Asbury Comicon leaves city for Meadowlands next year
Organizers hope to return to Asbury Park in 2016
After four years in Asbury Park, Asbury Comicon founders Robert Bruce and Cliff Galbraith are moving next year’s convention to the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus.
The move was announced on the Asbury Comic Con Facebook page on Monday night.
“Yes, we’re leaving Asbury Park for 2015 and heading north to the Meadowlands, just 10 minutes from Manhattan,” according to the statement. “More space, more exhibitors, more guests, more comics!!!”
A later Facebook post stated that an increase in the charge to use the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel — where the event was held in April — combined with repairs still not completed at Asbury’s Convention Hall, triggered the move to the Meadowlands since no other venues in Asbury Park were suitable. Organizers would like to return to Asbury Park in 2016 if possible, according to the post.
Next year’s event will be renamed East Coast Comicon, and will be held on April 11-12, according to the Asbury Comic Con Facebook page.
At the 2014 Asbury Comicon in April, thousands of fans attended the event.
The convention featured an all-star line-up of comic-book writers and artists, more than 180 exhibitors and memorabilia dealers, and two days of various activities, according to an event news release.
At the April convention, major guests include Jim Steranko, the first “rock star” of comics who is the artist/writer responsible for popularizing Nick Fury [played by actor Samuel L. Jackson in the Marvel movies]; Chris Claremont, who turned Marvel’s X-Men and Wolverine into two of comics’ most popular franchises; artist J.H. Williams III, who is collaborating with writer Neil Gaiman on the incredibly popular Sandman series from DC/Vertigo; Cliff Chiang, the artist currently drawing DC’s Wonder Woman; Ren & Stimpy co-creator Bob Camp, three time Eisner Award winner Evan Dorkin; and popular illustrator Stephanie Buscema, who comes from one of comics’ most important families.
At the Comicon, patrons had access to dozens of dealers to purchase old comics, new comics, sketches, autographs, toys, action figures and collectibles.
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