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OWWW! POW! BANG! BONK!
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
Nearly everyone knows that humor in some form is inherent in most comic books, but the themes that course through Kurt J. Kolka’s are nothing to laugh about.
“I was bullied for about 10 years,” the Gaylord, Mich., cartoonist and comic-book creator recalled. “This has given me a chance to channel some of those feelings I had as a kid into characters.”
Kolka was referring to his contributions to “Bullying is No Laughing Matter,” a compilation of comic strips from more than 30 creators that educates readers about the damaging and corrosive effects of bullying.
The 120-page book that Kolka was signing and selling was one of the attractions of Sunday’s Lawn-Con 5 gathering at the B&O Station Banquet Hall, 530 Mahoning Ave.
The six-hour outdoor event featured thousands of comic books for sale, as well as about 26 local, regional and out-of-state artists, cartoonists, trading-card specialists and other vendors, noted Chris Yambar, a comic-book creator and pop artist who coordinated the event.
The Lawn-Con show also was in conjunction with Artists of the Rust Belt’s Autumn Market at the B&O Station.
Kolka explained that he was working with an editor in Ann Arbor, Mich., while conducting research on bullying. As a result, Kolka said, he wanted something that instructed youngsters on what to do for themselves and others if they became victims of bullying.
Also on hand was Kolka’s 16-year-old daughter, Rebekah, who travels with her father to many shows.
Instead of dealing with bullying, many characters in Shane Ronzio’s comic-book line are engaged in more conventional challenges.
“The advanced future-tech warriors battle evil across time and space,” Ronzio said about his four comic books titled “Fugitive Faction,” which feature a variety of monsters, space robots, aliens and other antagonists.
Ronzio, of Brownsville, Pa., said he watched little TV while growing up, which gave him more time to create stories and invent characters for them.
Another inspiration was Yambar, who infused him with added confidence in his abilities, continued Ronzio, an artist and comic-book writer since 1997.
“He’s the Elvis Presley of independent comics,” said Ronzio, adding that he hopes his works will be made into a cartoon on TV or a movie.
Also for sale were limited-edition comic books to benefit SMARTS [Students Motivated by the Arts], a community arts school that provides classes in dance, music, theater, creative writing and the visual arts to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
A Lawn-Con highlight was a fashion contest that featured characters such as Iron Man, Hulk Hogan, Batman Beyond, nWo, a professional wrestling stable called New World Order, Groot, a superhero character in Marvel Comics, and Yuna, a fictional character from Square Enix’s Final Fantasy series.
First,- second- and third place finishes went to Matthew Skelly as Groot; Samuel Brooker as Batman Beyond; and Mary Dippolito as Yuna, respectively.
Providing additional entertainment were Dr. Ray’s Amazing Side Show, along with stand-up comedians and the bands Particle 17, Punk Willie, Shi Sho and Acoustic Harvest.