Cook Memorial Library hosts Mini Comic Con April 30

On Saturday, April 30, Cook Memorial Public Library will host an all-ages Mini Comic Con at its Vernon Hills location, 701 Aspen Drive. The drop-in event begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until 2:30 p.m. with a variety of ongoing comics-centered activities happening throughout the library. Mini Comic Con is open to the public and admission is free. Cosplay (short for "costume play") is encouraged and patrons wearing outstanding costumes will be awarded small prizes.

The event is the result of collaboration among the library's children's, teen and adult services staff members who, themselves fans of the comic book genre, have followed the rise in popularity of comic conventions and who hear from patrons of all ages about their interests in comic culture, including superheroes. The Comic Con is modeled on the library's popular Star Wars events for all ages.

The trio of planners describes the event as "a big celebration of all things geeky." They hope that patrons connect over shared interests, learn about new fandoms and become familiar with the library's many resources in the category. Cook has more than 700 print fiction and nonfiction comics titles on shelf, offers cardholders free access to nearly 800 digital comics on the Hoopla service and has nearly 100 movies in the genre.

The Comic Con's activities will include a superhero photo booth, superhero training, video and board games, scavenger hunt, various crafts including mask-making and droid-building, demos of the Hoopla digital service and Sphero racing. The event allows patrons of all ages to immerse themselves in comic cool without traveling to one of the big conventions. For more information, call the library, at (847) 362-2330 or visit www.cooklib.org.