Mana-Con Comics Convention 2015

The sixth annual Mana-Con Comics Convention, taking place on Saturday, October 24, at Central Library, will have Doctor Who fans using the Tenth Doctor’s catchphrase: “Allons-y!” The convention—where people of all ages can participate in fun and activities related to comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, TV shows and movies—has gained in popularity over the years, easily becoming Manatee County Libraries’ best attended event. Last year’s Mana-Con brought almost 1,500 attendees. This year’s theme is Doctor Who of the long-running BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) series with Special Guest Stars, the Real Tampa Bay Ghostbusters. There will be a replica of The Doctor’s time and space machine, a blue Police Call Box, referred to as a TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). The promo video for Mana-Con, which was produced by Manatee County’s video journalist and Central Library staff, filmed a scene where a Ghostbuster was sucked into another dimension and called upon The Doctor to get him back to Mana-Con 2015. Doctor Who fans will understand the Ghostbusters and Doctor Who correlation, as Ghostbusters movie references were made in a few more recent episodes. To see the video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys3jiiOGRXw New Mana-Con activities include a DJ Dance Party, a kids’ Star Wars-themed Cantina, a Manga Café, a portrait studio (get a professional photo and have it emailed to you) and collaborative art projects. Returning favorites include the Jedi Training Camp, Go! Go! Robot Lounge for Teens, Cosplay Runway, photo opportunities with Star War characters and superheroes, Dojo martial arts demonstrations and amazing goodie bags. Local student art will be on display. Prizes will be awarded for Cosplay Runway contestants who exhibit the most creativity and craftsmanship, the Grand Prize being an iPad Mini with an AirPort Express and a $50 iTunes gift card. Mana-Con is a FREE event sponsored by the Friends of the Central Library, as well as the Friends of the Braden River, Island, Palmetto, Rocky Bluff and South Manatee Libraries. “We’re grateful to all six of our Friends Groups who have continued to make this event possible. It has something that people of all ages can enjoy," said Ericka Dow, Information Services Manager. “It’s wonderful that anyone in our community has the opportunity to attend this fun event without having to worry about an associated cost.” Vendors include The Comic Shack; Tytan Comics; I Love Japan Craft, a group of Japanese origami masters who donate proceeds to tsunami and earthquake relief efforts; Candy from Japan; Comic Conversions; Southeast VPA; Doku Productions; Grandma Thunderpants; Three Little Beans; Sakura Otaku; Glitter Stitch; Star in My Pocket, Britelites and more. Food trucks will be available by DaVinci’s Gelato and Taste Time, with other vendors selling pastries and packaged snacks from Japan. Mana-Con’s hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Library is located at 1301 Barcarrota Boulevard West, Bradenton 34205 (at Riverwalk). For more information, call the library at (941) 748-5555. About the Manatee County Public Library System: A Florida Library Association “Library Innovation” award winner, the Manatee County Public Library System supports the County’s growing community and visitors through a wide range of educational and technological resources and programs at six facilities in downtown Bradenton (Riverwalk), the east county region, the south county area, Holmes Beach, Palmetto and Ellenton. Last year, the Library System was visited by over 963,000 customers who made use of its resources over 3.5 million times (a record high) and provided over 2,500 informational and educational programs which served an estimated 57,000 customers. For more information, call Central Library at (941) 748-5555, ext. 6307. For more information on Manatee County Public Library System, visit online at mymanatee.org/library and follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/MCPLS and facebook.com/mcplsteen. For more information about Manatee County Government, call 941-748-4501 or visit mymanatee.org, facebook.com/manatee.county.fl or twitter @ManateeGov