Archive for September, 2008

Coming Up: Mid-Ohio-Con October 4-5th, 2008 in Columbus, OH

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

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OSWCC is heading to Columbus, Ohio as an exhibitor at Mid-Ohio-Con on October 4th & 5th. Come and join us for a weekend of fun!

Now in its 28th consecutive year, Mid-Ohio-Con is one of America’s longest-running and most successful comic book and pop-culture conventions, carrying on a fun and family-oriented tradition of bringing fans of all ages together with leading comic book writers and artists, film and television stars and creators, and publishers and retailers from across the nation.

For 2008 there are some exciting new features and developments as they continue to grow the MOC experience.

New dates. They’ve moved from the traditional Thanksgiving-weekend time slot to the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, October 4–5, 2008. As hoped, the date change has received a terrific response from fans and professionals alike, as the new dates no longer conflict with so many attendees’ holiday travel and family plans. We’re looking forward to seeing lots of new faces alongside returning MOC veterans this year!

More space. For 2008 they’ll once again be hosting MOC in the Greater Columbus Convention Center, located in the heart of Columbus’s vibrant downtown area. This year they’ve moved out of Battelle Hall and into Exhibit Hall E and several adjoining panel rooms, offering a greatly expanded show floor for the creative guests, exhibitors, and artist alley, as well as dedicated space for panel programming and other special activities. The Exhibit Hall is just down High Street from the Hyatt Regency hotel and only a short distance from all the dining, shopping, and entertainment available in downtown Columbus’s Arena District.

Expanded guest list. The roster of special guests is growing daily, and they’re pleased to welcome back a host of familiar faces, as well as many new ones, from the worlds of comic books, film and television, sf/fantasy, gaming, and pop culture. Keep your eye out in the near future for further additions to the list, as well as forthcoming announcements such as our 2008 Mid-Ohio-Con Guests of Honor.

Special features. In addition to the lively show floor and panel programming track, this year’s MOC will feature a charity auction of items including original artwork by comic book legend John Byrne; a fan film festival sponsored by Packrat Comics; the first annual costume contest; a variety of all-new MOC exclusives and merchandise; and more. Stay tuned for future developments.

As you’ve noticed if you’ve tried clicking around, their new website—like this year’s Mid-Ohio-Con!—is still a work in progress. So add them to your bookmarks and check back in the weeks to come for news and updates, including information about purchasing tickets; volunteering at MOC; the programming schedule; travel and hotels in Columbus; and much more.

Whether you’re a longtime MOC participant or first-timer this year, we’re looking forward to seeing you in October. It’s going to be a great con! Check out all the details at midohiocon.com.

DCSWCC Celebrates their 5th Anniversary!

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

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DCSWCC NOW FIVE YEARS OLD

A long time ago, in our nation’s capital region.

August 19, 2008 marked the fifth anniversary of The Washington DC Metro Area Star Wars Collecting Club (DCSWCC). Back in the summer of 2003, Mike Kurtz
convened 18 local die-hard Star Wars collectors in a library basement.
DCSWCC is now one of the largest and most active Star Wars collecting clubs
in America, with over 110 members. The club meets monthly and holds special
events such as socials and “Roadshow” appraisal events throughout the year.
DCSWCC members have attended all major Star Wars events and held prominent
volunteer positions at JediCon in West Virginia, Celebration III in
Indianapolis, Celebration IV in Los Angeles, Celebration Europe in London,
and Celebration Japan in Tokyo.

Throughout the last five years, DCSWCC and its members have contributed
significantly to the Star Wars fandom and have supported children of the local communities. Mainly through sales of exclusive Lucasfilm-sanctioned
cloisonne lapel pins featuring Yoda, Chewbacca, and Boba Fett, DCSWCC has
raised over $14,000 for charities such as DC Children’s Hospital, The
Children’s Inn at NIH, the Aluminum Cans for Burned Children Program, United
Mitochondrial Disease Fund, and the 501st’s Katie Johnson Fund. In
addition, members have donated countless canned goods and toys to local food
pantries and Toys for Tots campaigns.

DCSWCC’s latest charity pin drive is still underway, with less than 200 pins
remaining. You can help them reach their goal of $6000 — please visit http://store.dcswcc.org and order your pin now!

Happy belated birthday, DCSWCC!

For more information, visit the club’s website at http://www.dcswcc.org