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Fort Wayne’s long comic book convention drought ended Saturday.
Standing shoulder to shoulder along long folding tables filled with boxes of comic books swathed in plastic protection, about 30 comic book enthusiasts flipped through the selections around lunchtime in an overly warm meeting room at Comfort Suites on Coventry Lane.
Organizer Alan Morton said it was the first convention in Fort Wayne since the mid-1990s. The closest conventions local comic book lovers could find during the drought were in Indianapolis or South Bend.
Nearly three hours into the event, Morton seemed pleased with the turnout, saying people came from as far away as Ohio or Michigan to attend.
Most comic book fans will drive about 90 minutes to get to a convention, although Morton said not everyone in the room may be there willingly.
“Most of the kids that come get dragged here,” he said.
It was easy to recognize the willing shoppers, some of whom carried notebooks containing their wish lists of most desired comic books.
Tony Meibers, 40, of Rome City, was among those who carried a list.
Crediting a cousin for turning him on to comic book collecting, Meibers said he started his collection in 1977.
He has more than 7,500 comic books that are stored in his dehumidified basement in half-sized boxes on racks.
All the comic books are bagged with cardboard to keep them in good shape, Meibers said.
Meibers, on his second time around the tables, said his finds cost him about $200, but he was able to cross about 30 comic books off his list.
Two comic books remaining unmarked were a giant-size “X-Men” and “Incredible Hulk” No. 181, which Meibers seeks because the issue marks the first full appearance of the character Wolverine, who would eventually join the X-Men.
“There’s very few who fill up everything on their want list,” Morton said about the enthusiasts, whom he said often arrive at conventions carrying a set amount of money to spend.
Morton, who started selling comic books while he was in college, said the business can suffer when gas prices go up and after-bill cash becomes limited.
“But on the other hand, it’s a relatively cheap form of entertainment,” Morton said.
bmanley@jg.net
