VALCON 2.0

Last year, Valley Cottage Library was the first library in Rockland County and the first library in the RCLS Library System to host a library con and almost 300 people attended. “In recent years, Comic Cons have become a global phenomenon and local libraries are starting to follow suit,” says Jennifer Daddio, Head of Teen Services at the Valley Cottage Library and ValCon’s creator and director. “We were very proud to be the first library to create something like this in Rockland County and the entire RCLS Library System.”

The guest of honor will, once again, be Nyack resident Denny O’Neil, who was the original writer and editor of the Batman Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s. His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan, all of which were hailed for their sophisticated stories that expanded the artistic potential of the mainstream portion of the medium. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles.

“Comic books have educational value beyond entertainment,” Daddio says. “They can be a gateway to get children interested in reading and open their minds to trying something new."

In addition, the Stormtroopers of the 501st Legion will be present at ValCon. The 501st Legion is an all-volunteer organization formed for the express purpose of bringing together costume enthusiasts to promote interest in Star Wars in local communities, a perfect fit for ValCon!

ValCon will also be loaded with activities, including panels, workshops, presenters, cosplay contest, artists and vendors. Some of them include:
• Workshops on publishing fan fiction, manga and cartoon drawing and candy sushi rolling;
• Yoshi Amao from Samurai Sword Soul will perform a sword fighting demonstration and then lead a brief workshop;
• Jennifer Cihi, known for being the original English dub singer of Sailor Moon
• Michele Knotz, a voice actress of anime and videogames; best known for her voice work on the Pokémon franchise;
• Funny Business, the comic book store in Nyack.

ValCon’s mascot logo was created by Rockland County’s own Sabrina Celis. It was selected out of a number of contest entries that the library ran earlier this year.