“It’s a surprising amount of work to put in for a one-day event ... there are a lot of moving parts to an event like this,” DeJong said. “I’m grateful that we have a really committed team to make it all happen.”

DeJong plans the event with a team of five others for a full year. As soon as one year's Comic Con wraps up, work begins on the next year's, she said.

“The day goes by so fast. It just goes by in the blink of an eye because we’re all, on the day of the event, constantly moving, checking in, making sure things are going as planned,” DeJong said. “To work for an entire year for a one-day event, it’s pretty mind-blowing how quickly it goes by for the amount of effort that goes into it.”

DeJong said she was so busy keeping things running smoothly that she didn't have time to take in much of the actual event, but one thing she did witness was the cosplay contest that the organizers put on. Entrants were dressed as everything from DC Comics hero Shazam to original characters they created for the event. 

“I really enjoyed seeing the creativity that some of our attendees bring to their costumes and their cosplay,” DeJong said. “That was just really fun to watch, and I’m glad that I was able to take a few minutes and see some of the contestants and see the winners awarded.”

Graphic design senior Mary Mitchell was the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship. The funds came with the opportunity to design the Comic Con program’s front cover and to have her work on display for more than 1,500 attendees.

“I’ve went to a few conventions before, but going to this one, since I had won the scholarship, I think it was more intense because people kind of knew already that I had won,” Mitchell said. 

Mitchell plans to harness all that she can from winning this scholarship -- including potentially using it as a springboard for a future in art. 

“I hope it introduces people to my style and what I do as a hobby or for commissions,” Mitchell said.

Several attendees at the event noted the smaller scale of the event allowed traffic to flow more fluently, something that DeJong says organizers are committed to preserving for future events. 

“For our community, we think that it’s a very good size, and we love that the Breslin Center is a manageable and a very easily negotiable space,” DeJong said. “What we will likely do is expand some of the panels that we offer, perhaps some of the gaming that’s offered, but with regard to the main floor, I think we like it as it is.”

One thing that sets Capital City Comic Con apart from other similar events in the state, DeJong said, is that they are more interested in comics and their creators than they are in celebrities. 

“We are always trying to bring in special guests who are comic creators,” DeJong said. “That’s our main focus for this event.”