This spring, Ithaca College students will have the opportunity to learn about the intricacies and the fun of putting on a comic con. The school has added a new course for the spring 2019 semester, Creating and Promoting Ithacon, in which students will help organize and promote the long running Ithacon.
This hands-on opportunity is designed for students that are interested in planning events, managing celebrities, and marketing within pop culture. Students will have an important role in planning Ithacon 2019 that will include determining needs for staffing and con materials, logistics, marketing by writing press releases, social media campaigns, working with local and national partners, publishers, and properties, and managing the event during the weekend.
The course will be co-taught by faculty in the School of Humanities and Sciences and the School of Business. English professor and Ithacon coordinator Katharine Kittredge will work with students on aspects of the event that promote literacy and creativity. Ed Catto, a lecturer in the Department of Management, will share his vast experience in pop culture and con planning to teach students about marketing and branding, as well as assist them with planning and promoting the con.
“We are excited for this course and the fantastic learning opportunities for students,” Catto said. “Ithacon has been a fixture of Ithaca’s pop culture scene for decades, and I’m looking forward to hosting fans on the Ithaca College campus for the 44th annual show in March.”
Catto and Kittredge are bringing in a list of guest speakers from comics and conventions, that include DC Comics President Paul Levitz, Bill Schanes of Diamond Comic Distributors, and comic book editor Will Dennis.
In addition, the course will teach students about entrepreneurship, post-event analysis, and focuses on pop culture, publishing, film, licensing, collectibles, and fandoms.
Ithacon will be held on March 23-24, 2019 at Ithaca College’s Emerson Suites. The Twilight Zone’s 60th anniversary will be showcased.
