SCRANTON — It’s not just superheroes anymore.
Over the 20 years Joe Figured has hosted comic book conventions, he’s seen the platform evolve. Now productions, from the small ones he puts on to the international comic cons in major cities, include special guests like actors and other celebrities who add depth and fresh buzz to events historically linked to comic book fandom.
That’s why he brought Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Andrew “The Reinforcer” Anderson to the Scranton Comic Book Convention on Sunday at the Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel.
Outside the conference room, members of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Roller Derby zipped around on roller skates and educated guests on their rough and tumble sport.
But Sunday’s biggest star remained the comic books and their tights-clad heroes.
Comic book writer Scott Beatty of Lake Ariel pulled back the curtain on what it takes to create story lines for some of science fiction’s and fantasy’s most iconic characters.
His credits include titles for DC Comics in the Batman franchise as well as two stories for Star Wars. His contributions have attained permanent spots in the Star Wars universe.
“I’m part of canon,” he said matter-of-factly, explaining a planet he created as part of one story is included in an encyclopedia box set.
Everything he writes gets vetted by Star Wars creator Lucasfilm, now owned by Disney, before publishing to preserve narrative continuity.
In spite of a lengthy portfolio, comic book writing has to be a part-time gig.
“Freelance is feast or famine,” he said, so he diversifies. He teaches English part-time. His wife is a full-time professor. He home-schools their two kids, Hope and Finn, who helped him watch the booth Sunday afternoon.
Hollywood in general, and the blockbuster Marvel superhero universe in particular, have exposed more of the general public to superheroes and pushed once lesser known characters — think Iron Man and Captain Marvel — to iconic levels, said Dave Romeo, owner of Comics on the Green in Scranton.
He’s been selling comic books about as long as Figured has been collecting them, 28 years, and has watched interest in books and memorabilia surge and shrivel.
Historically, comic book fans got hooked as kids, Romeo said. Now they’re buying comic books for the first time as young adults, he said largely due to comic book characters dominating television and movies.
Some industry norms, however, might always stay the same.
“Batman still is the king as an entry point for a lot of readers,” he said.
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joconnell@timesshamrock.com;
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