3 Rivers Comicon returns for 2-day 'LITE' pandemic version

3 Rivers Comicon will return to the Pittsburgh area in a “LITE” version May 22-23 at The Waterfront in Homestead.

The convention, featuring comics, toys and other “nerdy things,” will set up outdoors in the overflow lot between Farmer’s National Bank and Steak ‘n Shake, near New Dimension Comics.

Hours will be noon-7 p.m. May 22 and noon-5 p.m. May 23.

There were three reasons for amending the name to 3 Rivers Comicon LITE for this edition of the convention, and fans can blame the pandemic for that, said promoter Jon Engel.

“First, it’s not as big as the show we originally had planned, so it’s a lighter show,” he said. “And it’s taking place in the daylight.”

The third reference is “kind of a beer joke, like light beer,” Engel said.

Traditionally, the event features the release of a comicon-related beer, but that will not take place this year.

The event will include a variety of comic book dealers, toy vendors, cosplay groups, nerd crafters, authors, artists and more. About 100 vendors will be present, Engel said.

Three local comic creators will be present, including Ernie Steiner, whose work includes “Nick Fury, Agent of Shield”; George Broderick Jr., who has written for both Marvel and DC comics; and Shawn Gabborin, who created the “Black Betty” series and has written for series including “Puppet Master.”

Cosplay groups making appearances will be the Steel City Ghostbusters; the 501st Starkiller Garrison, whose members portray Star Wars bad guys like Darth Vader, Kylo Ren and Stormtroopers; and 3 Rivers CosPlay.

“We’ll have two Star Trek groups, the USS Solstice from Greensburg and the USS Stella Pirata from Pittsburgh,” Engel said.

Those groups are chapters of STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Organization.

Admission to 3 Rivers Comicon is free, although there is a $5 early bird shopper option from 10 a.m.-noon each day.

The $5 tickets will be available beginning Monday at Pittsburgh-area New Dimensions Comics stores. Early bird attendees will have a choice of a free graphic novel from among a limited number of selections, Engel said.

3 Rivers Comicon was founded in 2015 by the team at Pittsburgh-based New Dimension Comics, a chain of comic book stores in business for more than 35 years. Convention founders were interested in putting “comics back into comicon” in response to other conventions’ use of the word “comic” in the name but having a lack of comic book presence at their shows.

Details: 3riverscomicon.com