(AUGUSTA, NJ) -- The Garden State Comic Fest Winter Fest takes place January 25-26, 2025 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta. The fest features comics, arts, toys, cosplay, and much more.
The fest takes place Saturday, January 25 from 10:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday, January 26 from 10:00am to 3:00pm. This is an indoor heated event with passes sold at the door only. Admission is $10 for a Daily Pass sold day of show at the door (cash only). Buy Saturday and get Sunday for free! Children 12 and under have free admission.
Featured creators include:
Bob Sharen started as a colorist for Marvel in 1978. He’s had long runs on the Spider-Man books, Captain America, GI Joe, Master of Kung Fu, Alien Legion, Iron Man, West Coast Avengers, and at one time or another worked on just about every Marvel title. Since leaving Marvel he is mostly doing hand coloring on fan commissioned one-of-a-kind recreations, and is available for digital coloring.
Bob Wiacek is an American comic book artist known for his work as an inker. He began his career in the mid-1970s with the "Crusty Bunkers" inking collective, working briefly on Superman backgrounds for DC Comics. By 1978, he started a long tenure with Marvel that lasted until 1993. Wiacek inked several notable series, including Man-Thing, Star Wars, Uncanny X-Men, Alpha Flight, Power Pack, X-Factor, and Iron Man. In 2001-2002, he worked on DC’s Orion with Walt Simonson. He has also worked for Dark Horse and Valiant and briefly taught at the Joe Kubert School in the 1990s. In 2022, he received the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award from the Inkwell Awards for his lifetime achievements.
Bud Larosa was born in Brooklyn N.Y. and sold his first piece of artwork at age 11. A comic book mural for a comic store wall. Bud has not stopped producing artwork since, that was forty years ago. Bud trained formally at the illustrious Art Students League of New York and In 1985 he began a full time career as a freelance artist for Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Neal Adams Continuity Studios under Neal Adams. This is not only where he perfected his craft, but also where he learned discipline, keeping deadlines, working under great pressure and how to grow creatively.
Jason Baroody is a Comic Artist for Image and Banana Tail press. He was A founding member of TEN TON STUDIOS and has been the Artist on several published comic books throughout the years. Jason is also a fan favorite for show commissions.
Jan Duursema is an American comic artist best known for her work on Star Wars comics. She created characters like Aayla Secura and Quinlan Vos and began her comics career with Heavy Metal in 1979. She worked on Sgt. Rock and co-created Arion, Lord of Atlantis for DC Comics in 1982. Her first Star Wars work for Marvel was in 1985, and she later contributed to Dark Horse’s Star Wars series, including Star Wars: Darth Maul and Episode II adaptations. Her major work includes Star Wars: Legacy (2006-2010) and Dawn of the Jedi (2012) with writer John Ostrander. She inspired the character Ur-Sema Du.
Jeff Brennan has been an artist for 15 years, starting as an inking assistant on Superman in 1991, which led to work at DC Comics and on titles like Deathstroke the Terminator. He later worked on comics like Bart Simpson Comics and Liberty Girl. Transitioning to animation, he animated commercials and did storyboards for shows such as Jumanji, Extreme Ghostbusters, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. With the rise of digital media, Jeff moved into visual effects, working on films like The Expendables and Departed Heroes. He spent a year in China honing his skills in 3D art and teaching special effects. Back in the U.S., he now illustrates children’s books and is open to new projects.
Keith Williams is a comic book inker who studied Media Arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York City (1976-1980), where he was taught by Will Eisner. With Marvel artist Don Perlin’s mentorship, he joined Marvel Comics in 1982 as a background inker, working with inkers like Joe Sinnott and Mike Esposito. He became the first John Romita Raider and later assisted editor Jim Owlsley, forming Marvel's first all-Black editorial team. Williams inked various titles, including Web of Spider-Man, Silver Surfer, She-Hulk, Quasar, and X-Men. Beyond Marvel, he worked with Dark Horse (The Mask, Star Wars Droids), DC (Superman, Lobo/Mask), Valiant (Quantum and Woody), and Moonstone Comics (The Phantom). He also inked for Avatar Press on Lady Death, Crossed, Uber, and Harlem Hellfighters.
Nick Caponi is a NJ based comic book colorist who has worked on titles for Dynamite (Bettie Page, Green Hornet), Pixie Trix Comix (Eerie Cuties, Infernica Sinn), Image Comics (Stray Dogs), Archie (The Archies), Ablaze Comics (Lovecraft- Unknown Kadath), Scout Comics (Canceled, Gods of Brutality) and more! Nick has also recently colored The Outer Space Men for Apex Comics, written by Fabian Nicieza and illustrated by Chris Batista.
Scott Hanna is a comic artist with over 30 years of experience, known for his adaptable inking style and over 21,000 inked comic pages across 100+ graphic novels. Starting as a penciller/inker for Eternity Comics, his first published work was DeathHunt #1. He later joined DC Comics, where he worked on major titles like Detective Comics and contributed to the Batman arcs Knightfall, Knightquest, and Knightsend. At Marvel, he worked extensively on Spider-Man, including a 15-year run and collaborations on Avengers vs. X-Men and Captain America. Hanna has inked for top Marvel characters and collaborated with artists like John Romita Jr. and Tom Raney. He has won numerous awards, including the Eisner Award and multiple Inkwell Awards. Since 2002, he has taught comics and sequential art and currently teaches at the Arts and Fashion Institute in PA, founded by his wife, Pamela Ptak. He continues to work with both Marvel and DC.
Tom Mandrake is an American comic artist best known for his collaborations with writer John Ostrander on Grimjack, Firestorm, The Spectre, and Martian Manhunter. Influenced by Marvel Comics and Brandywine School painters, Mandrake studied at Cooper School of Art and The Kubert School. Early in his career, he worked on Sgt. Rock and New Talent Showcase for DC, and later contributed to New Mutants at Marvel. He co-created Black Mask and Film Freak for Batman in the mid-1980s. In the 1990s, he launched The Spectre series, introducing Mister Terrific, and later worked on Martian Manhunter. Other works include Creeps, The Forest King, X-Files/30 Days of Night, Sidekick, and a Batman one-shot. Mandrake is married to artist Jan Duursema, with whom he shares two children, including Sian, also a comic illustrator.
Ava Schrager, originally from Cincinatti Ohio, is a 2nd year student at The Joe Kubert School and winner of the Wave Blue World scholarship. She has worked with Philbo Publishing as a cover artist for their "Tragedy" comic book series. She is a commercial artist, comic book artist, 2D animator, and writer. Her art has no limitations, she is able to draw anything from anime/cartoons to realism! She is currently working on her own comic book, The Heroic Losers! Ava designed 2 of the GSCF badges for the 10 year anniversary and colored a third!
George Vega is an accomplished illustrator and comic book artist who has collaborated with prestigious clients, including Paramount Pictures, Upper Deck/Marvel, and DC Comics/Cryptozoic. His artistic style encompasses a wide range, from comic book cartooning to concept work and classic illustration, reflecting a deep appreciation for the techniques and sensibilities of past masters. Noteworthy projects within the card industry include his contributions to Marvel card sets, the Alien film franchise, Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, and DC card sets. Additionally, Vega is the creator of The World Of M comic and has authored art books such as GV Pop 80s and The Sketchcards Collected. GV Pop 80s celebrates the beloved characters and cartoons of the 80s, while The Sketchcards Collected offers insight into his extensive career in card creation.
Featured vendors include Animei Gamer Zone, Collectors Crate, The Collectible Conservancy, Festers Fun House, The Joe Kubert School, Nemesis Comics & Games, and Precious Moments at Buffalo Bill’s House. Eleventh Hour Rescue is the fest's Charity Partner.
Food trucks at the fest include Homer's Girls and The Empanada Guy.
The Sussex County Fairgrounds is located at 37 Plains Road in Augusta, New Jersey.
