Each year, the goal is for the Heroes for Kids Comic-Con to be bigger and better than the year before. After a very tiring weekend, it should be considered mission accomplished.
“I looked down the aisle and it looked like the herd from the Walking Dead,” Comic-Con organizer Lonnie Johnson said. “It was a big group walking around the gym floor. It was awesome because everyone was soaking it in.”
The Comic-Con which is now in its fourth year and started as a smaller event, but as the years have gone, Johnson has seen the event grow. That was never more evident than in 2023. The event which was held Saturday at the Perry Park Center, and along with other fundraising events over the last six months, raised $11,000, which will be split between Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and Fly Me Home.
The total is the most ever as last year the event raised $10,400 and the year before was $8,400. Johnson estimated there were 1,200 people who attended the event, although an exact number is yet to be confirmed.
“We blew last year’s total out of the water,” Johnson said. “We had two Star Wars actors there and that franchise is big, especially right now when you have these new shows coming out. It’s a group effort to put on a show like this. I can’t say for 100 percent certainty that it was one thing that helped.”
Johnson said the event is for people of all ages.
“The Comic-Con is for everyone,” he said. “If you like pop culture there is something for you there.”
The event had three special guests which included Mark Dodson, who voiced Salacious Crumb in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and provided various voices for Ewoks: The Battle for Endor and Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. He is also known as the voice of the eponymous creatures in Gremlins and Gremlins 2.
C. Andrew Nelson is an American digital effects artist and actor who worked as a digital paint and rotoscope artist for Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. He also portrayed Darth Vader in the 1997 special edition of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.
Wyatt Weed is an actor, visual effects artist, and filmmaker who appeared as a Rutian police officer in the Star Trek: The Next Generation third season episode “The High Ground”. [1] He also worked as visual effects artist on the Caretaker’s array miniature for the Star Trek: Voyager first season episode “Caretaker” and played “The Boar” in Predator 2.
“The actors loved Perryville tremendously,” Johnson said. “They loved the sights and there is a possibility that they might come back to the area.”
Johnson was thrilled that the Comic-Con has grown over the years as well.
mous creatures in Gremlins and Gremlins 2.
C. Andrew Nelson is an American digital effects artist and actor who worked as a digital paint and rotoscope artist for Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. He also portrayed Darth Vader in the 1997 special edition of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.
Wyatt Weed is an actor, visual effects artist, and filmmaker who appeared as a Rutian police officer in the Star Trek: The Next Generation third season episode “The High Ground”. [1] He also worked as visual effects artist on the Caretaker’s array miniature for the Star Trek: Voyager first season episode “Caretaker” and played “The Boar” in Predator 2.
“The actors loved Perryville tremendously,” Johnson said. “They loved the sights and there is a possibility that they might come back to the area.”
Johnson was thrilled that the Comic-Con has grown over the years as well.
“It’s awesome,” Johnson said. “when we started this we never thought it would be this big. We started with a dream in a parking lot with a couple canopies and first responder vehicles and about eight characters and raising maybe $750 in 2015.It’s been an amazing ride.”
The planning for next year’s Comic-Con starts soon.
“The planning phase starts soon,” Johnson said. “we already have vendors for next year and we hope to make it even better.”
