Dave’s Comics in Fort Mill presents 14th annual Charlotte Comicon

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk will be making special guest appearances Sunday at the Charlotte Winter Comicon.

Well, their likenesses will be there, anyway.

If you’re a comic book fan or just want to treat your family to a fun-filled day out, doors open at 10 a.m. at the Crown Plaza Executive Park Hotel in Charlotte.

If you’ve never attended a comicon before, come prepared to see thousands of comic books for sale from 50-cent books to rare, prized gems that go for thousands of dollars. In addition to books, there are handcrafted items, local artists, toys galore and hundreds of people in costume – cosplayers – dressed as their favorite characters. If cosplay is your thing, there are contests for just that, plus giveaways.

The convention is put on by Fort Mill’s Dave Hinson, owner of the Main Street comic book shop Dave’s Comics, and his partner for shows, Rick Fortenberry. This is the 14th year of this show, and the duo have put on more than 50 shows, averaging about three a year. Hinson aims to give his shows a more local flair and support a family friendly environment; his favorite part is seeing all the kids getting excited about comic books.

Fortenberry offers the following advice for comicon newbies: “Come out and relive your childhood.”

There’s also a special geeky rivalry going on this year: the 501st Legion Carolina Garrison, the preferred Star Wars costuming group, and the Klingon Assault Group, an international Star Trek fan club, will compete for who can collect the most toys for needy children.

The Carolina Garrison has been involved in children’s charity from the beginning; its founder’s daughter, Katie, had an inoperable brain tumor. Katie’s sister, Allie, had the R2 builders build a pink R2 unit to watch over her sister in her last days. The R2-KT unit has since been all over the world helping raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation, which is the 501st Legion’s largest charity.

Six members from the Carolina Garrison will be in attendance in full Star Wars gear, along with Vader Clause and his “rebel and nice” list, accepting donations of unwrapped, new toys for the Make a Wish Foundation.

The Klingon Assault Group, which celebrated its 25th year anniversary this past October, will be in attendance with Zantai Klawz, taking donations of unwrapped, new toys for the Toys for Tots charity.

Klingon Assault Group is an international group divided into fleets and quadrants based on location. The local Klingon Assault Group, the Dark Star Quadrant, raises money for the Catawba Regional Hospice and Toys for Tots at Christmas.

There will also be independent vendors at the show using proceeds for similar organizations and underprivileged children in the area.

Admission is $5, and children and cosplayers get in free.

This story was originally published December 13, 2014 at 12:00 AM.