Ratha Con Dates and Locations

Ratha Con is a pop culture convention taking place on May 7 & 8th, 2016 in Athens, Ohio. The night before, on May 6th, at ARTS/West, 132 W. State St., Athens, OH. there will be an art opening of pop culture themed art and a screening of a film. Art opening at 6 pm and film at 8 pm. The main convention on May 7 & 8, 2016 will be from 10 am to 5pm both days at the Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St. Athens, OH 45701. Saturday the 7th will be followed by a costumed dance party at Casa Nueva Cantina, 4 W. State St. Athens, OH. starting at 10 pm.

The 2016 admission cost will be $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12 - 17, free for kids 11 and under. These prices are subject to change - dependant on the special guest(s).

Monday, April 30, 2012

Free Comic Book Day Update and Reminder

Today we're reminding everyone again of Free Comic Book Day, with an update that Athens will be hosting a Free Comic Book Day event at the Athens Public Library (http://www.myacpl.org/branches/athens) on May 7th! Check with the library for more details.

http://www.freecomicbookday.com explains it best: "Free Comic Book Day is a single day - the first Saturday in May each year - when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local shop for their participation and rules."

Free Comic Book Day is a great way for anyone interested in comic books to enjoy the hobby. For people who have always loved comic books, it's a great time to add to your collection and branch out into new comics. For people who have never read even a single comic book, it's a great time to dive into and enjoy this awesome media that has existed for decades and decades and spawned amazing followings and events, like Ratha Con!

Free Comic Book Day this year is on May 5th, and we here at Ratha Con would like to urge you to look for local venues giving away comics. After all, without comics, we might not even have comic conventions, and who could bear the thought of what kind of world that would be. So get out there on May 5th and find some new comics to enjoy. We'll see you there.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Steampunk Ballet Reminder

Just in case anyone missed it, here's our head's up on Steampunk Ballet, which will be at Ratha Con!

Steampunk is described as a reimagining of the Victorian steam-powered era with elements of sci-fi and fantasy. As the creator of Steampunk Ballet, Elizabeth Atwell, describes: "Steampunk Ballet is a raucous amalgamation of tutus, unexpected rhythms, and classically inspired choreography. Re-imagining ballet as an occasionally macabre, laced-with-whimsey, entertaining movement art, fair weather seasons take us wherever you are- bars, festivals, restaurants, and outdoor spaces" and now Ratha Con too!

Most of everyone is a big fan of steampunk nowadays, and anyone who loves the genre is going to love the Ballet as well. Even if you're not a big fan, this performance is a great way to get introduced into the awesome genre.

Steampunk Ballet can be found on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/steampunkballet). Keep checking their page and ours for more details about the performance as we get closer to Ratha Con. These are "not your typical bunheads."

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Matt Wyatt

Today we're talking about Matt Wyatt, self-schooled, Ohio comic artist.

Matt Wyatt has been a published cartoonist for 10 years, working in newspaper editorial cartoons. Before that he worked in making album and concert poster art, and since has put out a strip called "Katz 'n' Germ" which appeared in the Short North Gazette for several years. Now Wyatt self-publishes and does contract work, including illustrating two children's books last year.

If you want to check out some of Wyatt's work, you can visit his website at http://www.aliastrations.com. If you want to meet the man in person and get some sweet comics and posters illustrated by him, come see him at Ratha Con!

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Avengers Discount at Ratha Con

Just in case anyone missed it, here is our reminder about the Avengers movie. We're bringing it up again because we're announcing that at Ratha Con we're going to give anyone with a movie ticket stub for the Avengers from the Athena Grand movie theater a $1 off discount to Ratha Con admittance!

Today we're reminding everyone that the long-awaited Marvel comic film The Avengers is swooping into movie theaters starting Friday, May 4th 2012. The movie stars actors like Robert Downey, Jr as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. With a lineup of actors and superheroes like that, this movie has no other option but to be amazing.
 
The film's official website is http://marvel.com/avengers_movie/ and has available four different trailers of the movie, all of which we highly recommend. They're visually astounding, send a shiver up your spine and are a great way of livening up your Monday. 

We expect to see you all at the theaters on May 4th.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Humans vs Zombies at Ratha Con

In case anyone missed it, here's our post about the game of HvZ at Ratha Con again:

From HvZ: Athens' own website (http://hvzathens.com/), "Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ) is a campuswide week long game of modified tag. Humans try to survive a zombie outbreak, zombies try to eat (tag) and infect all the humans. Once a human has been infected, they join the zombie team. Humans may defend themselves using Nerf-approved firearms or by throwing a balled up sock."

With Ratha Con, we're going to have a smaller version. We only have one day and one building to work with so unfortunately we're not having a campus-wide, week-long game like HvZ: Athens normally provides. Instead we're going to have a game lasting for two to three hours in the space behind the convention center.

To any people who've played HvZ in the past, you know it's a blast. To anyone who hasn't played before and wants to give it a try at Ratha Con, you'll need a bandanna and a foam dart gun or some balled up socks, or no weapons at all and play as a zombie. More information on legal weapons can be found on their website and head over there for full rules, pictures and forums with notifications about their future games.

The masterminds behind HvZ: Athens are still deep in the planning phase of the game, in what they assure us is their secret headquarters hidden under the surface of the Earth, so there's little else we can tell you about what sort of game it might be. Regardless of what they come up with by Ratha Con, rest assured, it will be a great time for kids and adults alike.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Steve Richter

Steve Richter is a comic book artist who is going to be at Ratha Con. As we've previously mentioned, he's going to be leading a children's comic workshop on April 24 at ARTS/West, and he'll be contributing to other events leading up to and at Ratha Con, which we'll discuss in days to come. Today, though, we're talking all about Richter.

Richter was born in Athens and got his first cartoons published in the Post. He moved to Seattle to pursue a career in cartooning and between 1991 and 2001 published more than a dozen cartoon collections and two graphic novels. He moved back to Athens to get his Masters Degree in Special Education, taught for four years in the area, and still lives in Athens today.

Richter's work has been in numerous publications including the Athens News, Seattle Weekly, and The Stranger. He has made three graphic novels, several cartoon collections like "The Adventures of Grammar Man," and even a series of greeting cards named "Second Rate Cards." His website, http://steverichterart.com/, is still under construction, but he also has an unofficial blog, at http://steve-scribbles.blogspot.com/ where he posts a lot of his sketches and drawings.

His two newest cartoon collections and newest graphic novel are available in local bookstores, but if you want to pick up some work of this experienced artist and meet the man himself, then be sure to visit him at Ratha Con!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Children's Comic Workshop with Steve Richter

As the saying goes, children are the future, and what kind of future would it be without comic artists? Enter Steve Richter, an Athens comic book artist who will be at Ratha Con. Richter is an accomplished artist who has had his work in print since 1991 and on April 24 he will be holding a workshop for children to teach them the basics of writing and illustrating comics.

The workshop will be held at ARTS/West, for the children in the ARTS/West after-school program called Creative Endeavors Workshop, and once the children have made their comic, it will be put on display at ARTS/West for the month of May. 

Friday, April 13, 2012

Comics to Film with Kris Poland

As we've previously mentioned, the Avengers movie is coming out soon, and as it does so, it brings up certain debates about the moving of a story from comic book to film. The Avengers movie is this fad coming to a head, as a comic book movie that seeks to tie together several other similar movies, so it seems there is no better time to discuss this trend then at Ratha Con!

At Ratha Con, we will have a symposium on the subject "From Comic Book to Film," led by Kris Poland. Poland has a Master of Arts in Political Science from Ohio University and is currently an instructor at Wright State. He specializes in cross-curriculum education and has created lesson plans, lectured, and moderated discussion groups. Poland has also motivated between 60 and 150 students in each class section using non-traditional teaching methods such as graphic novels, television shows, and video games. We think he's perfect to lead a discussion on what it means to move a comic book to the medium of film.

Of course with discussions like this one, the more the merrier! If you are a professor or student who is interested in this subject, has strong opinions on it, and would like to be a part of this symposium, get in contact with us with a description of what you'd like to talk about at (740)592-4315 or artswestathens@gmail.com. Similarly, if you know a student or professor who would be interested, send them our way.

We can't wait to hear what these scholars have to say on this combination of media so near and dear to our hearts. Until then, stay tuned to our Facebook, blog, and Twitter for more glimpses of things to come!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Ken Eppstein and Super-Fly Comics & Games

Today we're talking about Columbus-based artist, Ken Eppstein, and Yellow Springs-based store, Super-Fly Comics & Games.

Ken Eppstein is the self-publisher and head writer of  Nix Comics Quarterly, which seeks to pay homage to his "favorite comics and magazines like Tales from the Crypt, Creepy, and MAD." Eppstein began the comic as a crossover between classic comic books and the music culture found in record stores. Nix is unique in that it accepts all sorts of artists, including artists who may have never drawn for a comic book before. Nix has four issues currently and is working on it's fifth, along with a version of the comic for kids, and a version for fans of the Wild West. Read all about Eppstein and Nix Comics at his website: www.nixcomics.com.


Super-Fly Comics & Games is a store located at 132 Dayton Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Super-Fly has been active since 2007 and has a great selection to show for it. As their website (http://superflycomics.com) explains: "We make a conscious effort to stock not just the best selling Marvel and DC super-hero comics, but Vertigo, Image, IDW, Avatar, Dynamite, Oni Press, Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly, Radical, Devil’s Due, TokyoPop, Viz, and many others. Comics are more than just super-heroes, and we make an effort to stock our shelves accordingly, with sections for Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Literature and Adventure."

With such varied selection of comics available from Super-Fly, and such a wide range of talents displayed in Nix, it's going to be easy to find something for everyone at Ratha Con.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Vampire Cowboys

Today we're showcasing a theater company which began at OU, is coming back for a show in mid-May, and can help get you into Ratha Con: Vampire Cowboys. Vampire Cowboys has helped pioneer the fields of "geek theater" and "fight puppetry," and to learn more about the company and their work and history you can visit their website: http://www.vampirecowboys.com/.

As artistic directors Qui Nguyen and Robert Ross Parker explain in their interview on WOUB (http://woub.org/2012/04/04/geek-theatre-ou-alumni-present-vampire-cowboys), Vampire Cowboys began with a theater show Nguyen and Parker put on at OU in order to bring the emotion and action that movies have back to the theater. Their vision of "geek theater" has grown into a theater company that has worked in New York for 10 years and now returns to OU to put on their new show: War is Fucking Awesome.

The play centers around one woman fighting in all the wars in American history, and promises to be as over-the-top as all of Vampire Cowboys' productions. Plus, the show that they will put on in Athens will never be shown again as this version. Nguyen and Parker are planning to rework the play after this show, which makes this performance unique and the only chance to see the play as it is now.

Even better, since we here at Ratha Con think Vampire Cowboys is so awesome, we're going to give a discount on admission prices at Ratha Con to anyone who brings a ticket stub from the Vampire Cowboys show. Keep looking for the promotions that will give exact times and dates of their show with the OU School of Theater, and get your tickets early. There's no doubt this show will sell out quickly.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Steampunk Ballet at Ratha Con

We're continuing our glimpse of things to come at Ratha Con with Steampunk Ballet.

Steampunk is described as a reimagining of the Victorian steam-powered era with elements of sci-fi and fantasy. As the creator of Steampunk Ballet, Elizabeth Atwell, describes: "Steampunk Ballet is a raucous amalgamation of tutus, unexpected rhythms, and classically inspired choreography. Re-imagining ballet as an occasionally macabre, laced-with-whimsey, entertaining movement art, fair weather seasons take us wherever you are- bars, festivals, restaurants, and outdoor spaces" and now Ratha Con too!

Most of everyone is a big fan of steampunk nowadays, and anyone who loves the genre is going to love the Ballet as well. Even if you're not a big fan, this performance is a great way to get introduced into the awesome genre.

Steampunk Ballet can be found on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/steampunkballet). Keep checking their page and ours for more details about the performance as we get closer to Ratha Con. These are "not your typical bunheads."

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Larry Blake and Kiser's BBQ Shack

Today we're talking about an artist, Larry Blake, and a food vendor, Kiser's BBQ Shack, both of whom will be at Ratha Con.

Larry Blake is an Ohio native who has been writing and drawing since the age of 8. He was first published in 1973 and has been active in small-press since. Blake has been in numerous publications including: CBG, Amazing Heroes, Comic-Book Superstars, and The Ultimate Kiss Fanzine Phenomenon. He has also illustrated Dale Sherman's novel: A World Without Heroes. Blake has won a S.P.A.C.E. Life Time Achievement Award and been published in 14 countries.

Kiser's BBQ Shack is a family-owned and operated eatery that, as their website (http://www.kisersbbqshack.com) explains, specializes "in mouth-watering authentic pit-smoked BBQ." Kiser's will setting up shop outside of Ratha Con in order to provide all of us with their delicious, award-winning ribs, chicken, chopped pork, sausage and brisket. Kiser's was established in 2009 and uses homemade family recipes to ensure that their food is top-notch. They are located inside The Market on State Shopping Plaza on East State Street in Athens, and if you want to get a taste of things to come, they deliver. Just call 740-594-RIBS. 

If you want to meet Larry Blake and enjoy some delicious Kiser's BBQ at the same time, come see them both at Ratha Con.


Monday, April 2, 2012

Free Comic Book Day on Saturday May 5th

Today we're highlighting the favorite day of comic book fans everywhere: Free Comic Book Day.

http://www.freecomicbookday.com explains it best: "Free Comic Book Day is a single day - the first Saturday in May each year - when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local shop for their participation and rules."

Free Comic Book Day is a great way for anyone interested in comic books to enjoy the hobby. For people who have always loved comic books, it's a great time to add to your collection and branch out into new comics. For people who have never read even a single comic book, it's a great time to dive into and enjoy this awesome media that has existed for decades and decades and spawned amazing followings and events, like Ratha Con!

Free Comic Book Day this year is on May 5th, and we here at Ratha Con would like to urge you to look for local venues giving away comics. After all, without comics, we might not even have comic conventions, and who could bear the thought of what kind of world that would be. So get out there on May 5th and find some new comics to enjoy. We'll see you there.