Spa-Con makes first bam next weekend

Erin Baber, public relations coordinator for Garland County Library, and Bill Solleder, special events manager for Visit Hot Springs, pose with a handful of Spa-Con programs. The inaugural comic and sci-fi convention, will run Friday through Sept. 25.
Erin Baber, public relations coordinator for Garland County Library, and Bill Solleder, special events manager for Visit Hot Springs, pose with a handful of Spa-Con programs. The inaugural comic and sci-fi convention, will run Friday through Sept. 25.

— The Garland County Library and Visit Hot Springs have joined forces to present the area’s first Spa-Con, a weekend-long event beginning Friday.

Spa-Con is a multigenre entertainment and comic convention to take place at the Hot Springs Convention Center. This convention includes pop culture and entertainment elements spanning many genres, including video games, comics, toys and movies.

“We have been wanting to do this for some time now,” said Erin Baber, the public relations coordinator for Garland County Library. “The staff we have right now is a perfect fit for it.

“We have a good group of people who are interested in it.”

Baber said they begin planning and discussing the convention more than two years ago.

In July, Bill Solleder, who stepped down from Low Key Arts, an organization he co-founded, to accept the position of special-events manager for Visit Hot Springs.

“When Bill came aboard, he really let me play with some stuff and make graphics for it,” Baber said.

Baber designed the cover for the program which mimics a comic book cover, featuring the Hot Springs Mountain Tower and transforms it into a War of the Worlds type tripod, attacking the city.

She also designed the passes and the T-shirts.

“We just toy around with different things and all the cool people we could get,” Baber said. “Names that were just so giant, wouldn’t really be feasible for a first year convention. But I think we have put together a really great convention.

“I like that it is a mixture, it is not just comic. But it is like sci-fi and pop culture. It is a little bit of everything, just fandom in general.”

Solleder said there will be plenty to do all weekend so to be sure to plan ahead.

“The schedule for this weekend is jam packed. It may be difficult for Spa-Con goers to squeeze in everything. So I suggest a lot of pre-planning to make sure you attend as many events as you can.”

In addition to all the events going on, Solleder said, there will be an experience area.

“There will be an Artemis starship bridge simulator, where you can play as Captain Kirk and right across the hallway, there will be a virtual-reality lab,” Solleder said. “In the same area, Central Arkansas Escape [Rooms] will set up a quick lock room.”

The convention kicks off on Friday with a concert by PEELANDER-Z — a Japanese action comic punk band — outside, beginning at 6 p.m. as well as a Bar Trek Downtown Scavenger Hunt at 7 p.m. Guests of all ages can go to different restaurants and businesses downtown and have their “Captain’s Log” stamped. Return the completed log to Spa-Con on Saturday or Sunday and receive a prize.

The cost for the event is $25 in advance for a weekend pass or $30 the day of the event. Children 12 and under get in for free. For those who want to visit the Expo Floor only the cost is $5. The fee is waived for Garland County Library cardholders or those who sign up for one at the event.

“The Expo Floor includes all the vendors, the arts gallery, the Kids Con and the expo stage,” Solleder said. “You would miss out on the gaming, the panels and the workshops as well as the Cosplay Club on Saturday.”

Featured guests at Spa-Con include:

• Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Lt. Uhura on the original Star Trek television series and was the first black woman to share an interracial kiss on network television, with co-star William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk. Notable film appearances for Nichols include Are We There Yet? and Snow Dogs. She also had a recurring role on the television series Heroes.

“Nichelle Nichols is really famous for her work on the original Star Trek,” Baber said. “I think the byline of her fame is the kiss she had on television.”

Nichols will host a meet and greet on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. and a Q-and-A with includes lunch for $35 at 11:30 a.m. She will also be available for photos starting at 1 p.m.

• Richard Hatch, best known for his role as Captain Apollo in the original Battlestar Galactica. He will be available for a panel discussion at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. for photo opportunities. He will return at 10 a.m. Sunday for a seminar and photos.

• Michael Hogan has more than a hundred films, TV and voice actor credits to his name, but is probably known for his iconic role as Colonel Saul Tigh, of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica that aired from 2004-2009. He will co-host a panel with Hatch at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Other guests include Jennifer Holm, the author of Babymouse, a graphic novel series highlighting the ups and downs of elementary school. Holm will give a presentation at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. It is a free event for anyone, not just Spa-Con goers.

“She will have copies of her books for sale and to autograph,” Baber said. “From the library point of view, she is a really big name in children’s literature.”

Baber said some of the other guests that they are excited about are the anime voice actors Caitlin Glass, Leah Clark and Christopher Smith.

“Our teens at the library are very, very excited about these three guests,” Baber said.

Solleder said one of his first goals when he came on board two months ago was to bring in more comic book artists for the convention.

“I am really excited for the comic artists,” Solleder said. “We’ve booked five artists and they include a dynamic range of styles, from Marvel to DC.

“I threw a big left turn though by bringing in Pat Moriarity. Pat isn’t known for drawing super heroes or villains. Pat is known throughout the comic world in like the vain of Robert Krum. He is super underground.

“We aren’t talking about saving Gotham here, we are talking about real, delinquent characters. It will add a nice splash of color to the usual comic artist.”

Moriarity will lead a comic artists’ workshop at 3 p.m. Sunday. All of the artists will be available in the Artist Alley throughout the weekend.

“Now it just needs to happen,” Solleder said. “Con lovers need to do their part and show up. So far, we have had a great response and a great team. We will be able to learn from this first attempt and do something twice as big next year. Hopefully, we can put Hot Springs on the map with other cons in the country.”

For more information on Spa-Con, visit the website at www.spa-con.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SpaConHotSprings.

Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.

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