Gail Borden Library hosting Comic Book Mania! convention

The heat of superheroes never cools off, even inside the Gail Borden Library.

On Saturday, the Elgin library hosts the first Comic Book Mania! Convention from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring 10 artists, nine of them from Illinois, sketching new works right before readers.

The comic book creators also will judge a Best Costume Competition at 2:30 p.m. and sign autographs for fans.

While waiting for the superhero gala on stage, visitors can steal some inspiration from the film "Starman," which will be showing all day in the library's Meeting Room One. And before leaving, visitors can squeeze into a comic taxi for family pictures. Too hilarious for Elgin's traffic hours, the taxi could at least bring back some childhood fantasies.

Spearheading the event is Bob Cassinelli from the library's Youth Department. The 40-year comic book fan will put on display his personal collection, which include works from Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Japan and Mexico.

Interested readers can also buy books from the "Friends of the Library" group and professional vendors at the event.

"This will be a multigenerational event," said Denise Raleigh, the library's director of marketing, development and communications. "Picking up a book can help increase the interactivity between parents and children."

Raleigh said she hopes the convention attracts more people to Gail Borden's summer reading program. So far, the program has registered 6,356 members of all ages, hitting an all-time high, she said.

Legends of warriors will not end with comic books. The library has arranged a series of hero-featured events throughout the summer. Next Tuesday, Terrence Wandtke, professor of literature and media at Judson University, will talk about how images of superheroes have evolved over the years.

For more information, visit gailborden.info.