On October 20, 2018, the first ever Suffolk County Comic & Art Expo debuted on Long Island at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center. Featuring over 25 artists and a wall of retail vendors, this show was a cozy gathering focusing on the essentials of any comic con!
For 8 solid hours, the single show room was constantly filled with excitement and energy as collectors and art enthusiasts filled the aisles. There were even some impressive cosplayers roaming around, probably to enter the Cosplay Contest where winners could win a gift card valued up to $100! There was even a kids’ division!
It was a lot of fun talking to some of the artists & creatives present. The expo’s owner, Phillip Russertt, did a tremendous job bringing in some amazing talent: Jim Calafiore, Sean Chen, Joe Rubinstein, Scott Hanna, Peter David, Chris Sotomayor, and two of my favorites: Creees and Nick Justus!
Many brought completed works ready for purchase, but also had commission slots open where you can have them draw your requested idea for a fee. Each artist is different so it was good to see a nice variety of styles!
“Jam pieces” are also a popular way to collect various artists’ works that you enjoy without commissioning a whole piece. Below is Creees working on a Justice Society of America jam piece, where each artist will focus on one of the boxes, completing a collection:
Artists also had prints available for purchase, which is a less expensive alternative to commissions. Browsing through these prints will give you an idea of an artist’s style & strengths (which is good to know if you were to commission them in the near future), as well as going easier on your wallet!
I picked up a very cool Supergirl print from Scott Hanna and it only cost me $5:
I also commissioned Chris Sotomayor for a Jane Foster Thor. Check out how it came out:
There was so much talent packed into this room that it made it difficult deciding on what to purchase. But when all else fails, you can always have these artists & writers simply sign a comic book they’ve worked on! I saw many fans walk up to booths with stacks of books to get signed. Plus, some good news: if you didn’t realize what books they worked on, some even had books ready for purchase right at their table!
And even more good news: if there were other comics you were looking for, be sure to visit the vendors for their walls of books (graded & ungraded) as well as bins of discounted comics!
Looking through the deals, there were a lot of reasonably priced gems… and who can say no to cheap loose comics!
And with other merchandise also available like t-shirts, statues, cards, Funko Pops, and more, you’re likely to find a collectible that’s just right for you!
But what was particularly cool about this show was the giveaways. At the registration desk, you could buy raffle tickets for a number of items donated by artists like sketch covers, original art, statues, and more… with all proceeds going to the non-profit Hero Initiative!
Suffolk County Comic & Art Expo was a great first-time local show – lots of wonderful art, cool collectibles, and fantastic opportunities for fans & collectors to take home something special & unique. Phillip Russertt & his team did a fine job and I hope to see this show grow and continue to be more & more successful!
For more information on Suffolk County Comic & Art Expo, visit their website and Instagram.
LesDudis 
Thank you for such a glowing and warm review. I sincerely want a show that treats the fans how they deservento be treated. Thank you for your support.
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Great write up, Andy! It was great seeing you again. Phil and his crew definitely knocked it out of the park on their first outing! Can’t wait to do it again. I can’t believe I sat beside Peter David! I stayed busy all day sketching for folks too which is what I like!
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