Kingston welcomes comic book enthusiasts for 10th annual King Con

Comic book enthusiasts from across Ontario flooded into Kingston over the weekend for the 10th annual King Con.

The three-day event included some of the industry’s biggest players: Darth Vader and Deadpool were present, as were multiple Marvel Comic artists and authors.

One of the most notable names invited to this year’s King Con was Ryan North, author of Marvel’s Squirrel Girl. North, who lives in Toronto, made the trip east to Kingston to visit family in the area and sign autographs for what he says is a hotbed of comic fanatics.

“It’s incredible to see how many people have read and follow my work here in Kingston. They have been coming up to me with stories of how they found my work, and it is incredibly humbling,” said North.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's incredible to see how many people have read and follow my work here in Kingston. They have been coming up to me with stories of how they found my work, and it is incredibly humbling," said North.

WATCH: The Morning Show previews King Con weekend, a comic and board game convention coming to Kingston

6:18 The Morning Show previews King Con weekend, a comic and board game convention coming to Kingston

For many people, having their own comic book series would be a dream come true. North doesn’t disagree, but he says at the end of the day, it is a job — one where he gets to write about fictional characters and has the opportunity to tap into the Marvel universe, adding other comic book characters into his stories.

“When we started Squirrel Girl, she wasn’t a big a character so it was freeing. If I want Spider-Man to show up in the story, I can just have him talk to Squirrel Girl. It’s the best deal you can get in the Marvel Universe,” said North.

Aside from Squirrel Girl, King Con attracted some attendees who dressed up as their favourite comic book characters and entertained guests while they perused the tables.

“King Con gives me the opportunity to give back to the community and interact with guests and reflect the empire in a positive light and make their days a little bit better,” said PR63613, who only gave his stage name.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "King Con gives me the opportunity to give back to the community and interact with guests and reflect the empire in a positive light and make their days a little bit better," said PR63613, who only gave his stage name.

“These smaller comic conventions get back to the roots, where you can get involved with the community and build relationships,” said one King Con attendee dressed as Deadpool.

Over the past year, King Con organizers have spent their spare time trying to get big comic book industry names to come to Kingston. It’s a task that Justine Scala, an organizer for the event, says is worth every painstaking hour once the fans come piling into the convention centre on opening day.

“Every year, King Con gets bigger and bigger, and I’m counting down the seconds until the 2020 edition,” said Scala.