These are exciting times, let me tell ya. Borderline indecently exciting. But I digress. 

The 2nd annual New York Comic-Con is on the horizon! And, did you know that librarians can get a free weekend professional pass to the conference? Furthermore, did you know that on Friday, February 23rd (trade day), Library Journal is the presenting sponsor of four panels of librarian luminaries specifically for you?

So don your geek cap, wear that witty and irreverent T-shirt, put on those steel-toed Doc Martens, and slip on that backpack shaped like some weird plushy animal/alien. I, for one, am planning to put my hair in pigtails, because if I can’t wear pigtails at Comic-Con, then where can I?

And hey, if you see that corset vendor who was there last year - try one on! It’s a trip - and considering that your oxygen intake is cut in half, I mean that literally.

Be sure to sign up at the Professional Registration page - deadline is Feb. 12th!

For more information about the panels, go to this webpage and scroll down to the bottom. The panels ae all moderated by John Shableski of Brodart and the panel titles are:

Feb. 23rd: Panels for Librarians

10:00 AM: Superheroes and Manga: Making Room for Both at Your Library

11:15 AM: Format and Genres: Understanding Comics, Super Heroes, SciFi, Fantasy, Manga, Comics Lit, Humor and Web Comics

1:30 PM: Anime: Making the Most of this Video Entertainment

2:45 PM: Graphic Novel Classics Every Library (public and school) Should Shelve and Circulate

This Con is not to be missed. You make valuable contacts, learn from peers and publishers, get the pulse of the industry…while having fun with frothing fanboys and fangirls leering at manga, graphic novels, figurines, and anime. If the idea makes you giggle with glee (rather than back away slowly), this is the show for you.

I’m actually not as scary as I sound.