Contributed by collector and Overstreet Advisor Art Cloos
Photos by Alice Cloos

The 9th edition of TerrifiCon took place on Friday through Sunday, August 16-18, 2024, in the Earth Expo Convention Center at the Mohegan Sun Casino Expo Center in Uncasville, Connecticut. TerrifiCon is owned, produced, and organized by Mitch Hallock’s Big Fedora Marketing, LLC. It began in 2012 when Hallock combined his lifelong love of comics and his professional career as a Marketing and Creative Director to produce his version of the “Greatest Comic Show on Earth.”

Let me state up front that TerrifiCon has become one of the big time regional comic book conventions in the northeast and reaches beyond the area. The show is rapidly evolving into a national can’t miss convention. At every edition of the show, I talk with attendees who had come in from as far away as Canada and San Francisco. This is due in part to a strong turnout of nationally known comic dealers that included Anthony’s Comics, Carbo Comics, Basement Comics, Gary Somers, Albert Moy Art, Daniel Smith, and Greg White Comic Books. There was also a strong turnout of regional comic sellers including Absolute Comics And Cards, Agents of Slabs, Bobby’s Retro World, Bobs Comics And Zines, Coleman’s Timely Collectibles, Fantasy Unlimited Comics, Moving Pictures Comics and Collectibles, Next Generation Gaming and Toys, Very Gary Comics, Harrison’s Comics, J&S Collectibles, John’s Toy Box, Paul’s Comics & Collectibles, Riche’s Comic Cabana, Welcome Back Comics, and many more. The result was a wide range of comics both slabbed and raw from key Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age books right on through to Modern keys, as well as many dollar boxes where bargains could be found.

For the art collectors, there was a nice selection of original comic book art from Anthony’s Original Art and Comics and the above mentioned Albert Moy, both of whom are national comic art dealers. Bob Stevenson also had a nice display of art as well as an awesome selection of comic book fanzines. Other comic-centric dealers had art on their walls as well.

Of course, there were auction houses who were represented by Hake’s Auctions and Heritage Auctions, both of whom were taking commissions. CBCS was at the show taking grading consignments and this is always a lure for high-end collectors to bring their books to be graded.

As comic-centric as this show is, there was a wide range of dealers who sold items beyond the comics including clothing, toys, prints, cosplay weapons, Funkos, Legos, vintage video game equipment, statues, jewelry, and videos from various dealers such as MTC Toys who sold clothing, Richie’s Comic Cabna, who sells baseball cards and action figures, and there were many beyond the ones listed here.

There was a very strong turnout of comic creators which included Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, Jerry Ordway, Jim Starlin, José Luis García-López, Adam Hughes, Al Milgrom, Barbara Friedlander, Brian Azzarello, Erik Larsen, Howard Chaykin, Jim Salicrup, Jim Starlin, Rudy Nebres, Walter Simonson, and a whole lot more. Fans could spend their entire time at the show just in Artist Alley interacting with their favorite creators.

Media guests included Tom Welling, Charlie Cox, Cobie Smulders, Michael Rooker, Sylvester McCoy, Joe Pantoliano, Martin Kove, Walter Koeing, Ethan Peck, Stephanie Czajkowski, Matt Ryan, Chris Polabd, Eric Estrada, and Larry Wilcox among many others.

There were a lot of cosplayers who turned out in force. They were all over the place and the creativity of many of their outfits was just amazing to see. There was an all-ages contest for cosplayers aged 9 and up on Sunday. The 501st Connecticut Star Wars cosplayers were there (would it be a show without them?) as was the cosplay group the NY Fantastic Four, Kelly’s Droids, the Central Connecticut Ghostbusters, and others along with Captain TerrificCon who was all over the show saying hi to attendees all weekend. TerrifiCon hosted Magic The Gathering and Pokémon games for a fee.

TerrifiCon had panels covering all aspects of pop culture. On Friday, the panels were centered on media guests such as the CHIPs panel and the Joe Pantoliano Q&A. Saturday continued the media panels with Matt Ryan, Ethan Peck, and Samoa Joe. However comic book icon Jim Lee was the star of one of them. Among the panels offered Sunday was one on Marvel’s Daredevil and his 60-year run and one on DC’s New All In with Scott Snyder, Jason Aaron, and Philip Kennedy Johnson. In addition, the show debuted a new feature called Comic Book U. For a fee Howard Chaykin and Mark Waid presented a three-hour tutorial on writing, drawing, and storytelling along with take home materials and a dedicated networking event after the panel was over.

The best way to describe the show is to call it a whirlwind. Honestly, there was so much going on that it was hard to keep up with it all. When we arrived at the entrance, I barely got through the check-in when I was at the booth of Bob Stevenson a longtime friend of ours who was set up in the long hall leading to the dealer room. Stevenson had his usual awesome mix of comic book art, vintage comics, and some amazing vintage fanzines, which are his specialty.

Once I finally got into the dealer room, I was struck by the number of comic dealers. It totally validated the con’s reputation as a true comic-centric show. I am pleased to say that I brought home a bunch of Atomic Age and early Silver Age books, and Allie brought home a bunch of Bronze Age books too. Most of the dealers Allie and I spoke to were pleased with their sales and for some TerrifiCon is the main show that they do each year. I barely got through the first aisle when I met up with Scott Wolpow, a friend who I have known since the 1970s, and we talked about the incredible NY Comic Art Convention scene of that time. I spent a long time talking to Hake’s Auction’s Mike Bollinger who I have known for a long time now about the state of the auction scene and also with Albert Stoltz on the current vintage comic book scene. I was especially pleased to finally meet John Morrow the publisher of TwoMorrows publishing in person after years of talking to him on the phone.

One personal highlight for me came as I settled down to go through the comics I had just bought. Next to me was an elderly gentleman, and we got to talking. He told me this was the first comic con he had ever gone to and that he found it amazing. He also said he wished he had saved his comics when he was young. He told me he was there with his grandson who soon came up to him with his dad. The boy was all decked out in a Deadpool outfit, and I asked him if he had read the Deadpool comics. When he said no, I suggested he go back into the show to find some, but his dad told me they had spent their convention budge getting to the show and for the costume. Well, I gave the boy some money and said go find some Deadpool comics. He took off and about 15 minutes later came back and he showed me four comics he had just bought. He and his granddad both said thank you (the granddad shook my hand) and then they left the show. I have to say it was a good moment. 

For Allie, one highlight was meeting one of her favorite cosplayers, The Banana Man. He is a young man who is a fixture at TerrifiCon, and every outfit he wears is banana themed. This year he was Thor complete with music and maracas. At this year’s show Allie met a young boy who was dressed like Banana Man who told Allie he wanted to be just like the Banana Man. She also noted that 3D printed plastic costume props such as hats, shields, toys and other props are becoming popular at shows.

I was so pleased that TerrifiCon awarded its Fan Lifetime Appreciation Award to García-López. Allie and I have met him, and he is just such a nice person. DC President and fellow artist Jim Lee presented the award, saying how García-López’s style was the look of the DC superheroes in his mind since he began reading comics in the 1970s. García-López was the artist on the DC in house style guides in the 1980s. Previous recipients of the Fan Appreciation award have been Chris Claremont, the late George Pérez, and Roy Thomas.

In terms of food, the con had Wild Bill soda which sells premium craft soda, next to it was Beef Octane which sold beef jerky, then Expresso Presto sold specialty coffee. A bit down the aisle was another coffee seller, Super Villain coffee, and other food vendors besides. Outside the dealer room was a pretty good snack bar with tables. Beyond that, the casino offers around 41 dining options to choose from. However, you do have to be patient getting into some of them. We ate out every night of the show in the casino and two of those nights was at Ballo a fantastic Italian restaurant with wonderful food and service.

So as we packed up to leave our hotel and go home, we both agreed that TerrifiCon was the perfect way to enjoy an August getaway vacation at a summer comic convention and we would return for another round next year.

The 2025 edition of TerrifiCon will be held on Friday to Sunday, August 8-10 at the Mohegan Sun within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford, and Providence and only 15 minutes from Mystic Country. This gives show attendees an opportunity to plan a vacation around the con and explore tourist destinations after the con ends. The casino’s hotel offered room accommodations with special show room rates and beyond the onsite hotel the entire Norwich/Mystic area has over 50 places to stay within 20 minutes of the casino and many offered free shuttle buses back and forth to the casino. A real plus for those driving is that over 13,000 free parking spaces are available.

Ticket prices varied for each day of the show for adults and there were reduced rates for kids aged 10 to 13. Three-day passes and special admission packages were available as well. Kids aged 10 and under got in for free with a paying adult. For further information on next year’s show, check out www.terrificon.com.

To see more photos from Terrificon, check out our In the Limelight section.