Comic Convention Returns to Downtown Central Library Saturday

BRADENTON -- On Saturday, October 5th the Central Library will hold its 4th Annual Mana-Con Comics Convention, an event sponsored by the Friends of the Central Library. Winner of the 2013 Betty Davis Miller Youth Services Award from the Florida Library Association, this is a chance for teens and kids to make art, play games, win prizes, show off costumes and have a blast!

Adults are welcome too! Mana-Con will feature local comic shops The Comic Shack, artists and crafters with items for sale including Decisive Origin, Doku Productions, StarInMyPocket, student artwork, gaming and more.  Teens are encouraged to get creative at the Doodle Booth and origami station, make a flip book with Ringling students, or make (and eat) candy sushi. Something just for older teens and adults....Ringling Professor David Steiling will present a talk: Comics Past and Present...2 PM in the upstairs conference room. Space is limited, suggested for ages 16 and up.

This year's ART WORKSHOPS:

Learn how to Zentangle! (FULL)

• 11:30 am in the Meeting Room

• 25 seats available and registration is required (online registration)

• ages 8- 18 are eligible.

• All art supplies will be provided. One attendee will win a set of Zentangle pens!

Scratch Game and animation design!

• 11:30 am in the Conference Room

• open to ages 12-18

• 20 seats and registration is required (online registration)

• This is an overview of basic concepts. Access to laptops will be provided.

• One attendee will win a $15 iTunes gift card!

Creative Lettering

• 2:00 pm in the Meeting Room

• open to ages 8-18

• 25 seats and registration is required (online registration)

• All art supplies will be provided. One attendee will win the book!

Face painting will be available from 11 am to 2 pm (teens and kids will be given priority). Back by popular demand is the Cosplay Runway! We will be giving away prizes for best cosplay [short for "costume play", a type of performance art in which participants wear costumes to represent a specific character from a work of fiction]. Be sure to check out the rules before you go:Cosplay Runway Rules. Cosplay Runway is for ages 12-18 only.

1st Prize: Kindle Fire
2nd Prize: 2 admission tickets to MOSI ($65 value)
3rd Prize: tickets to Manatee Players show

Thanks to the Manatee Players and the DWC for their support of the Cosplay Runway!

See a martial arts demonstration and experience elements of Japanese culture, like Kimono displays courtesy of the Manatee Sarasota Kimono Club, Japanese parasol dancing courtesy of PURE Sarasota, and kanji writing. Master Kevin Bergquist and DOJO Martial arts will be here, don't miss it!  Teens also have an opportunity to win an iPod Shuffle, book, or marker set! Enter the Comic Strip Contest at Mana-Con!! Entry forms will be available when we open the doors and judging will be the afternoon of the event.

The first 200 teen and kid attendees will receive awesome goodie bags filled with candy, comic discussion guides, glow bracelets, stickers, pencils, Superman papertoys and more great stuff! Goodie bags for kids 11 and under will be handed out in the children's room upstairs. (while supplies last of course). Everyone will receive a free comic and/or poster while supplies last.

Star Wars Reads Day- just for kids!! Crafts, games, trivia, costumes, prizes, LEGO Star Wars on the Wii, Star Wars characters and costume parades (kids are encouraged to dress up and join the parade!) in the Children's program room 11 am - 4 pm.

And there is more....Prizes will be given away to teens every hour in the Auditorium! There is great stuff to give away, including toys, full-color graphic novels, art, art supplies, giftcards and much more. We welcome patrons of all ages to enjoy Mana-Con, but prizes in the auditorium will be reserved for ages 12 to 18 only. Remember: prizes for ages 11 and under will be given away in the children's room.

Use this opportunity to help out a local school! We are holding a drive to collect art supplies to be donated to Rogers Garden Elementary in support of afterschool art programs. See the supply list for items requested. Bring in an item and let's see how much we can collect!!  Thank you!!

***Donations are NOT required for admittance to Mana-Con. No pre-registration is required to attend Mana-Con. Pre-registration is only required for the art workshops; registration the day of the event is required for Cosplay Runway.***

FOOD INFO:
Suncoast Food Trucks will be at the event, parked on the riverside! The Farmer's Market on 12th St (Old Main) opens the same day as Mana-Con and is just a couple of blocks away. Enjoy yummy food from the market vendors or at the downtown restaurants. many restaurants and shops on Old Main Street will offer specials on opening day, including: B’town Coffee Company: Fifteen percent off on fruit smoothies and blended ice coffees; Jeanne’s 12th Street Bistro: Free coffee with every breakfast; Fav’s Italian Cucina: Two slices of pizza and soft drink for $4.95. Visit Mana-Con and receive a discount coupon for farmer's market vendors, courtesy of Realize Bradenton.

PARKING INFO:
We have two parking lots at the Central Library. There is also the City Hall parking lot one block over and the county building parking garage on 10th St., which is free on weekends, and street parking on 1st Ave and 10th St.