Brown County Library Pop Con™

Saturday, October 5, 2024
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Central Library

This family friendly event is for all ages!
Dress as your favorite superhero or pop-culture character or just hang out with fellow fans!
Listen to interviews and meet local artists
Enter the Cosplay Contest (read the guidelines)
Try out new and favorite board games in our gameplay area, made possible by Gnome Games
Shop and meet creators in the Artist Alley
Grab a snack! Local food trucks Grounded on the Go and La Tacoyota will be outside the Pine Street entrance of the Library from 11:00am to 2:00pm
Click here to download our parking guide for the Central Library

Featuring Raina Telgemeier!

Raina Telgemeier is the author and illustrator of the graphic novels Smile, Drama, Sisters, Ghosts, and Guts, all #1 New York Times bestsellers. She also adapted and illustrated four graphic novel versions of Ann M. Martin’s Baby-Sitters Club series, and has contributed short stories to many anthologies. Raina’s accolades include six Eisner Awards, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, a Stonewall Honor, and many Best-of and Notables lists.

A critically acclaimed comics artist, Raina Telgemeier grew up in San Francisco, then moved to New York City, where she earned an illustration degree at the School of Visual Arts. Now, Raina lives and works in San Francisco. Website | Instagram

Schedule:
10:15 am – A Serious Fun interview with Dr. Bryan Carr
Central Library Auditorium *Limited seating available, first-come, first-serve. Doors open at 9:30am.
Serious Fun host Dr. Bryan Carr will talk with Raina about her life, her work, the creative process, and more in a discussion that’s sure to make you Smile! And if you have the Guts, you can ask Raina your burning questions live too! Make sure you get here early!

1:00 pm – Turn Your Life Into a Comic Ticketed Event
Central Library Auditorium
Experience the magic of making comics with Raina Telgemeier! She’ll talk about adapting life experiences onto the page, including a live drawing demonstration. How can you tell your story through comics? Tickets required. Doors open at 12:15pm.

Tickets are FREE and available in advance starting on Monday, September 16.
Must be picked up in person at one of the following locations: Central Library, East Branch, Kress Family Branch (De Pere), Weyers-Hilliard Branch (Howard). Go here for library location information.
Limited quantities available, limit 4 tickets per person/family.

A selection of Raina’s books will be available for sale on site in partnership with Lion’s Mouth Bookstore.
Please note, there will not be an opportunity for a book signing with the author.

Also Featuring:

Serious Fun with Dr. Bryan Carr

Dr. Bryan Carr hosts the podcast Serious Fun, where pop culture and social culture collide! Dr. Carr hosts interviews and discussions with academics, professionals, and fans from across the industry – from video games and comics to sports and music and so much more – to take a critical and comprehensive look at popular culture and our relationship with it. Dr. Carr is an Associate Professor in the department of Communication, Information Science, Women’s & Gender Studies at UW-Green Bay. Website (check the Serious Fun archives for episodes recorded at previous BCL events!)

Serious Fun Interview & Podcast Recording Schedule:

Interview with Raina Telgemeier
10:15 am – Auditorium
Serious Fun is thrilled to welcome best-selling and Eisner-award winning author and cartoonist Raina Telgemeier for a live sit-down interview! We’ll talk with Raina about her life, her work, the creative process, and more in a discussion that’s sure to make you Smile! And if you have the Guts, you can ask Raina your burning questions live too! Make sure you get here early! (*Limited seating available, first-come, first-serve. Doors open at 9:30am.)

Be a Con Pro: Convention Survival and Advice from Seasoned Experts
12:30 pm – Meeting Rooms
Brown County Library Pop Con™ is just one of many massive pop culture gatherings! If you’re looking to head out and meet creators, vendors, and other fans at the next big fan event but you’re a first-timer or not sure where to start, this episode of Serious Fun is for you! Local con experts (and one hapless host) will offer advice and guidelines on everything from cosplay to etiquette to budgeting to provisions to help make you a Con Pro in no time! And they’ll answer your questions and tell some of their own convention stories too!

Friends, Foes, and Frenemies: The Greatest Duos in Popular Culture
2:00 pm – Meeting Rooms
Sure, Deadpool and Wolverine got the headlines this summer but they’re far from the only great duo in pop culture! Every medium, from comics to video games to film and novels, have legendary, inseparable pairs that support each other, make each other better, or drive each other up a wall. Whether it’s Mario and Luigi, Batman and Robin, Sherlock and Watson or your own personal favorite pairing, this panel will discuss what makes a legendary duo and invite the audience to help us build a list of the pre-eminent pairs in pop culture. So bring your bestie, rally your ride-or-dies, and help celebrate that rarest of treasures – someone who truly gets you.

Cosplay 101

11:00 am – Meeting Rooms
Halloween is creeping around the corner and you may be noticing some really impressive costumes out there. Join experienced cosplayer AConcernedCongoer to learn about cosplay, leveling up to your Halloween experience, and beyond!

Roleplaying Games for Beginners

Have you heard about games like Dungeons & Dragons or Fallout but have never had the opportunity to give them a try? Now is your chance! A Game Master will guide a small group of rag-tag adventurers through beginner one-shot games. Rules will be taught during play & characters provided. Space is limited; registration required. Call 920.448.5824 to claim your spot in a session!

Dungeons & Dragons
10:30 am – 12:30 pm – Redwall Adventure
1:30 – 3:30 pm – Classic D&D Adventure
2nd Floor Study Room C

Enter a world inspired by the Redwall fantasy book series by Brian Jacques, or join a group of adventurers in a classic Dungeons & Dragons adventure. The choice is yours – adventure awaits! For ages 8 and up.

Fallout: It’s All Over But the Crying
10:30 am – 12:30 pm OR 1:30 – 3:30 pm
2nd Floor Board Room

It’s a beautiful day in the wasteland, the sun is shining and the University Point market is bustling with survivors. As you haggle with Mary Abernathy, a local farmer, over the price of a mutfruit you see an old friend, Jacqueline “Jacq” Spencer, hobbling towards you. Jacq has seen better days as she leans hard on an old board as a crutch. She looks around and then whispers to you “I need your help…meet me at my junk stand after market closing.” For ages 13 and up.

Comic Making Station, presented by SAGE

10:00 am – 2:00 pm – First Floor Fiction
Write your own mini-comic and learn about the limitless possibilities of creating zines at our comic making station! Presented by SAGE.

Performances by Treble Alliance

A mix of Irish dance and cosplay, this band of rebels is performing in the First Floor Fiction area at 10:30, 12:00, 1:30, and 3:00 (final performance will be in the auditorium prior to the cosplay contest award ceremony). See a preview of their performances on their YouTube channel!

Cosplay Contest

Cosplayers of all levels and ages are encouraged to enter the Cosplay Contest! Entries are accepted from 10:00am to 1:00pm in the Fiction area on the first floor (near the main staircase). Cosplay guidelines are available here.

Awards are announced at 3:00pm in the Auditorium (do not need to be present to win).

Start celebrating early with
Brown County Library Pop Con™ Junior!

Friday, October 4 – 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Get ready for Pop Con™ with activities and crafts for youth! Meet cartoonist and illustrator, Robb Mommaerts, who will lead draw-along drawing demos. Robb will also share his newest work from the book The Monstrous Adventures of Mummy Man & Waffles. Visit activity stations to celebrate popular book characters like Dog Man, Cat Kid, Bad Guys, and Investigators. Show off your cosplay, play some games, and more! Ages 5-10.