Kid's Comic Con Slated for the Bronx

This story originally appeared in PW Comics Week on February 13, 2007 Sign up now!

by Calvin Reid, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 2/13/2007

Known for his work as a writer of comics, prose and plays as well as an ongoing series of popular kids comics workshops held around New York City, Alex Simmons announced plans to hold the first Kid's Comic Con on the campus of the Bronx Community College, April 28. The first Kids' Comic Con will feature a variety of entertaining events and demonstrations on comics aimed at kids as well as workshops and exhibits focused on using comics as an educational tool for parents, teachers and librarians.

Simmons, who is also educational outreach director at the Museum for Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City and a board member on the New York State Alliance for Arts and Education, emphasized that the KCC will be an all-ages event to promote comics to kids and will prohibit material featuring gore, extreme violence, nudity or vulgarity. "All books, art exhibits and merchandise," said Simmons, "must be suitable for young eyes, first and foremost."

The one-day event will feature a Kid's Corner, where kids can create their own comics; workshops for educators and on drawing for aspiring young cartoonists. There will be exhibits of original art and demonstrations and portfolio reviews by industry professionals. The guest list includes a wide range of comics professionals, among them artists Eric Battle (The Spectre, Batman and Tarzan), Jamal Igle (Firestorm and Nightwing), Jerry Craft (Momma's Boyz), writer/creator Jane Fisher (WHJC!) and comics editors Joan Hilty, Michael Wright (DC Comics) and Jim Salicrup (Papercutz). Also participating are comics historian Prof. William Foster, novelist and comics industry expert Danny Fingeroth; colorist Chris Sotomayer and many others. The event is receiving organizational support from Bronx Community College; Maurice White and Yumi Odum, organizers of Philadelphia's East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC); Diamond Comics and from the Museum for Comic and Cartoon Art.

In addition to creating and writing BlackJack: Blood and Honor, an adventure graphic novel featuring an African-American hero, Simmons has written the Raven League (Penguin), a Sherlock Holmes prose mystery series for middle grades and has also written Batman and Scooby-Doo comics for DC Comics.

Simmons said he organized the KCC as a reaction to the mainstream comics industry's focus on creating material for mature audiences rather than children and young adults. "Other than Archie, the comics industry has turned its back on kids," said Simmons. "I grew up fascinated by comics. Kids read comics to learn possibilities, and they help kids to go on to read prose books. They have inspired kids to become scientists."

"The market needs this. I know how popular comics are to kids aged from six to 19," Simmons continued. " I can teach any subject using comics and cartoons. I know because I've done it. These are the tools to use to help struggling kids."