This King Con lives up to its name

By Thomas Tracy

Call it King Con: The Revenge.

The plucky independent comic, animation and illustration convention that playfully thumbs its nose at those Hollywood-heavy superhero trade shows in San Diego and Manhattan is back and bigger than ever starting today. 

But take note: All you guys who like going to conventions dressed up as Star Wars stormtroopers — go patrol somewhere else.

That said, Fourth Avenue’s beloved Brooklyn Lyceum between Union and President streets will be transformed into a multi-paneled Mecca for comic book artists and writers, graphic novelists and the fans who love them, explained Regan Jaye Fishman, the convention’s self-titled “humble directrix” and driving force behind the four fanboy-filled days of panel discussions, kids events and comic networking.

“Brooklyn has so many amazingly talented authors and artists, but all year long they’re flying to places like San Diego for these huge cons, only to be lost in pools of super megastars and people dressed as Jedi Knights,” Fishman said. “Our guests have made something they love and believe in and we wanted to create a place where people can come and actually see what’s so amazing about their work.”

So you won’t hear Robert Downey Jr. talk about “Iron Man 3,” but you will get a chance to chat up Marvel comic book legend Chris Claremont, the Park Slope resident responsible for making the X-Men the iconic mutant misfits everyone adores.

Dean Haspiel

Nearly all of the artists coming to the showcase are either born or based in the borough, including author Jonathan Ames, who put last year’s King Con on the map when he brought his “Bored to Death” entourage to promote his HBO series. This time around, he’ll be with Dean Haspiel (at right) — Ames’s living, breathing inspiration for Ray Heuston, the neurotic “Bored to Death” comic book artist played by Zach Galifianakis.

And if drinking and comics are your thing, line up to meet Bill Roundy, whose bi-weekly “Bar Scrawl” cartoon in The Brooklyn Paper have redefined the pub review.

But Roundy’s inspiration doesn’t solely come from Brooklyn’s many tap rooms and whisky bars. He’s also put together a “Monstrous Manual,” a cartoonish homage to TSR’s Dungeons & Dragons “Monster Manual,” and has a series a gay romance comics — all of which will be found at the convention.

“[King Con] draws people from all different aspects of the comic book world and they all live right here in Brooklyn,” Roundy said. “It’s an interesting mix.”

King Con II at the Brooklyn Lyceum [227 Fourth Ave. between President and Union streets in Park Slope, (718) 857-4816], Nov. 4-5, 5 pm; and Nov. 6-7, 11 am–7 pm. Adults $7 a day ($10 for the weekend). For information, visit www.kingconbrooklyn.com.