For the fourth year in a row, the Free Library of Philadelphia will be hosting our very own Comic Con! If you’re not sure what a “comic con” is, just imagine all of the amazing nerdy things you love balled up into one amazing event, with your favorite artists and people who love the same things you love, with the same ferocity that you love them. Sound amazing? Then read on...

I’ve had the chance to attend a couple of comics conventions in the past, both here in Philly and the even bigger New York Comic Con. At the Free Library of Comic Con, you can expect a similar experience to that of larger comic cons but without the high price tag (we are the Free Library, after all). We can’t give away any of our big surprises just yet, but we have announced the first wave of guests planning to attend this year's Comic Con, including Keynote Speakers Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. Previous Comic Con guests have included Box Brown, Jamar Nicholas, and Andrea Tsurumi, to name just a few.

At this year's Comic Con, you’ll be able to:

• Hear from many local Philadelphia artists on our discussion panels.
• Learn from professionals in our drawing and comics workshops.
• Try your hand at some new games in our gaming room.
• Compete in a Cosplay Competition for prizes and bragging rights.
• Maybe you’ll even get to meet some of the artists at their tables in Artist Alley!

Also this year, local artists, businesses, and organizations will be able to claim a table in our lobby and Artist Alley. They’ll have access to the event’s attendees and be front and center at the Comic Con! Interested parties can get their table for a tax-deductible non-refundable $50 donation.

Don’t wait—get your FREE Comic Con ticket today!

Stay tuned via our social media pages (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), as well as through our Comic Con page on Free Library's website, for more updates as we get closer to May 12, including additional announcements of panelists, workshop facilitators, vendors, and of course, the full 2018 schedule!

And while you're waiting for Comic Con, catch up on your reading by browsing through and borrowing from our extensive Comic Book and Graphic Novel offerings available in our catalog!

For more information, please contact us at comiccon@freelibrary.org.