Every year, thousands of people come together at Comic-Con, and it’s not just fans who are interacting. It also includes artists.
The conference and their shared passion for comics inspired a group of North County cartoonists and artists to support one another and publish their own comics.
To encourage cartoonists, the North County Comics Collective meets on a regular basis. In North County, they host small, informal get-togethers at each other’s houses.
Cartoonist and filmmaker Mark Habegger stated, “We are very local because we don’t like to drive very far for our monthly meetings.”
About four years ago, the group was founded when its members discussed how a group of young fans founded Comic-Con and decided it would be a good idea to start their own local group.
The group publishes a comics anthology called Jolliest that includes their creations in addition to discussing comics and hearing from special guests. Nine members of the group spoke to Comic-Con attendees on Thursday at a panel called “Creating a Local Comics Community.”
Panelists urged fans to organize groups, approach convention cartoonists, and seek assistance from their fan pals.
Author and English professor Rocco Versaci, who teaches a comics program at Palomar Community College in San Marcos, remarked, “Who would have guessed it would blossom into something like this?”
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Wendy All, a former Mattel toy designer, claimed she received an invitation to join the organization after moving to Oceanside from Los Angeles years prior. According to her, becoming a member has been similar to receiving mentorship.
“I was really happy when I found this group,” she added.
Their relationships have become stronger, and the group has maintained informal meetups.
We all truly respect one another’s skills, which is part of it, All stated. We genuinely like each other, you see. That’s the problem.
