Webcomics Convention Starts in Norwalk

Richard Errington always had a keen interest in comic books. So after earning a bachelor’s degree in creative from England’s University of Leeds, he decided to pursue his passion and get involved in the field he loves.

Errington, a Darien resident, organized InterVerse Comics, LLC, an “independent comic book publisher that publishes in-house comics online and in print form.”

“We’ve existed since March 2010,” Errington said of the company for which he’s now a managing partner. “We’re in SoNo. We run about eight different series of webcomics.”

Errington said he’s excited for this coming weekend. Why?

“We’re doing a convention for webcomics and digital comics at the Dolce Conference Center in Norwalk,” he said. “We have quite a few exhibitors, quite a few guests — some prominent artists and some up-and-comers.”

The convention — Webcomics Con 2011 — will be held Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 and will feature “lots of panels and an exhbitor’s hall.” Some artists in attendance include Chris Hastings of Dr. McNinja, Katie Tiedrich of Awkward Zombie, Yan “Kerne” Gagne and Mary Garren of Drow Tales, according to InterVerse’s website.

Tickets are available for $30 for the entire weekend, or $20 for each individual day, Errington said, adding the prices might increase slightly. He recommended people preregister online at interversecomics.com.

“There will be a charity auction and some other events too,” Errington said. “We’re doing this because of our own involvement in the medium of webcomics. We want to give more exposure to the community.”

Errington said he enjoys comics because they’re a “very open medium.”

“Graphics novels and comics have gained in popularity in the past few years,” he said. “They are a very interesting way to express prose with a mixture of very detailed artwork and really good writing. A picture can tell 1,000 words, and then you have six to eight panels on a single page. It’s always something I’ve been very passionate about.”

Errington said those who come out to the convention can meet webcomic authors, new writers, new creators and learn about web comics and digital comics.

“There will be something applicable to aspiring creators and some things applicable to fans,” he said.

Though it’s the convention’s first year, Errington said he hopes it’s not the last.

“We’re hoping to continue it for years to come.”

Editor's note: This article was by Weston-Redding-Easton Patch.