Get ready to geek out this weekend at the Rubber City Pop Culture Fest.
Comics artists will mix with wrestlers, zombies and cosplay enthusiasts sprawled across 20,000 square feet at the Historic Goodyear Hall in Akron’s East End. Organizers are calling it the “first annual” in hopes that it will become a yearly event.
“We are trying to include everyone and everything so that everyone feels part of this celebration of pop culture,” said co-founder Dan Gorman.
He and his friend Jason Miller, both of Cuyahoga Falls, have been itching to launch such a festival for 20 years, ever since they first met at Big Buddha’s Comics in Green. Gorman is an illustrator and Miller owns Stuff Genie Emporium in Barberton. They also co-host the internet show Altered Realm Radio on KRMAradio.com.
“This whole pop culture thing has become so huge in the past 10 years or so,” said Gorman. “It used to be a bunch of geeks in a convention hall arguing about who drew Spider-Man better. Now it’s this multimedia phenomenon.”
Among the highlights:
• Akron artist Matt Horak, who draws The Punisher for Marvel and Octo Skull for EarthQuaker Devices, will be there Friday and Saturday.
• Comics creator Chris Yambar, whose many ventures include comics featuring Bart Simpson, Radioactive Man and SpongeBob SquarePants, will be appearing Saturday and Sunday.
• From 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Undaground Wrestling will present a wrestling seminar with WWE legend Pat Tanaka.
• A Charity Zombie Walk will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, featuring “celebrity walkers” Stephen Vining and Tim Proctor from The Walking Dead.
There will also be a cosplay contest, charity auction, gaming, food trucks and music.
What kind of turnout are they expecting?
“We’re hoping for 3,000,” said Gorman. “If we get between 3,000 and 5,000 people that would be amazing. Frankly, if we get more than that I don’t know what we’ll do, because we won’t have enough wristbands.”
Clint O’Connor can be reached at 330-996-3582 or coconnor@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClintOMovies .