Bell Con 08 draws crowd of comic book fans

PETER JENSEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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After the success of last year's Bell Con, a Bellingham-based comic book convention that attracted 1,500 people in its first year at The Majestic, organizer Darren Davis said he knew he needed to make this year's convention bigger and better.

He, along with co-organizer Jason Schultz, did just that at Bell Con 08, held at Whatcom Community College Saturday, Sept. 27. He moved it to a larger venue and doubled its size and the number of comic book vendors.

They added more live music and brought in big names in the comic book world, including Marvel Comics illustrator Clayton Crain, who has helped produce installments in the "Ghost Rider" and "Spider Man" comic book series.

Bell Con at Whatcom Community College

About 2,000 people from around the Pacific Northwest attended this year's convention, making it the second-largest convention in Washington state. And Schultz and Davis aren't done yet.

"We can make this bigger and better," Davis said. "I want it to be more entertainment-based than people just selling stuff."

The convention had 80 vendors from as far away as British Columbia and Northern California attend, Davis said.

The Bellingham Public Library was also at the convention to encourage children to read graphic novels.

Davis said he struggled learning to read as a child, and graphic novels helped him learn that skill.

"It's a way for me to get kids excited about reading," Davis said. "They play too much video games."

Comic book writing partners Brandon Jerwa, best known for his work on "G.I. Joe" and "Battlestar Galactica" comics, and Eric Trautmann, who writes "Perfect Dark" and "Check Mate" comics, attended the convention and said it was an opportunity to connect with fans.

"It's just a good chance to get out and talk to the fans and maybe introduce new people to the books," Jerwa said. "Plus, it's a way to get out the house for a day, which is a good thing."