Few national-level comic conventions have cultivated the reputation and acclaim of the Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC. Maintaining a comics-first attitude, family-friendly atmosphere, and one of the most continually impressive guest lists in comics, the Heroes Convention has grown to become one of the biggest "little" comic-book shows in the country.
This was not by accident. What continues to distinguish our Convention from the rest is our strong foundation in comics, our dedication to the highest-possible level of quality, and our family-owned independent approach that allows us to stand out from the pack in the minds of fans, creators, and exhibitors alike.
Way back in the mists of time (1977 to be precise)Heroes Convention founder Shelton Drum, still in his tender twenties, hosted his very first comics-show at a local mall -- a one-day show called the Charlotte Mini-Con. Three years later, in 1980, Shelton would go on to open his store Heroes Aren't Hard To Find. He would continue to hold the Annual Charlotte Mini-Con as an opportunity to provide exposure to local comics industry professionals, as well as other area comic dealers (which at that time mostly consisted of individual comics fans selling portions of their own collections).
After five successful years, the Charlotte Mini-Con had officially out-grown its "Mini" status and necessity dictated that it was time for an expansion. Fans were clamoring for more nationally recognized guests, more vendors were looking to participate, and the number of attendees was steadily growing. And thus, on Father's Day weekend in June 1982, the Heroes Convention was born. Taking place over two days at the Holiday Inn on Woodlawn, that first year was unlike anything most comic convention guests had ever experienced, with an ALL-STAR guest list that included the likes of Butch Guice, George Perez, Marv Wolfman, Mike Zeck, and more!
That first Heroes Convention was a huge success, and plans for the next year’s event were off and running! The template was struck, and Shelton would continue to mold the show as it grew, making it bigger and better with each passing year.
In 1984 we welcomed Stan Lee as a guest for the first time, which was a thrill for everyone involved (especially Shelton, who had been reading and collecting Stan's work since childhood). Stan's appearance made a huge splash in town, and brought a lot of publicity not only for the growing HeroesCon, but for our store as well.
However, every road has its bumps, and in 1986 Shelton made the tough decision not to hold the convention after experiencing a death in the family. "The Heroes Convention literally takes the entire year to plan and organize," said Shelton, "and that year I just couldn't do it. I didn't have it in me."
The show was back and stronger than ever the following year as 1987 saw the introduction of the HeroesCon Art Auction, which has since become a Saturday evening HeroesCon tradition.
1992 celebrated the show’s 10th Anniversary, along with the first HeroesCon appearance of a hot young artist, then penciling "The Ray", Joe Quesada. Mr. Quesada would, of course, go on to make a bit of a name for himself in the industry, becoming the Editor-In-Chief of Marvel Comics from 2000-2011!
1994 was another whopper of a year, with a guest list loaded with comics stars such as: Gil Kane, Jim Lee, Joe Madureira, Mike Mignola, Jeff Smith, and the AMAZING father and son duo of John Romita Sr. and John Romita Jr.
1995 ushered in our first show at the, then-new, Charlotte Convention Center. To celebrate our new venue, we flew in Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane for a special one-day appearance. A true Iron-Man, Todd sat down and signed over 2,000 autographs that day without a single break!
As the 90's progressed, the show continued to grow and evolve with each passing year. By the 2000's the HeroesCon had officially claimed its rightful place as one of the BEST Comic-Book Conventions in the country. Guests like Howard Chaykin, Gene Colan, Greg Horn, and Mike Ploog made their first appearances, and repeat guests like Adam Hughes, Laura Martin, Ed McGuinness, Brandon Peterson, and Brian Stelfreeze continually made the HeroesCon one of the most talked-about events of the summer each year.
In 2005 a new feature was added to our Artist Alley dubbed "Indie Island" by long-time Heroes employee, and creator in his own right, Dustin Harbin. This area would serve as a curated section of Artist Alley that would showcase independent artists and creators.
After a strange, aggressive, and ultimately aborted move by a competing convention, the entire comics industry mobilized to support the HeroesCon for our 2006 show. The short list of all-star guests who made their first trip to Charlotte that year included: Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, J. Michael Straczynski, Peter Bagge, all three Hernandez Brothers, and the list goes on and on!
2007 was yet another milestone event, as the Heroes Convention celebrated its 25th Anniversary. The little show that Shelton Drum started way back in his mid-20's was all grown up. The HeroesCon had developed a reputation as a fun, family-friendly, show with a laid-back atmosphere where attendees could shop for and talk about comics, and where fans and pro's could mix and mingle freely. Shelton said in the 2007 program book, "Speaking personally, this one weekend of the year is the only time I get to see many of my oldest and dearest friends. I don't know about you, but I'm thankful for the chance to spend this time with all of you for the last 25 years."
2010 would introduce yet another beloved HeroesCon function, the Annual Friday Night “Drink and Draw” for Team Cul de Sac to benefit Parkinson’s Research. Creators and attendees alike are invited to hang out over beverages to create artwork on special coasters to be auctioned off to benefit the Michael J Fox Foundation in memory of our friend, and Cul de Sac creator, Richard Thompson. (The 2018 event would even feature a special Calvin and Hobbes auction piece donated by the one and only Bill Watterson!)
In 2012, the show would celebrate its monumental 30th Anniversary by bringing back the one-and-only Stan Lee! Stan held signings and posed for photo ops during the show, and on the Friday evening of the show he held an exclusive meet-and-greet for a small crowd at the 7th Street location of Heroes Aren't Hard to Find. It was during this intimate event that Stan got to catch up with a colleague from his past, and fellow HeroesCon guest, the impeccable Earl Norem! (You can see a video of that meeting HERE!)
The HeroesCon would evolve yet again for the 2013 convention by DOUBLING in size, expanding the show floor from 100,000 sq ft to 200,000 sq ft, and utilizing over ? of the Charlotte Convention Center. This meant a larger “Live Art Stage” where attendees could watch their favorite artists create pieces for the HeroesCon Art Auction live on the show floor, and with our attendee numbers growing by the thousands each year, it also meant an increased Artist Alley and more Exhibitors on the Convention Floor.
Our 2015 show would see Stan Lee return for one last appearance at the Heroes Convention. Hosting panels, taking photos and signing thousands of autographs for HeroesCon attendees throughout the weekend. We are forever grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to host him, as well as SO MANY other legends, over the decades.
The rest of the 2010s would see us continue to evolve and expand. Shelton would take our reputation as a FAMILY-FRIENDLY COMIC-BOOK show one step further in 2019 by making our event FREE to anyone 18 years-of-age or younger. His hope being that this would make the event easier for families to attend together.
We all know what happened to the world in 2020. The onset of the pandemic and the risk posed by large events would continue to impact the Heroes Convention into 2021. After making the incredibly tough decision to skip what should have been our 38th and 39th Anniversary Shows, the Heroes Convention returned for our unprecedented milestone FANTASTIC 40TH ANNIVERSARY on June 24-26, 2022!
The 2022 Heroes Convention truly was one for the record books! Hosting incredible Featured Guests like: Chris Bachalo, Mark Bagley, Darryl Banks, John Beatty, Jeffrey Brown, Michael Cho, Chris Claremont, Amanda Conner, Jeff Dekal, Kayla E., Ron Frenz, Sanford Greene, Bob Hall, Larry Hama, Jonathan Hickman, Kathryn and Stuart Immonen, Klaus Janson, Rick Leonardi, Laura Martin, Bob McLeod, Jimmy Palmiotti, David Petersen, Carl Potts, John Romita Jr., Don Rosa, Walt and Louise Simonson, Jim Starlin, Joe Staton, Brian Stelfreeze, Jim STERANKO!, Roy Thomas, David Walker, Charles Vess, Lee Weeks, and Skottie Young...JUST TO NAME A FEW (this paragraph would be an entire page if we listed everyone!!). We also had a PACKED Artist Alley, Indie Island, and the BEST Exhibitors in the business!
Our Fantastic Fourteith Truly WAS FANTASTIC!!
Thank you to our friends at Comic Culture, and to Terrence Dollard for this incredible video and interview about our Fantastic 40th Anniversary Heroes Convention!
For our 2023 event, we tried to maintain the incredible momentum that we found in 2022 as we returned to our usual FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND, June 16-18, 2023!
The show welcomed our friend Jeff Smith back for his first Heroes Convention since 1994!
As we look forward to
2024, we hope that you will all join us as we seek the secret of the Universe for our 42nd Anniversary Show!!
The Heroes Convention continues to be the oldest independently-owned comic-book convention in the country. Over the decades the HeroesCon has evolved from a "fun show" into a must-attend event for hundreds of comic fans and pros alike. Featuring an always-incredible ensemble of creators, our Annual Drink and Draw and Art Auction, HeroesCon Art Auction, and so much more.
One of the greatest perks in our business is meeting the people whose work you've admired since you started reading comics. It's an opportunity you don't always get in life, and one we try our best not to take for granted. We’ve made countless friendships over the years with creators, exhibitors, and attendees alike. Some of you we’ve watched grow with us over the years. Some of you we met when you were just kids, and now you’re bringing your kids to the show each year!
It’s a legacy that we cherish, and one that we look forward to upholding for as long as you will allow us.
After five successful years, the Charlotte Mini-Con had officially out-grown its "Mini" status and necessity dictated that it was time for an expansion. Fans were clamoring for more nationally recognized guests, more vendors were looking to participate, and the number of attendees was steadily growing. And thus, on Father's Day weekend in June 1982, the Heroes Convention was born. Taking place over two days at the Holiday Inn on Woodlawn, that first year was unlike anything most comic convention guests had ever experienced, with an ALL-STAR guest list that included the likes of Butch Guice, George Perez, Marv Wolfman, Mike Zeck, and more! 
In 1984 we welcomed Stan Lee as a guest for the first time, which was a thrill for everyone involved (especially Shelton, who had been reading and collecting Stan's work since childhood). Stan's appearance made a huge splash in town, and brought a lot of publicity not only for the growing HeroesCon, but for our store as well. 
In 2012, the show would celebrate its monumental 30th Anniversary by bringing back the one-and-only Stan Lee! Stan held signings and posed for photo ops during the show, and on the Friday evening of the show he held an exclusive meet-and-greet for a small crowd at the 7th Street location of Heroes Aren't Hard to Find. It was during this intimate event that Stan got to catch up with a colleague from his past, and fellow HeroesCon guest, the impeccable Earl Norem!
2014 would introduce our HeroesCon Mascot, the Kid-Hero©, whose essence was captured perfectly that year by our friend and creator Skottie Young. The Kid-Hero has since been interpreted by the likes of Ben Caldwell, Bob Camp, Dustin Harbin, Jim Rugg, Andy Runton, and Stuart Immonen! We look forward to adding to the Kid-Hero’s entourage for future HeroesCons to come! 
