Cosplayers and sci-fi fans unite this weekend at fourth annual ICT Comic Con

“Star Wars” zoology courses, cosplay contests and national celebrities will be featured at Wichita’s fourth annual Comic Con this weekend.

ICT Comic Con has always been about showcasing local talent, event director Richard Cathey said, and as the event moves into the future, it’s an ideal still deeply woven into the fabric of the culture.

This year’s event, which will be held in the Century II exhibition hall, will still put some of Kansas’ talented creators in the spotlight, Cathey said, but it will also have nationally renowned figures in attendance.

“We’ve started to expand by bringing in some of the celebrities that fans wanted to see from the industry, but we still keep a large focus of our even on the local creators and talent that we showcase every year,” Cathey said.

Between Zombie Survival Bootcamp and cosplay contests, there’s a lot going on through out the weekend, Cathey said.

The two celebrity guests of honor for the weekend are Gil Gerard and Felix Silla who played Captain Rogers and Twiki respectively in the television series and movie “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” Their appearance at the event coincides with the 40th anniversary of the show.

Also in attendance will be the “best cosplayer in the country,” Cathey said. Victoria Ikerd-Schreiter is a repeat appearance at ICT Comic Con as the character Wonder Woman is Real and she’s back by popular demand.

“A lot of the costumers, they’ll pull off the look of the character, which she does great, but she also has the essence of Wonder Woman,” Cathey said.

Ikerd-Schreiter works at the a law firm in California called The Real League of Justice where she represents clients with disabilities. This year, she will be one of the judges in the cosplay contest on Saturday.

“We’ll have lots of different artists and comic creators,” Cathey said.

Other artists and talent expected at the event are:

▪ Rick Staci, artist for both DC and Marvel Comics, will debut his promotional comic book cover for Wichita’s superhero Captain ICT.

▪ Ian Trevethan, outreach coordinator for the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, will talk about “Star Wars” zoology and present his replica of a Wookie.

▪ Two Kansas-natives turned “Star Trek” writers will present on how elements of their home state inspired their creativity.

▪ Famed animator Tom Cook will make an appearance. Cook animated for popular shows and movies like “Godzilla” and “Scooby Doo.”

▪ Two brothers from Wichita Seth and Adam Cox will display their robot BattleSaw from the series “BattleBots.”

Doors will open on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. On Sunday, Aug. 11, the event will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Century II, 225 W. Douglas. Day passes for adults are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Admission for those between the ages of 13 and 17 is $8, and children 12 and younger will be admitted for free. Weekend packages also are available and cost $15 in advance or $19 at the door.

For more information about ICT Comic Con or to purchase tickets before the event, visit their website at www.ictcomiccon.com.

This story was originally published August 8, 2019 at 2:00 PM.