The name comic-con holds a strong following in the comic culture.  When heard, it brings a thought of large groups of people traveling to Chicago, San Diego or New York City to attend a large convention.  

These conventions are known to host well-known names from the film, TV and video game industry.  This Saturday, Eau Claire hosted its very own comic-con for its fourth consecutive year at Action City Family Fun Center.

Jacoby Matott, a senior at UW-Eau Claire, said compared to the major comic-cons, this convention is strictly comic books.  

Matott said the Eau Claire con could become much more like the Twin Cities Fall and Spring conventions, which are large comic book exclusive comic-cons going on their 25th year.  

“I think if this got a little bit more notice and awareness, Eau Claire is the kind of area that could draw a crowd,” Matott said. “Maybe eventually having a larger scale building.”

Rachel Gierke, a founder of the Eau Claire Comic-Con, said that the “comic con” name is a public domain, meaning that anyone can use it.  

“There are comic-cons all over,” Gierke said. “If it is a con that has to do with comic’s you just put comic-con on it.”

One of Gierke’s jobs for the conventions was to book vendors.  

“I went through the phone book and I started calling, I went online and I called every comic book relation within Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan,” she said.  ”Anything that had to do with comic books I was on the phone for days on end.”

Andrew Richie, a freelance illustrator and vendor at the con, said he was  invited because he was local, knows the people at the con and has done it every year.  

“Comic-Con is a good place to hook up with other artists and meet people in the community,” he said.

Richie said this convention and the Twin Cities fall and spring cons are much different from a convention such as the Chicago Comic-Con.  

“Local cons are great,”  Richie said.  “I just think some cons get so big that people are just there to buy a t-shirt and when you have 10,000 people walking right past you it gets over saturated. People are there for the wrong reasons sometimes. Are you there to look at comic books, comic book art or just there to get a signature from William Shatner?”

Most major conventions, Richie said, are just large media cons and are no longer exclusively for comic books.  

“Chicago used to be great,” Richie said. “You could actually walk up and talk to editors. Now there are just so many people. For artists going to a show, I am looking for work, I am looking to network. If they are not sending editors anymore it is kind of rough.”

Andy Taylor, an independent artist at the convention, said that smaller cons are much better than large cons, such as the San Diego Comic-Con, because they can be overwhelming.  

“For the most part, when people are coming through the door it’s because they are a fan of something,” Taylor said.

Taylor said that people have only gone to San Diego because they want to see what’s going on.

“People go into hall H first thing in the morning so they see something that is seven at night.  Meanwhile people that want to see things first thing in the morning can’t go see it,” Taylor said. “With these tiny things you just hang out and talk to people, hopefully you sell them some stuff. I really like the way that the small ones flow.”