Montgomery County Public Libraries’ Eighth Annual MoComCon to Celebrate All Things Fandom, Pop Culture and Comics on Saturday, Jan. 20, in Germantown

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Montgomery County Public Libraries will host its eighth annual free comic convention, MoComCon, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Germantown Library and at the BlackRock Center for the Arts. It is one of the largest free comic conventions in the Mid-Atlantic area.

The Germantown Library is located at19840 Century Blvd. in Germantown, and the BlackRock Center for the Arts is nearby at 12901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown.

MoComCon is an extraordinary all-day celebration geared for all ages interested in pop culture, fandoms, comics, graphic novels and libraries. The schedule of events includes workshops, story times, panel discussions, card trading, trivia, dance parties, book sales, button making, crafts for kids, retro gaming, anime viewing, a cosplay parade and a cosplay contest.

“MoComCon has evolved into a popular event within the Libraries’ annual calendar,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “It is a great experience that actively engages the community in diverse activities while fostering connections among residents of all ages and backgrounds.”

Breaking new ground this year, MoComCon, in collaboration with Classroom 2 Community and the Maryland State Library Agency, will introduce “Blerdtino@MoComCon!” (BAM!).* Combining the words Black, Latino and Nerd, “BAM!” captures the essence of diverse communities celebrating fandoms through a unique multicultural lens. The “BAM!” celebration will feature a stellar lineup of artists and performers from the Black and Latino nerd/fandom culture community during various sessions held that day.  Highlights include:

• David “D-Stroy” Melendez From Sirius XM and Host of “Showoff Your Gems (Blerdtino Edition).”

Join D-Stroy in a live library broadcast featuring Black and Latino Nerd collectibles. D-Stroy will interview guests/audience members eager to showcase their Black and Latino Fandom, Anime, Pop and Hip-Hop culture collectibles.

• DJs Virak, TrickSet and Phenomenon from the Mid-Atlantic Scratch League (MASL).

MASL Invades MoComCon: Experience MASL live, spinning music throughout MoComCon, including Cartoon theme songs and live mixing of Anime videos throughout the day.

• Bomani Armah Presents a Kids Songwriting Workshop Called “Baba Got Bars!”

 Dive into the “Baba Got Bars!” songwriting and sing-along for this baby nerds workshop.

• Maki Roll Presents Cosplay for Black and Latino Creatives.

 Enjoy a presentation of costumes and insights into the life of a professional cosplayer.

• Orlando Caicedo Presents “Undeniable Movement (Rise of Blerdtino Creatives).”

Meet Orlando Caicedo, winner of “Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment/LINE Webtoon Superhero Comics Contest.” Orlando's published work includes the critically acclaimed graphic novel “Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game.” Get an insider’s perspective on his journey from animation to comics on hit shows like “Archer” on the FX network and “Frisky Dingo” on the Adult Swim cartoon channel.

• Thomas E. Delfi, Founder of Nerdtino Presents “And I Got Away With It Too! A Supervillain's Guide to the Creative Arts Industry.”

Join Thomas in discussing the evolution of Nerdtino and Latino Comic Cons. Explore marketing and cultural items from Thomas' collection and learn how he created one of the largest Latino Comic Cons.

“This year’s MoComCon is going to be bigger and more diverse than ever,” said MCPL Director Anita Vassallo. “Building on the success of our 2023 ‘Just for the Record: A Vinyl Day,’ MCPL is again teaming up with the Mid-Atlantic Scratch League to provide live DJ sets throughout the MoComCon event. It should be a great time for all ages.”

Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, in collaboration with The BlackRock Center for the Arts, will host a vendors’ hall, where diverse artisans and collectors will showcase and sell items related to fandom culture.

MoComCon and BAM! sponsors and collaborators are Friends of the Library Montgomery County, Inc.; Maryland State Library Agency; BlackRock Center for the Arts; and Classroom 2 Community.

*The “Blerdtino@MoComCon” portion of the MoComCon event is made possible by generous grant funding from the Maryland State Library Agency. 

For more information about MoComCon and BAM!, click here.

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Release ID: 24-013
Media Contact: Jennifer Garfinkel 240-962-1506
Categories: Consumer, Library