Seeing as how San Diego's Comic Con International just finished up yesterday, now is a good time to take a look at comic book conventions, or cons for short.

A comic book convention is a chance for comic book fans to come together and share their passion. They're like any other type of convention in that the average con has an entry fee (depending on many different factors), and, like most other types of conventions, panels, discussions, sessions and guest speakers are set up for the enlightenment and entertainment of con-goers.

Just like most conventions for more mundane activities, most cons feature sponsors who are there basically to sell their product. In the case of larger comic cons, such as last week's Comic Con, the sponsors also use these conventions to make announcements of upcoming products and events. In this way, even non-con-goers gain something from the events, as these announcements are passed on via media correspondents embedded in the con. The bigger the con, the bigger the announcements, as the bigger names like Marvel and DC compete for more attention. In the case of the Comic Con International especially, other entertainment companies have latched onto the con; movies, TV shows and video games only peripherally attached to the comic book industry are often showcased.

Are there any comic cons in Wichita?

For the most part, no. But, sort of, yes.

Wichita doesn't have a comic book convention; however, it does have the Anime Festival Wichita, which marked it's fifth year in Wichita earlier this month. Anime is, in a nutshell, Japanese animation, but, much like the San Diego con, the festival doesn't entirely revolve around the medium in it's title. And besides, most anime fans are very passionate also fans of manga, or Japanese comic books.

Other Wichita Comic Book 101 articles.
Selling old comic books in Wichita.
Where to find comics in Wichita.