Enjoy 'Riverdale,' Cosplay, Art and More at the 2018 Hamptons Comic Extravaganza
Now in its third year, the 2018 Hamptons Comic Extravaganza is taking place at a new Hampton Bays location this Saturday, August 25 from 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Created by Archie Comics Co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit, the event will feature vendors, artists, a talk on CW’s hit show Riverdale, cosplay and even some real-life stormtroopers!
Silberkleit, who us a huge proponent of youth literacy and the fight against bullying, created the Comic Extravaganza to celebrate sequential art and graphic narrative, as seen in the Archie comics her company publishes. She’s especially proud of her flagship comic, Rise Above, which is all about overcoming bullying.
She will talk about Archie Comics and the revamped version seen on CW’s Riverdale, a live action teen drama featuring the original classic characters, such as Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge (Hamptonite Mark Consuelos plays Veronica’s dad, Hiram Lodge) and Reggie Mantle.
Guests at Saturday’s event are encouraged to come in costume, and prizes will be awarded to the best cosplayer. Additionally, soldiers from the famous 501st Legion’s Empire City Garrison—a Star Wars cosplay group famous for their film-accurate costumes, with a special interest in stormtroopers and other Imperial and Bounty Hunter villains, such as Boba Fett and Darth Vader. The 501st does costumed charity and volunteer work, promoting the love of Star Wars and brightening the days of the less fortunate as “bad guys doing good.”
On a related note, Star Wars superfan and world renowned toy photographer Matt Rohde—a Shelter Islander and South Ferry captain—will be on hand displaying and selling his work. Rohde, @x_captain_kaos_x on Instagram, has built a following of more than 30,000 people, who regularly visit his page to see beautiful and sometimes humorous photos of his 6-inch Star Wars the Black Series action figures and various other characters from pop culture.
Among the other artists at the show, Matthew Gonos, aka Masqueffex, is a master of special effects known for his unusual leather masks, one-of-a-kind dentures and puppets, as well as stop-motion animated films featuring his creations. His more off-the-wall projects comprise an array of gadgets like shock gloves (see Gonos demonstrate them below), spring shoes and fireball teeth. “From puppets to dentures, to puppets with dentures, leather masks and more, Masqueffex is your one stop nightmare factory,” Gonos explains of his custom work.
Freelance illustrator and fine artist Sage Cotignola will also be at the Extravaganza with her work inspired by mythology, folktales, Medieval painting, Japanese woodblock prints, and the more surprising aspects of everyday life. She usually paints in gouache on watercolor paper or on wood. Her pieces often present pre-existing narratives in a new way, introducing a twist that prompts a re-examination of a story that was previously set in stone, and raises an eyebrow at ideas that are taken for granted due to repetition throughout history. See one of her paintings below.
Graphic novel-style artwork from local kids will also be displayed in a collaboration with the Southampton Youth Bureau, which is co-sponsoring the event along with Silberkleit’s Rise Above Social Issues Foundation.
The third annual Hamptons Comic Extravaganza is at the Hampton Bays Community Center (25 Ponquogue Avenue) this Saturday, August 25 from 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m.