The Super Jersey Comic Expo has endured a lot as far as pop culture conventions go, but three comic book aficionados refuse to give up and are proving the point that independent shows can go toe to toe with the big corporate cons.
The comic con, run by AJ Blair, Paul Brown, and Stan Kalucki, is about to hold its fourth show on
April 26 & 27 at The Dome at Adventure Crossing in Jackson, New Jersey.
GET TICKETS ON THEIR WEBSITE SUPERJERSEYEXPO.COM
Delays and Venue Issues:
The date for Super Jersey’s first show was supposed to be March 21, 2020, but we know that didn’t happen. After planning dates and getting delayed two more times they finally made it happen on November 6th, 2021 at Bell Works, formally known as Bells Labs, in Holmdel, NJ.
The third show took place on October 28, 2023. Fun story, just a few weeks before the show they were notified that the venue booked another customer for the space. Rather than postpone and ruin the plans of all the vendors, artists, guests, and show goers, the group decided to pivot and hold the show in the public space at Bell Works. Whether due to logistics or good faith, they returned the ticket fees to attendees.
The show was a success, with the largest crowd they have seen and vendors all talking about how well they did, but with all the craziness and not charging entrance fees meant the show was financially a failure. After the dust settled the trio got back to work, finding a new location and organizing what promises to be their biggest and most comic book filled show yet.
Super Jersey ‘25
Super Jersey Comic Expo is back with a Vengeance!
First off: Triple the size. 70,000 square feet of Comic Dealers, Artists, Industry Legends, Toys & Collectibles!
This year the guest list rivals those large comic conventions that have been around for decades with the team making announcements mere weeks before show time. Speaking of Vengeance… Michael Jai White, known for many roles but most notably as Spawn from the 1997 movie, will be in attendance.
CLICK HERE TO SEE WHO ELSE WILL BE THERE
Tons of Comic Artists to get the lead out!
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ARTIST ALLEY LINEUP
“Hundreds of booths of vendors and artists selling comic books new and old, raw and slabbed, popular and obscure along with collectibles, exclusives, art and custom handmade goods all that encompass the world of comics & pop culture.”
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VENDOR LIST
A few of our favorite vendors are Pop Culture Comics from Pittsburgh, PA (a favorite place of Hunting Nostalgia’s Nick Bartley) and Anthony’s Comic Book Art and Collectibles from Moonachie, NJ. I assume that Anthony will not have many toys on site seeing how he is known world round for dealing with original comic book art. Also, Conquest Comics from Bayville, NJ will be set up, they are a must see shop for anyone visiting the Garden State (and their shop is close to a Roy Rogers).
One of many cool things about independent cons is that things can change and be added whenever a good idea comes up. Over the past few weeks Super Jersey Comic Expo has announced a slew of cool things and events like a preview party and VIP perks. Check out their socials for all updates.
GET TICKETS ON SUPERJERSEYEXPO.COM
Super Jersey prides itself on being “New Jersey’s premier family-friendly comic convention that focuses on…COMICS!”
Well I was at the 2023 show and there were so many toys to be found. Truth is, I spent as much at that show as almost any other toy show I have been to. Partly helped by the show being close enough to the holidays making gift getting a breeze. There were so many toys that I had to visit the ATM machine half way through the floor.
Check out just part of my winnings from the last show at the Bell Works location.
Another plus of independent conventions over corporate shows is the lack of red tape and added transparency from the show runners. In the past I have spoken to the man known as Dr. Chopper, who runs Codakhrome Comic Shop, told me he prefers indie conventions for just that reason.
The good doctor is known for his surgery-like precision in cutting up comic books to convert them into one of a kind framed pieces of art. Be sure to stop by and see his magic.
“Super Jersey Comic Expo ’25 is all or nothing,
and we’re swinging for the fences with this one.”
It seems every week there are multiple comic conventions, toy conventions, pop-culture conventions, video game conventions, fandom conventions, whatever conventions happening all over the country. Some big and some small, but all are a place for us to gather and share our love for collecting.
It seems a popular pastime here at Toy Store Guide is watching how things turn out. We love to see the toy and collecting community succeed and bring each other up. Constantly quoting Senator Palpatine in Episode One, “And you, Young Skywalker. We will watch your career with great interest.” We can’t wait to see what future iterations of Super Jersey Comic Expo evolve to be.
While we wish success and smooth sailing to AJ, Paul, and Stan, we would be lying if we said it isn’t exciting to see on social media the trials and tribulations they have gone through over the last five plus years.
Super Jersey Comic Expo: A comic-centric con with legendary artists, vendors, toys, collectibles & stars!
April 26 & 27, 2025 – Get Tickets on their website superjerseyexpo.com.
Article by: Dave at Toy Store Guide
@toydelorean on Instagram