Breadcrumb Trail LinksSportsLocal SportsPublished Mar 16, 2025 • 3 minute readIndependent authors Danny Gorny (left) and Jason Shannon (middle) speak with Samuel Thaw of Port Elgin at Pop Culture Canada's Owen Sound Comicon on Saturday, March 15, 2025, inside the Owen Sound Legion. Photo by Greg Cowan /The Sun TimesArticle contentDanny Gorny has a degree in medieval literature. He started writing and publishing Canadian comic books in 2016.Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentArticle contentArticle content“It felt like a good time to start writing about place and belonging,” he said, alluding to the dangerous rhetoric being slung about by the then newly elected President Donald Trump.Ryan Cormier got into leatherwork as a pandemic hobby. Over $20,000 in equipment and material later, the tow truck driver still calls it a hobby, though he sells armour suits for $5,000 and takes private commissions for his intricate work.They were among the booth operators at the first-ever Owen Sound Comicon, which Pop Culture Canada put on inside the Owen Sound Legion on Saturday.The comicon was followed by live wrestling organized by Great Canadian Wrestling.For 20 years, Pop Culture Canada has organized charity comicon events all over Ontario.Advertisement 3Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentDavid Wyldstar is an event coordinator with Pop Culture Canada. He said that Owen Sound becoming the organization’s newest comicon location was a no-brainer after their data showed a quarter of the attendees at the Collingwood event had come from the Scenic City.The Owen Sound Comicon was held the same weekend as the massive Toronto Comicon at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.Wyldstar said small-town comicons are more intimate, less intimidating, and significantly cheaper. Saturday’s admission price was $5, and Pop Culture Canada was collecting donations of non-perishable food. In 2018, Pop Culture Canada collected over 10,000 pounds of food products.Wyldstar said he was pleased with the turnout in Owen Sound, with a grassroots marketing effort through social media channels and asking volunteers to put up posters around town. The group is planning to host another comicon event at the legion on Nov. 22, 2025.Advertisement 4Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentThe legion’s hall was outfitted with vendor booths selling and buying comic books, toys, video games, sports cards, jewelry and collectibles.Patricia Patts, who played Peppermint Patty on the Charlie Brown cartoon, was on site meeting fans.Gorny and fellow indie author Jason Shannon said they like small-town comics because they give them a chance to connect with people face-to-face.The authors use social media and crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter to get their projects off the ground, but Gorny said it’s not exactly a get-rich-quick scheme.“I’d like to be losing a little less money,” he said.Port Elgin’s Samuel Thaw helped with that endeavour. Shaw bought a copy of Gorny’s book for his girlfriend, which Gorny autographed.Advertisement 5Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentCormier’s booth featured intricate leatherwork, pieces of decorative armour, handcrafted board game cases, coasters, and masks.When asked how he got started in the hobby, Cormier blamed his wife, who was selling crocheted goods in a neighbouring booth. In 2020, a simple YouTube video of someone making a leather shield started the Wasaga Beach man’s new hobby.Now, the couple travels to comicon as Spellbound Leather and Crochet.He said he’s since spent over $20,000 on the business, including a machine to help cut the leather pieces that cost him $5,000.The more intricate pieces involve tracing a design pattern before cutting and hammering the leather to get the desired look.Cormier said he also makes practical items, such as wallets, belts, and purses, although he admitted to having a healthy aversion to “the more boring stuff.” Ryan Cormier began his leatherwork hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic and was selling handcrafted items and taking commissions at the first Pop Culture Canada Owen Sound Comicon on Saturday, March 15, 2025 inside the Owen Sound Legion. Greg Cowan/The Sun TimesThe Owen Sound Comicon ran at the legion from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Live wrestling followed at 6 p.m.The travelling comicon and wrestling show was headed to Bolton on Sunday and will stop in Angus on March 30.Article contentShare this article in your social networkComments Join the Conversation Featured Local Savings