s)Mansfield, Ohio (c. 1980–1995)
Columbus, Ohio (1996–2019)
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1980
Most recent2019
Attendance5,000 – 8,000 (2007)[1]
Organized byR.A.P. Promotions (1980–2007)
GCX Holdings (2008–2009)
Wizard Entertainment (2010–2019)
Filing statusFor Profit
Websitewizardworld.com/index.php/home-ohio[dead link]

The Mid-Ohio Con was founded in 1980. In 2010, the convention was acquired by Wizard Entertainment.

History

The Mid-Ohio Con was founded in 1980 by voice actor and announcer Roger A. Price.[2] Over the years, Price used the show to raise money for various charities (frequently the March of Dimes), raising a total of over $1,000,000.[3] (Price himself was a polio survivor.)[4] Initially, the convention was held in various venues throughout central Ohio before settling in Columbus, where it has been located since 1993.[5]

The 1985 show, held at the Richland County Fairgrounds in Mansfield, Ohio, featured the announcement of John Byrne's relaunch of the Superman books. (Byrne made regular appearances at the convention from 1981–2004.) In 1988 small press publisher Bob Corby premiered the first issue of Oh, Comics!, a 40-page minicomic featuring the work of twelve Ohio small press artists. Corby produced new issues of Oh, Comics! in conjunction with the Mid-Ohio Con for the next twenty years, ultimately publishing the work of over 100 creators ranging in age from ten to sixty.[6]

By 1993, the show had moved to the Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention Center.[5] The 1994 show featured an auction and a costume contest/dance party, both benefiting the Columbus Ronald McDonald House.[7] The 1996 show featured a "Small Press Expo."[8] The 1997 show moved to Columbus' Adam's Mark Hotel and featured a Tony Isabella roast.[8] The 1998 show was promoted in the panels of Tom Batiuk's syndicated newspaper strip, Funky Winkerbean, in which one of the characters journeyed to the show to search for a long-lost Hopalong Cassidy comic book.[9]

In 2000, the show expanded and moved to the Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center. The 2002 and 2003 conventions featured special karaoke parties hosted by actor Andy Hallett. Both parties raised money for the American Diabetes Association.[10]

The 2005 edition of the show, held at the Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center, later became known for being the site of a sexual assault by Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) director Charles Brownstein. The incident was reported to the police at the time,[11] and 15 years later led to Brownstein's resignation from the CBLDF.[12]

In 2006, the Mid-Ohio Con increased in size again and moved to Battelle Hall, part of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

In January 2008, founder Price announced he was retiring, and his company R.A.P. Promotions would entertain offers for the convention.[13] In May 2008, the show was acquired by James and Bill Henry of GCX Holdings, and merged with Jamie and Teresa Colegrove's Ohio Comic Con.[2] By then, the show had been struggling a bit, and GCX invigorated new life into it, as well as working closely with Columbus-area comics creators.[14]

In November 2010 the Mid-Ohio Con was acquired by Wizard Entertainment for $77,500.[15][16] In 2012 it was renamed the Wizard World Ohio Comic Con.

For 2015, as Wizard was expanding further into Ohio with the new Wizard World Cleveland Comic Con, the Columbus show was renamed the Wizard World Columbus Comic Con.[17]

The last scheduled Wizard World Ohio Comic Con was held in October 2019; no new dates have been scheduled.

Dates and locations

Dates Location Official guests Notes
November 1980
November 14, 1981 Quality Inn Park Place, Mansfield, Ohio Special guest of honor: John Byrne
November 1982
November 1983 Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield David Prowse
November 1984
November 9–10, 1985[18] Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield[18] John Byrne, Dave Sim[18] $23,400 raised for the March of Dimes[19]
November 8–9, 1986[20] Fairhaven Hall,[20] Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield Guests of honor: Frank Miller, John Byrne,[20] Stephen R. Bissette, John Totleben, Bill Sienkiewicz
November 1987 Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield Guest of honor: Dave Sim; other guests: Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, John Ostrander, Denys Cowan, Mike Grell, Carol Kalish[21]
November 26–27, 1988 Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield Stan Lee (special guest), Todd McFarlane, John Byrne, Terry LaBan[22]
November 1989 Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield
November 1990 Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield
November 1991 Fairhaven Hall, Richland County Fairgrounds, Mansfield
September 1992 Ashland University, Ashland Roger Stern, John Byrne, and Jim Shooter Convention coincides with publication of DC's The Death of Superman.
November 13–14, 1993[23] Hyatt Regency/Convention Center, Columbus John Byrne, Mike Mignola, Roger Stern, Dave Sim[23] Tickets: $5/day[5]
November 26–27, 1994 Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention Center Special guests: Sergio Aragonés, John Byrne, Dick DeBartolo, Dick Giordano, Tony Isabella, Joe Jusko, William Messner-Loebs, P. Craig Russell, Stan Sakai, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Don Simpson, Jeff Smith, Roger Stern, Jim Valentino, and Mark Waid; other guests: Darryl Banks, Scott Beaderstadt, Pat Block, Gary Cody, Dennis Cramer, Dan Davis, Kevin Dooley, Matt Feazell, Pat Garrahy, Jay Geldhof, Bob Ingersoll, Hank Kanalz, Robert A. Kraus, Steve Lieber, Roland Mann, Eddy Newell, Mike & Diana Okamoto, Kevin Rasel, Beau Smith, Chris Sprouse, Ernie Stiner, and Matt Webb 15th anniversary show[7]
November 25–26, 1995 Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention Center Special guest: Barry Windsor-Smith; other guests: Mark Evanier, Roger Stern, William Messner-Loebs, John Byrne, Sergio Aragonés, Brian Michael Bendis, Martin Egeland, Dick Giordano, David Mack, Joe Pruett, Beau Smith, Jim Shooter, Jeff Smith, and Bernie Wrightson[24]
November 30–December 1, 1996 Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention Center Roger Stern, Darryl Banks, Dick DeBartolo, Tom and Mary Bierbaum, Tony Isabella, Paul Jenkins, Mark Waid, Leah Adezio, Dan Mishkin, Berni Wrightson,[8] Mark Crilley, P. Craig Russell, Jim Shooter, Murphy Anderson, Dick Ayers, Tom Batiuk, John Byrne, Dick DeBartolo, Julius Schwartz, and Jeff Smith[25] Admission: $10/day, $15/weekend[25]
November 29–30, 1997 Adam's Mark Hotel John Byrne, Roger Stern, Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson, Sergio Aragonés, Mark Evanier, Mart Nodell, Tony Isabella, Joseph Michael Linsner, Sheldon Moldoff, Terry Moore, Steve Lieber, Jim Ottaviani, Paul Smith, Alvin Schwartz, Murphy Anderson, and Bernie Wrightson[26]
November 28–29, 1998 Adam's Mark Hotel[9] Adam West, Frank Gorshin, Tom Batiuk,[9] Tony Isabella,[8] Mark Waid, Paul Storrie, K.C. Carlson, Dan Davis, Roger Stern, Beau Smith, Steve Lieber, Bob Ingersoll, and "Trilogy Tour" II members Jeff Smith, Charles Vess, Linda Medley, Mark Crilley, Jill Thompson, and Stan Sakai
November 27–28, 1999 Adam's Mark Hotel Guest of honor: Harlan Ellison; other guests: Lou Ferrigno, Dawn Wells, Mark Goddard, Gerard Christopher, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Tom Grummett, Karl Kesel, Joe Kelley, Mike Wieringo, Barry Kitson, and Dave Olbrich 20th anniversary show
November 25–26, 2000 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center June Lockhart, Bill Mumy, Angela Cartwright, Jon Provost, and Yvonne Craig Convention moves to new venue
November 24–25, 2001 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center Dave Gibbons and John Byrne
November 30–December 1, 2002 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center June Lockhart, Yvonne Craig, Ted Raimi, Dick Giordano, Bob Layton, Mark Millar, Mark Evanier, Alan Burnett, Al Feldstein, Jon Provost, Roger Stern, Bob Ingersoll, Paul Jenkins, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Jan Duursema, Jeff Mariotte, Sergio Aragonés, Chuck Rozanski, Tony Isabella, Jeff Smith, David Yukovich, Farel Dalrymple[27]
November 29–30, 2003 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center Mike W. Barr, Brian Michael Bendis, Kevin Eastman, Christopher Golden, David W. Mack, Sean McKeever, Jim Mooney, Michael Avon Oeming, Robin Riggs, Chris Sprouse, Mark Verheiden, Mark Wheatley, Mark Waid, and Matt Wagner. Media guests: Walter Koenig, Brad Dourif, Andy Hallett, David Carradine, Michael Jai White, Yvonne Craig, June Lockhart, and Kathy Garver
November 27–28, 2004[28] Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center Sergio Aragonés, John Byrne, Talent Caldwell, Stan Goldberg, Marc Hempel, David W. Mack, Michael Avon Oeming, Jeff Smith, and Tom Batiuk 25th anniversary show;[28] because of a problem with UPS, the program booklets (with cover art by Adam Hughes) didn't arrive in time for the convention[28]
November 26–27, 2005[28] Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center Greg Horn, Bob Ingersoll, Matt Feazell, Art Baltazar
November 25–26, 2006 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Herb Trimpe,[29] Beau Smith, Dan Davis, Matt Webb, Darryl Banks, Paul Storrie[30] Convention moves to new, larger venue
November 24–25, 2007 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Special guest: Arthur Suydam; other guests: Doug Jones, Noel Neill, Mark Goddard, Raven, Sergio Aragonés, Matt Haley, Barry Kitson, David W. Mack, Tom Mandrake, Sean McKeever, Brian Pulido, and Steve Rude[1]
October 4–5, 2008 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Dan Mishkin, Chris Claremont, Alan Davis, Joe Kubert, Lou Ferrigno, Jason Mewes, Dick Ayers, Art Baltazar, Tobias S. Buckell, Chris Eliopoulos, Mark Evanier, Gary Friedrich, Mike Grell, Tony Isabella, David W. Mack, Bob McLeod, Steve Rude, P. Craig Russell, Roger Stern, Marc Sumerak, Arthur Suydam, Billy Tucci, Ethan Van Sciver, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, and Bernie Wrightson
October 3–4, 2009 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Beau Smith, Billy Tucci, Lora Innes, Gary Kwapisz, Ron Frenz, Tony Isabella, Maggie Thompson, Joe Jusko, Michael Golden, Darryl Banks, Jay Fife, Mike Grell, Fred Hembeck, Sean McKeever, Keith Pollard, Josef Rubinstein, P. Craig Russell, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Scott Kolins, and Chris Sprouse[31]
November 6–7, 2010 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Guests of honor: David Finch and Adam Hughes; special guest: Frank Cho;[32] featured guests: Michael Berryman and Lou Ferrigno. Other guests: Kurt Busiek, Sergio Aragonés, Mark Texeira, Matt Wagner, Jamie Snell, Uko Smith, and Darryl Banks[33] 30th anniversary show
October 22–23, 2011 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio Headline guests: Adam West, Burt Ward, Rob Liefeld; other guests: David W. Mack, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jeff Smith, Arthur Suydam, Pasqual Ferry, Mike Grell, Greg Horn, Phil Jimenez, Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Charles Skaggs, Chris Sprouse, Eric Wight, Eliza Frye, Steve Hamaker, Ed Piskor, Thomas Scioli, Marc Sumerak, Carol Tyler, and Ryan Ottley[34]
September 28–30, 2012 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Dean Cain, Lou Ferrigno, Jorge Molina, Greg Horn, Arthur Suydam, Mike McKone, Tom Batiuk, Chad Cicconi, Stuart Sayger, Eliza Dushku, Patrick Stewart, Dirk Strangely Show renamed Wizard World Ohio Comic Con
September 20–22, 2013 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Sara Jean Underwood, Scott Wilson, Chandler Riggs, Michael Rooker, Norman Reedus, Linda Blair, Lou Ferrigno, Ernie Hudson, William Shatner, Stan Lee[35]
October 31–November 2, 2014 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Danny Fingeroth, Tony Isabella, Thom Zahler, Andrew Shaffer, Dace Acosta, David Aikins, Dirk Manning, Patrick and Shelly Block, Sandy Plunkett, Sean Forney, Victor Dandridge, Nicholas Brendon[36] Danny Fingeroth produced the comics panels[36]
September 18–20, 2015[17] Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Lou Ferrigno, Jason David Frank, Brad Guigar, Trevor A. Mueller, Michael Rooker, Sean Schemmel, William Shatner, Brent Spiner, Arthur Suydam[37] Show renamed Wizard World Columbus Comic Con[17]
July 29–31, 2016 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Sam Ellis, Sean Forney, Michael Golden, Andrew Heath, Geof Isherwood, Guy Gilchrist, Dirk Manning, Phil Ortiz, C. S. Marks, James O'Barr, Stuart Sayger, Renée Witterstaetter
August 4–6, 2017 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center John Barrowman, Nicholas Brendon, Emma Caulfield, Tom Cook, Colleen Doran, Charles Dunbar, Lou Ferrigno, Elizabeth Henstridge, Kurt Lehner, Billy Martinez, Michelle Mussoni, Phil Ortiz, Ray Park, RealBreakingNate, SuperKayce, Catherine Tate, David Tennant, Ethan Van Sciver, Michael Wilson[38]
June 8–10, 2018 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Jason Momoa, John Cusack, Winston Duke, Mike Colter, Billy Boyd, John Barrowman, Matt Ryan, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Holly Marie Combs, Jon Heder, Ray Park, Daniel Logan, Henry Winkler, Kevin Sorbo, Charisma Carpenter, Thomas Ian Nicholas Source:[39]
October 18–20, 2019 Battelle Hall, Greater Columbus Convention Center Drew Powell, David Ramsey, Michael Rosenbaum, Chris Sarandon, Laura Vandervoort, Tom Welling, Claudia Wells, Michael Wilson, Henry Winkler Source:[40]

Events

Along with panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, there are portfolio review sessions with top comic book and video game companies, and such evening events as a costume contest. Traditional events include hours of programming on all aspects of comic books and pop culture. For many years, comics writer/editor Tony Isabella was the show's panel programming director.[41]

A popular event for a number of years (c. 1995–2001) was the panel game show Comic Book Squares, based on Hollywood Squares. In Comic Book Squares, hosted by Joe Edkins, a group of comics industry "celebrities" sat in a squarish setting, answering comic book and guest-related trivia questions while contestants (selected members of the audience) won prizes.

Like most comic book conventions, the Ohio Comic Con features a large floorspace for exhibitors, including comic book dealers and collectibles merchants. The Ohio Comic Con includes an autograph area, as well as an Artists' Alley where comics artists (as well as writers, models, and celebrities) sign autographs and/or sell or do free sketches.

Criticism

With the show's 2010 acquisition by Wizard Entertainment, according to comics writer Dara Naraghi, complaints arose almost immediately about the change in atmosphere.[14] Whereas once the show was known as relaxed and congenial, and guests were easily accessible to fans,[42] the Wizard-run show forged an aesthetic that Naraghi found to be louder, brasher, and more expensive.[14] Writer J. J. Ulm of the Columbus Free Press had similar complaints about the 2014 show.[43]

In popular culture

Mid-Ohio Con founder Roger A. Price has appeared as a comic book character in Marvel Comics. In The Star Brand #12, written and penciled by frequent Mid-Ohio Con guest John Byrne, Price is introduced as a Red Cross worker (using a cane, married to Jane Price, and living in Mansfield, Ohio,[44] as in real life)[4] who also claims to be "director of the north central Ohio division of the March of Dimes" (a reference to the Mid-Ohio Con's ongoing support for the March of Dimes). The Price character dies in The Star Brand #14 but is later reborn as a temporary holder of the Star Brand. Altogether, the character appears in six issues of The Star Brand.[45]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Grossberg, Michael. "Comics treated seriously at convention," 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 21, 2007).
  2. ^ a b Press release. "Mid-Ohio Comic Con merges with Ohio Comic Con, launches new website," Comic Book Resources (May 19, 2008).
  3. ^ Mosby, Chris. "Mid-Ohio-Con Toy Drive," 2011-08-21 at the Wayback Machine Tales from the Longbox (Nov. 12, 2007).
  4. ^ a b Vrattos, Steve. "I Slept with Stan Lee, Part I: The Cleveland Show," Heroes in My Closet (Aug. 7, 2011).
  5. ^ a b c "This Week in the Arts," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 21, 1993).
  6. ^ Corby, Bob. "Oh, Comics! 20th @ Mid-Ohio Con: Oh, Comics! Celebrates 20th Anniversary at Mid-Ohio Con," Archived 2013-01-19 at archive.today Back Porch Comics' SPACE (Oct. 1, 2008).
  7. ^ a b Feran, Tim. "Comic-Book Convention Includes Auction, Party," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 24, 1994).
  8. ^ a b c d Van Domelen, Dave. "Dave's Mid-Ohio Con Page," Dave's Online Nest (Dec. 16, 1999).
  9. ^ a b c Bush, Bill. "Convention Gets Plug on the Funny Pages," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 28, 1998).
  10. ^ Press release. "Mid-Ohio-Con & 'Angel's' Andy Hallett support The American Diabetes Association," (Nov. 17, 2003).
  11. ^ Dean, Michael. "Sex Scandal Involving CBLDF's Charles Brownstein Leads to Women's Empowerment Fund," The Comics Journal #276 (June 2006), pp. 6–15.
  12. ^ McMillan, Graeme (June 22, 2020). "Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Resigns, Following Pressure From Comic Creators". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  13. ^ Melrose, Kevin. "Roger Price retiring, selling Mid-Ohio-Con" 2012-01-06 at the Wayback Machine. Newsarama (Jan. 20, 2008).
  14. ^ a b c Naraghi, Dara (August 25, 2011). "Why I’m not attending Mid-Ohio-Con 2011 (or: Wizard World can go straight to hell)" 2015-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. Ferret Press–PANEL Blog.
  15. ^ MacDonald, Heidi. "How much does it cost to buy a convention? $77,500," The Beat (Nov. 22, 2011).
  16. ^ Press release. "Headline Guests Adam West, Burt Ward, Rob Liefeld Announced for 2011!," 2013-04-06 at the Wayback Machine Wizard Entertainment (Nov. 13, 2010).
  17. ^ a b c MacDonald, Heidi. "Wizard World announce 24-date 2015 Schedule," The Beat (09/02/2014).
  18. ^ a b c "Personal Appearances," Cerebus the Aardvark #78 (Sept. 1985), inside front cover.
  19. ^ "Aardvark Comment," Cerebus the Aardvark #91 (Oct. 1986), p. 33.
  20. ^ a b c "The Lively Arts," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 3, 1986).
  21. ^ Davis, Michael. "MICHAEL DAVIS: Who To Blame, Part 2," Comix Mix (Oct. 4, 2011).
  22. ^ "Face Front, True Believers! The Comics Industry Sounds Off on Stan Lee," The Comics Journal #181 (Oct. 1995), p. 88.
  23. ^ a b "Dave Sim Personal Appearances 1993," Cerebus the Aardvark #168 (Mar. 1993).
  24. ^ "Comics VIPs due in Columbus," Cleveland Plain Dealer (Nov. 19, 1995).
  25. ^ a b "Top Comic-Book Talents Convene for Aficionados," Columbus Dispatch (Nov. 28, 1996).
  26. ^ Sangiacomo, Mike. "Superman Vet Had Write Stuff: Alviin Schwartz will make Rare Public Appearance and Discuss Years at DC," Cleveland Plain Dealer (Nov. 27, 1997).
  27. ^ Conley, Steve. "Mid-Ohio Con Announces Panels Schedule," 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine Comicon.com: The Pulse (Nov. 6, 2002).
  28. ^ a b c d "JOURNAL DATEBOOK: Mid-Ohio Con Turns 25, Loses Program Books," The Comics Journal #266 (Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books, 2005), p. 34/
  29. ^ Sidman, Ray. "Comics News and Notes: Trimpe cancels Mid-Ohio-Con cancellation," 2015-09-19 at the Wayback Machine CBGXtra (Nov. 16, 2006 ).
  30. ^ Smith, Beau. "Manly Mayhem At Mid-Ohio Con," 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine Busted Knuckles (Nov. 28, 2006).
  31. ^ Smith, Beau. "Busted Knuckles: The Mid-Ohio Con Report," Comics Bulletin (2009).
  32. ^ Press release. Mid-Ohio-Con Names Adam Hughes as Special Guest for 30th Anniversary Show," 2012-05-23 at the Wayback Machine Comic Related (2010). Accessed June 27, 2012.
  33. ^ Ali, Reyan. "Mid-Ohio-Con Celebrates 30th anniversary," News Journal (06 Nov 2010), p. A.3.
  34. ^ Press release. 12 Eisner Award winners and nominees to attend Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic Con," Captain Comics (Sep. 9, 2011).
  35. ^ Lohr, David. "‘The Walking Dead’ Stole The Show At Wizard World’s Ohio Comic Con," HuffPost (09/24/2013).
  36. ^ a b Isabella, Tony. "REPORT: WIZARD WORLD OHIO COMIC CON 2014," Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing (APRIL 3, 2015).
  37. ^ "Wizard World Comic Con Columbus (Ohio) 2015 Information," FanCons.com. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  38. ^ "Wizard World Comic Con Columbus (Ohio) 2017 Information," FanCons.com. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  39. ^ "WIZARD WORLD COMIC CON COLUMBUS CELEBRITY GUESTS TO ATTRACT THOUSANDS JUNE 8-10 TO GREATER COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTER," ColumbusConventions.com. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  40. ^ "Wizard World Comic Con Columbus 2019 Information," FanCons.com. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  41. ^ Isabella, Tony. "Wizard World Mid-Ohio Comic-Con: A New Hope," Tony Isabella's Bloggy Thing (Oct. 25, 2011).
  42. ^ Rozanski, Chuck (December 2007). "Roger Price's Wonderful Mid-Ohio-Con". Tales From the Database.
  43. ^ Ulm, J. J. "Wizard World Ohio Comic Con Was Hardly Ohio or Comic," Columbus Free Press (Nov. 20, 2014).
  44. ^ Seitz, Lee K. "New Universe Timeline," Nuke Me With the New. Accessed May 15, 2015.
  45. ^ "Roger Price," Comic Vine. Accessed May 15, 2015.

External links

ohio, comic, wizard, world, columbus, comic, formerly, known, ohio, then, wizard, world, comic, book, convention, held, during, fall, columbus, ohio, united, states, greater, columbus, convention, center, initially, held, early, november, from, 1994, 2007, ohi. The Wizard World Columbus Comic Con formerly known as Mid Ohio Con and then the Wizard World Ohio Comic Con was a comic book convention held during the fall in Columbus Ohio United States at the Greater Columbus Convention Center Initially held in early November from 1994 2007 the Mid Ohio Con took place on the first weekend after Thanksgiving Normally a two day event Saturday and Sunday in 2012 it expanded to three days Friday through Sunday Ohio Comic ConFormer Mid Ohio Con logoStatusDefunctGenreSpeculative fictionVenueRichland County Fairgrounds 1985 1991 Hyatt Regency Columbus Convention Center 1993 1996 Adam s Mark Hotel 1997 1999 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center 2000 2005 Greater Columbus Convention Center 2006 2019 Location s Mansfield Ohio c 1980 1995 Columbus Ohio 1996 2019 CountryUnited StatesInaugurated1980Most recent2019Attendance5 000 8 000 2007 1 Organized byR A P Promotions 1980 2007 GCX Holdings 2008 2009 Wizard Entertainment 2010 2019 Filing statusFor ProfitWebsitewizardworld wbr com wbr index wbr php wbr home ohio dead link The Mid Ohio Con was founded in 1980 In 2010 the convention was acquired by Wizard Entertainment Contents 1 History 1 1 Dates and locations 2 Events 3 Criticism 4 In popular culture 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditThe Mid Ohio Con was founded in 1980 by voice actor and announcer Roger A Price 2 Over the years Price used the show to raise money for various charities frequently the March of Dimes raising a total of over 1 000 000 3 Price himself was a polio survivor 4 Initially the convention was held in various venues throughout central Ohio before settling in Columbus where it has been located since 1993 5 The 1985 show held at the Richland County Fairgrounds in Mansfield Ohio featured the announcement of John Byrne s relaunch of the Superman books Byrne made regular appearances at the convention from 1981 2004 In 1988 small press publisher Bob Corby premiered the first issue of Oh Comics a 40 page minicomic featuring the work of twelve Ohio small press artists Corby produced new issues of Oh Comics in conjunction with the Mid Ohio Con for the next twenty years ultimately publishing the work of over 100 creators ranging in age from ten to sixty 6 By 1993 the show had moved to the Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention Center 5 The 1994 show featured an auction and a costume contest dance party both benefiting the Columbus Ronald McDonald House 7 The 1996 show featured a Small Press Expo 8 The 1997 show moved to Columbus Adam s Mark Hotel and featured a Tony Isabella roast 8 The 1998 show was promoted in the panels of Tom Batiuk s syndicated newspaper strip Funky Winkerbean in which one of the characters journeyed to the show to search for a long lost Hopalong Cassidy comic book 9 In 2000 the show expanded and moved to the Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center The 2002 and 2003 conventions featured special karaoke parties hosted by actor Andy Hallett Both parties raised money for the American Diabetes Association 10 The 2005 edition of the show held at the Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center later became known for being the site of a sexual assault by Comic Book Legal Defense Fund CBLDF director Charles Brownstein The incident was reported to the police at the time 11 and 15 years later led to Brownstein s resignation from the CBLDF 12 In 2006 the Mid Ohio Con increased in size again and moved to Battelle Hall part of the Greater Columbus Convention Center In January 2008 founder Price announced he was retiring and his company R A P Promotions would entertain offers for the convention 13 In May 2008 the show was acquired by James and Bill Henry of GCX Holdings and merged with Jamie and Teresa Colegrove s Ohio Comic Con 2 By then the show had been struggling a bit and GCX invigorated new life into it as well as working closely with Columbus area comics creators 14 In November 2010 the Mid Ohio Con was acquired by Wizard Entertainment for 77 500 15 16 In 2012 it was renamed the Wizard World Ohio Comic Con For 2015 as Wizard was expanding further into Ohio with the new Wizard World Cleveland Comic Con the Columbus show was renamed the Wizard World Columbus Comic Con 17 The last scheduled Wizard World Ohio Comic Con was held in October 2019 no new dates have been scheduled Dates and locations Edit This section is missing information about dates locations and guests Please expand the section to include this information Further details may exist on the talk page July 2012 Dates Location Official guests NotesNovember 1980November 14 1981 Quality Inn Park Place Mansfield Ohio Special guest of honor John ByrneNovember 1982November 1983 Fairhaven Hall Richland County Fairgrounds Mansfield David ProwseNovember 1984November 9 10 1985 18 Fairhaven Hall Richland County Fairgrounds Mansfield 18 John Byrne Dave Sim 18 23 400 raised for the March of Dimes 19 November 8 9 1986 20 Fairhaven Hall 20 Richland County Fairgrounds Mansfield Guests of honor Frank Miller John Byrne 20 Stephen R Bissette John Totleben Bill SienkiewiczNovember 1987 Fairhaven Hall Richland County Fairgrounds Mansfield Guest of honor Dave Sim other guests Kevin Eastman Peter Laird John Ostrander Denys Cowan Mike Grell Carol Kalish 21 November 26 27 1988 Fairhaven Hall Richland County Fairgrounds Mansfield Stan Lee special guest Todd McFarlane John Byrne Terry LaBan 22 November 1989 Fairhaven Hall Richland County Fairgrounds MansfieldNovember 1990 Fairhaven Hall Richland County Fairgrounds MansfieldNovember 1991 Fairhaven Hall Richland County Fairgrounds MansfieldSeptember 1992 Ashland University Ashland Roger Stern John Byrne and Jim Shooter Convention coincides with publication of DC s The Death of Superman November 13 14 1993 23 Hyatt Regency Convention Center Columbus John Byrne Mike Mignola Roger Stern Dave Sim 23 Tickets 5 day 5 November 26 27 1994 Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention Center Special guests Sergio Aragones John Byrne Dick DeBartolo Dick Giordano Tony Isabella Joe Jusko William Messner Loebs P Craig Russell Stan Sakai Louise Simonson Walter Simonson Don Simpson Jeff Smith Roger Stern Jim Valentino and Mark Waid other guests Darryl Banks Scott Beaderstadt Pat Block Gary Cody Dennis Cramer Dan Davis Kevin Dooley Matt Feazell Pat Garrahy Jay Geldhof Bob Ingersoll Hank Kanalz Robert A Kraus Steve Lieber Roland Mann Eddy Newell Mike amp Diana Okamoto Kevin Rasel Beau Smith Chris Sprouse Ernie Stiner and Matt Webb 15th anniversary show 7 November 25 26 1995 Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention Center Special guest Barry Windsor Smith other guests Mark Evanier Roger Stern William Messner Loebs John Byrne Sergio Aragones Brian Michael Bendis Martin Egeland Dick Giordano David Mack Joe Pruett Beau Smith Jim Shooter Jeff Smith and Bernie Wrightson 24 November 30 December 1 1996 Hyatt Regency and Greater Columbus Convention Center Roger Stern Darryl Banks Dick DeBartolo Tom and Mary Bierbaum Tony Isabella Paul Jenkins Mark Waid Leah Adezio Dan Mishkin Berni Wrightson 8 Mark Crilley P Craig Russell Jim Shooter Murphy Anderson Dick Ayers Tom Batiuk John Byrne Dick DeBartolo Julius Schwartz and Jeff Smith 25 Admission 10 day 15 weekend 25 November 29 30 1997 Adam s Mark Hotel John Byrne Roger Stern Kurt Busiek Brent Anderson Sergio Aragones Mark Evanier Mart Nodell Tony Isabella Joseph Michael Linsner Sheldon Moldoff Terry Moore Steve Lieber Jim Ottaviani Paul Smith Alvin Schwartz Murphy Anderson and Bernie Wrightson 26 November 28 29 1998 Adam s Mark Hotel 9 Adam West Frank Gorshin Tom Batiuk 9 Tony Isabella 8 Mark Waid Paul Storrie K C Carlson Dan Davis Roger Stern Beau Smith Steve Lieber Bob Ingersoll and Trilogy Tour II members Jeff Smith Charles Vess Linda Medley Mark Crilley Jill Thompson and Stan SakaiNovember 27 28 1999 Adam s Mark Hotel Guest of honor Harlan Ellison other guests Lou Ferrigno Dawn Wells Mark Goddard Gerard Christopher Mark Waid Kurt Busiek Tom Grummett Karl Kesel Joe Kelley Mike Wieringo Barry Kitson and Dave Olbrich 20th anniversary showNovember 25 26 2000 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center June Lockhart Bill Mumy Angela Cartwright Jon Provost and Yvonne Craig Convention moves to new venueNovember 24 25 2001 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center Dave Gibbons and John ByrneNovember 30 December 1 2002 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center June Lockhart Yvonne Craig Ted Raimi Dick Giordano Bob Layton Mark Millar Mark Evanier Alan Burnett Al Feldstein Jon Provost Roger Stern Bob Ingersoll Paul Jenkins Len Wein Marv Wolfman Jan Duursema Jeff Mariotte Sergio Aragones Chuck Rozanski Tony Isabella Jeff Smith David Yukovich Farel Dalrymple 27 November 29 30 2003 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center Mike W Barr Brian Michael Bendis Kevin Eastman Christopher Golden David W Mack Sean McKeever Jim Mooney Michael Avon Oeming Robin Riggs Chris Sprouse Mark Verheiden Mark Wheatley Mark Waid and Matt Wagner Media guests Walter Koenig Brad Dourif Andy Hallett David Carradine Michael Jai White Yvonne Craig June Lockhart and Kathy GarverNovember 27 28 2004 28 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center Sergio Aragones John Byrne Talent Caldwell Stan Goldberg Marc Hempel David W Mack Michael Avon Oeming Jeff Smith and Tom Batiuk 25th anniversary show 28 because of a problem with UPS the program booklets with cover art by Adam Hughes didn t arrive in time for the convention 28 November 26 27 2005 28 Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center Greg Horn Bob Ingersoll Matt Feazell Art BaltazarNovember 25 26 2006 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Herb Trimpe 29 Beau Smith Dan Davis Matt Webb Darryl Banks Paul Storrie 30 Convention moves to new larger venueNovember 24 25 2007 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Special guest Arthur Suydam other guests Doug Jones Noel Neill Mark Goddard Raven Sergio Aragones Matt Haley Barry Kitson David W Mack Tom Mandrake Sean McKeever Brian Pulido and Steve Rude 1 October 4 5 2008 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Dan Mishkin Chris Claremont Alan Davis Joe Kubert Lou Ferrigno Jason Mewes Dick Ayers Art Baltazar Tobias S Buckell Chris Eliopoulos Mark Evanier Gary Friedrich Mike Grell Tony Isabella David W Mack Bob McLeod Steve Rude P Craig Russell Roger Stern Marc Sumerak Arthur Suydam Billy Tucci Ethan Van Sciver Len Wein Marv Wolfman and Bernie WrightsonOctober 3 4 2009 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Beau Smith Billy Tucci Lora Innes Gary Kwapisz Ron Frenz Tony Isabella Maggie Thompson Joe Jusko Michael Golden Darryl Banks Jay Fife Mike Grell Fred Hembeck Sean McKeever Keith Pollard Josef Rubinstein P Craig Russell Len Wein Marv Wolfman Scott Kolins and Chris Sprouse 31 November 6 7 2010 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Guests of honor David Finch and Adam Hughes special guest Frank Cho 32 featured guests Michael Berryman and Lou Ferrigno Other guests Kurt Busiek Sergio Aragones Mark Texeira Matt Wagner Jamie Snell Uko Smith and Darryl Banks 33 30th anniversary showOctober 22 23 2011 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Columbus Ohio Headline guests Adam West Burt Ward Rob Liefeld other guests David W Mack Bill Sienkiewicz Jeff Smith Arthur Suydam Pasqual Ferry Mike Grell Greg Horn Phil Jimenez Michael Golden Mark Texeira Charles Skaggs Chris Sprouse Eric Wight Eliza Frye Steve Hamaker Ed Piskor Thomas Scioli Marc Sumerak Carol Tyler and Ryan Ottley 34 September 28 30 2012 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Dean Cain Lou Ferrigno Jorge Molina Greg Horn Arthur Suydam Mike McKone Tom Batiuk Chad Cicconi Stuart Sayger Eliza Dushku Patrick Stewart Dirk Strangely Show renamed Wizard World Ohio Comic ConSeptember 20 22 2013 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Sara Jean Underwood Scott Wilson Chandler Riggs Michael Rooker Norman Reedus Linda Blair Lou Ferrigno Ernie Hudson William Shatner Stan Lee 35 October 31 November 2 2014 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Danny Fingeroth Tony Isabella Thom Zahler Andrew Shaffer Dace Acosta David Aikins Dirk Manning Patrick and Shelly Block Sandy Plunkett Sean Forney Victor Dandridge Nicholas Brendon 36 Danny Fingeroth produced the comics panels 36 September 18 20 2015 17 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Lou Ferrigno Jason David Frank Brad Guigar Trevor A Mueller Michael Rooker Sean Schemmel William Shatner Brent Spiner Arthur Suydam 37 Show renamed Wizard World Columbus Comic Con 17 July 29 31 2016 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Sam Ellis Sean Forney Michael Golden Andrew Heath Geof Isherwood Guy Gilchrist Dirk Manning Phil Ortiz C S Marks James O Barr Stuart Sayger Renee WitterstaetterAugust 4 6 2017 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center John Barrowman Nicholas Brendon Emma Caulfield Tom Cook Colleen Doran Charles Dunbar Lou Ferrigno Elizabeth Henstridge Kurt Lehner Billy Martinez Michelle Mussoni Phil Ortiz Ray Park RealBreakingNate SuperKayce Catherine Tate David Tennant Ethan Van Sciver Michael Wilson 38 June 8 10 2018 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Jason Momoa John Cusack Winston Duke Mike Colter Billy Boyd John Barrowman Matt Ryan Jewel Staite Sean Maher Holly Marie Combs Jon Heder Ray Park Daniel Logan Henry Winkler Kevin Sorbo Charisma Carpenter Thomas Ian Nicholas Source 39 October 18 20 2019 Battelle Hall Greater Columbus Convention Center Drew Powell David Ramsey Michael Rosenbaum Chris Sarandon Laura Vandervoort Tom Welling Claudia Wells Michael Wilson Henry Winkler Source 40 Events EditAlong with panels seminars and workshops with comic book professionals there are portfolio review sessions with top comic book and video game companies and such evening events as a costume contest Traditional events include hours of programming on all aspects of comic books and pop culture For many years comics writer editor Tony Isabella was the show s panel programming director 41 A popular event for a number of years c 1995 2001 was the panel game show Comic Book Squares based on Hollywood Squares In Comic Book Squares hosted by Joe Edkins a group of comics industry celebrities sat in a squarish setting answering comic book and guest related trivia questions while contestants selected members of the audience won prizes Like most comic book conventions the Ohio Comic Con features a large floorspace for exhibitors including comic book dealers and collectibles merchants The Ohio Comic Con includes an autograph area as well as an Artists Alley where comics artists as well as writers models and celebrities sign autographs and or sell or do free sketches Criticism EditWith the show s 2010 acquisition by Wizard Entertainment according to comics writer Dara Naraghi complaints arose almost immediately about the change in atmosphere 14 Whereas once the show was known as relaxed and congenial and guests were easily accessible to fans 42 the Wizard run show forged an aesthetic that Naraghi found to be louder brasher and more expensive 14 Writer J J Ulm of the Columbus Free Press had similar complaints about the 2014 show 43 In popular culture EditMid Ohio Con founder Roger A Price has appeared as a comic book character in Marvel Comics In The Star Brand 12 written and penciled by frequent Mid Ohio Con guest John Byrne Price is introduced as a Red Cross worker using a cane married to Jane Price and living in Mansfield Ohio 44 as in real life 4 who also claims to be director of the north central Ohio division of the March of Dimes a reference to the Mid Ohio Con s ongoing support for the March of Dimes The Price character dies in The Star Brand 14 but is later reborn as a temporary holder of the Star Brand Altogether the character appears in six issues of The Star Brand 45 See also EditSmall Press and Alternative Comics ExpoReferences Edit a b Grossberg Michael Comics treated seriously at convention Archived 2016 03 04 at the Wayback Machine Columbus Dispatch Nov 21 2007 a b Press release Mid Ohio Comic Con merges with Ohio Comic Con launches new website Comic Book Resources May 19 2008 Mosby Chris Mid Ohio Con Toy Drive Archived 2011 08 21 at the Wayback Machine Tales from the Longbox Nov 12 2007 a b Vrattos Steve I Slept with Stan Lee Part I The Cleveland Show Heroes in My Closet Aug 7 2011 a b c This Week in the Arts Columbus Dispatch Nov 21 1993 Corby Bob Oh Comics 20th Mid Ohio Con Oh Comics Celebrates 20th Anniversary at Mid Ohio Con Archived 2013 01 19 at archive today Back Porch Comics SPACE Oct 1 2008 a b Feran Tim Comic Book Convention Includes Auction Party Columbus Dispatch Nov 24 1994 a b c d Van Domelen Dave Dave s Mid Ohio Con Page Dave s Online Nest Dec 16 1999 a b c Bush Bill Convention Gets Plug on the Funny Pages Columbus Dispatch Nov 28 1998 Press release Mid Ohio Con amp Angel s Andy Hallett support The American Diabetes Association Nov 17 2003 Dean Michael Sex Scandal Involving CBLDF s Charles Brownstein Leads to Women s Empowerment Fund The Comics Journal 276 June 2006 pp 6 15 McMillan Graeme June 22 2020 Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Resigns Following Pressure From Comic Creators The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 2020 07 12 Melrose Kevin Roger Price retiring selling Mid Ohio Con Archived 2012 01 06 at the Wayback Machine Newsarama Jan 20 2008 a b c Naraghi Dara August 25 2011 Why I m not attending Mid Ohio Con 2011 or Wizard World can go straight to hell Archived 2015 03 05 at the Wayback Machine Ferret Press PANEL Blog MacDonald Heidi How much does it cost to buy a convention 77 500 The Beat Nov 22 2011 Press release Headline Guests Adam West Burt Ward Rob Liefeld Announced for 2011 Archived 2013 04 06 at the Wayback Machine Wizard Entertainment Nov 13 2010 a b c MacDonald Heidi Wizard World announce 24 date 2015 Schedule The Beat 09 02 2014 a b c Personal Appearances Cerebus the Aardvark 78 Sept 1985 inside front cover Aardvark Comment Cerebus the Aardvark 91 Oct 1986 p 33 a b c The Lively Arts Columbus Dispatch Nov 3 1986 Davis Michael MICHAEL DAVIS Who To Blame Part 2 Comix Mix Oct 4 2011 Face Front True Believers The Comics Industry Sounds Off on Stan Lee The Comics Journal 181 Oct 1995 p 88 a b Dave Sim Personal Appearances 1993 Cerebus the Aardvark 168 Mar 1993 Comics VIPs due in Columbus Cleveland Plain Dealer Nov 19 1995 a b Top Comic Book Talents Convene for Aficionados Columbus Dispatch Nov 28 1996 Sangiacomo Mike Superman Vet Had Write Stuff Alviin Schwartz will make Rare Public Appearance and Discuss Years at DC Cleveland Plain Dealer Nov 27 1997 Conley Steve Mid Ohio Con Announces Panels Schedule Archived 2016 03 03 at the Wayback Machine Comicon com The Pulse Nov 6 2002 a b c d JOURNAL DATEBOOK Mid Ohio Con Turns 25 Loses Program Books The Comics Journal 266 Seattle WA Fantagraphics Books 2005 p 34 Sidman Ray Comics News and Notes Trimpe cancels Mid Ohio Con cancellation Archived 2015 09 19 at the Wayback Machine CBGXtra Nov 16 2006 Smith Beau Manly Mayhem At Mid Ohio Con Archived 2016 03 03 at the Wayback Machine Busted Knuckles Nov 28 2006 Smith Beau Busted Knuckles The Mid Ohio Con Report Comics Bulletin 2009 Press release Mid Ohio Con Names Adam Hughes as Special Guest for 30th Anniversary Show Archived 2012 05 23 at the Wayback Machine Comic Related 2010 Accessed June 27 2012 Ali Reyan Mid Ohio Con Celebrates 30th anniversary News Journal 06 Nov 2010 p A 3 Press release 12 Eisner Award winners and nominees to attend Wizard World Mid Ohio Comic Con Captain Comics Sep 9 2011 Lohr David The Walking Dead Stole The Show At Wizard World s Ohio Comic Con HuffPost 09 24 2013 a b Isabella Tony REPORT WIZARD WORLD OHIO COMIC CON 2014 Tony Isabella s Bloggy Thing APRIL 3 2015 Wizard World Comic Con Columbus Ohio 2015 Information FanCons com Retrieved March 22 2021 Wizard World Comic Con Columbus Ohio 2017 Information FanCons com Retrieved March 22 2021 WIZARD WORLD COMIC CON COLUMBUS CELEBRITY GUESTS TO ATTRACT THOUSANDS JUNE 8 10 TO GREATER COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTER ColumbusConventions com Retrieved March 22 2021 Wizard World Comic Con Columbus 2019 Information FanCons com Retrieved March 22 2021 Isabella Tony Wizard World Mid Ohio Comic Con A New Hope Tony Isabella s Bloggy Thing Oct 25 2011 Rozanski Chuck December 2007 Roger Price s Wonderful Mid Ohio Con Tales From the Database Ulm J J Wizard World Ohio Comic Con Was Hardly Ohio or Comic Columbus Free Press Nov 20 2014 Seitz Lee K New Universe Timeline Nuke Me With the New Accessed May 15 2015 Roger Price Comic Vine Accessed May 15 2015 External links EditOfficial website dead link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ohio Comic Con amp oldid 1131294326, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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