Founders

Andrew Satterfield, Cincinnati Comic Expo

Meet Andrew Satterfield, founder and director of the Cincinnati Comic Expo, an annual celebration of comic books, cinema and pop culture that will be held this weekend at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

How long have you been involved with the Cincinnati Comic Expo? What were you doing beforehand? 
I started the Cincinnati Comic Expo in early 2010 along with my best friend, Matt Bredestege. It was created after visiting and exhibiting at many conventions outside the region and wishing our great city had one as well. The last convention held in Cincinnati happened in the 1990s. So after a decade of waiting, we gathered the support of many regional comic shops, booked a facility and the rest is history. This is simply a labor of love for me, and I maintain a day job that supports my family. 
  
As director of the expo, what kind of duties do you handle? 
I oversee all aspects of the show. We also have a dedicated staff of volunteers, and without them the show would not be possible. 

Do you see the new Cincy ComiCon as a threat or an asset to your organization? How would you describe what they are doing compared to what you are doing? 
Cincinnati is a dynamic city, and we are extremely grateful for all the support of our event. They are a new event, which we believe with help broaden the market and raise awareness for both events. With our show growing so quickly (advance tickets purchase totals are double last year) I really haven't had the time to pay attention to the specifics of another show.
 
What local resources have proved vital to your event? 
Several local comic book stores such as Rockin Rooster Comics, Comics 2 Games, Queen City Comics, Parker’s Records and Comics and Comic Book World have been huge supporters of the show from inception. They also support the show by selling tickets to our event. These stores, their products and customers are the main reason the Cincinnati Comic Expo came to be. The Cincinnati Comic Expo will have other events and celebrity guests over the weekend, but the backbone is the art in comic books and the artists that draw them. We are very pleased to have the support of these stores throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. 

Next, there are the local businesses involved. We have formed partnerships with many Cincinnati institutions that provide support for this event. The 2013 Cincinnati Comic Expo is pleased to be partners with Tom + Chee, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Zombie Walk, Hoxworth Blood Centers, OKI LUG (Ohio Kentucky Indiana LEGO User's Group), Yelp and many more. 

Then, there are our volunteers! The show requires a small army of people at the doors, on the show floor and managing the many events at the show. If it was not for the volunteers, the event would not be possible.