Aroostook County’s first comic con continues this weekend with a lightsaber battle

HOULTON, Maine — The producer of a Hasbro Studios Dungeons & Dragons television series was live-streaming Houlton’s first comic con on Saturday afternoon.
Portland native Ned Donovan, who is the producer of Encounter Party and lives in New York City, shared with several cosplayers and gamers participating in the livestream from the sanctuary of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Houlton that he always dreams of returning to Maine.
The Houlton event opened on Friday afternoon with several gaming tournaments and will wrap-up on Sunday with a focus on Star Wars, including a lightsaber battle at the Houlton Bridge at 9 a.m. followed by a group walk through downtown and the church organist playing the Imperial March on the historic pipe organ.
Unitarian Minister Dave Hutchinson will present a Jedi sermon for Sunday services.
The event, co-hosted by Shiretown Gaming and the Houlton Unitarian Church, is the first comic con, or comic book convention, north of Bangor.
Comic cons, popular in cities around the nation, are comics and pop art conventions that celebrate comics, film, television, cosplay, science fiction, fantasy, gaming, anime and other related art. Attendees often dress in the regalia of their favorite characters and share a love of alternate worlds and realities.
“I like to say comic con is for anyone who likes comic books, board games, card games, fantasy and sci-fi,” said co-organizer Roxanne Bruce. “It’s geared for geeks and nerds.”
The three-day event, dubbed Houlton MiniCon, was shorter than a traditional five-day celebration in larger cities to see if people in The County were interested.
On Saturday afternoon, attendance was steady and picking up by about 2 p.m. There was a packed schedule of gaming, artisan workshops, expert panels, superheroes and villains, book authors, educational sessions and non-stop play.
It was too soon to determine success, but there were cosplayers, gamers and vendors from Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton, said Bruce.
“If people want to return next year then I will know,” she said. “If the interest is there, then, yes, we can do a giant one for five days.”
On Saturday, organizers and volunteers taught people how to play Dungeons & Dragons. An expert panel in the afternoon discussed using D&D and other role playing games for therapy and as educational tools.
The Cup Cafe, located at the church, was providing meals all three days.
The event continues on Sunday and tickets are $5, although the Star Wars event at the Houlton Bridge is free.