April 26 & 27, 2025- The Dome at Adventure Crossing: Jackson Twp., NJ
After the crisis,
comes the rebirth.
The Beginning
(2019-2021)
Super Jersey Comic Expo was conceived after the success of The Middletown Comic Show, a bi-annual comic show in New Jersey until November 2019.
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It was decided to change the Spring installment of the show each year to a larger format event under a different brand, but with the same concentration on comics, value & customer service. We wanted to set out and build a true COMIC-CENTRIC convention the likes of those we look up to such as Baltimore Comic-Con and Heroes Con in Charlotte.
The original date for Super Jersey Volume 1 was March 21, 2020. A certain global pandemic happened to drop a new album that week so we had to postpone.
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We would postpone the event to August 1, 2020...and then again to March 20, 2021...and then just because the universe said so, the first-ever Super Jersey Comic Expo blasted onto the scene on November 6th 2021 at Bell Works in Holmdel, NJ with an attendance of just over 1,900 comic and pop culture-loving humans through the door.
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The Rise
2021-2022
After our first event was seen as such a commercial/public success story, we decided to lean into it and while we were the same size due to our location-- it was worth investing more into the show to make a name for ourselves. Names like Jim Steranko, Jerry Lawler, Ron Marz & a dozen more were added to be a star-studded one-day comic book super show which took place on November 5, 2022.
While the attendance itself dropped ever-so-slightly seeing 1,750-ish attendees, we don't consider the show a loss whatsoever. The second year proved that we weren't a fluke and word was beginning to travel fast about "Them new kids from Jersey" putting on a damn good show.
The Apex and the fall...or was it?
Late 2022- Late 2023
It is said among large scale event professionals that "By year three you should know if you have a viable event." and with learning a couple things from year two we decided to go for broke and launch the biggest roster in our event's history.
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Six weeks out from our 3rd event, we were delivered a blow that could've meant the end of SJCE.​ We were essentially informed that our host venue since day one had sold the space out from under us after having an agreement in place for 7 months prior, and that was that.
Nothing could be done.
Except, make a hail mary and hope for the best.
Instead of canceling the show and disappointing our vendors, artists, guests and attendees, we put together a plan to move the event up into the main atrium level of our host building with one caveat-- we weren't permitted to charged admission as per property management in that space, so we had to make the show free to attend and return all ticket money. This is what kept the show alive...for the time being.
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The show broke all attendance records for us to date, with over 3,500 amazing humans showing up in one day on October 28, 2023.
For the 3rd year in a row it was a commercial success. We were told by many vendors, guests, and artists it was their highest single-day show sales ever, and the attendees had a blast...
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...but we, as event producers were broken.
The Recovery
Late '23-Early '24
The show was a commercial success in every way, but financially we were drained and had felt like the wind was taken out of us. As 3 full-time working adults who own the show with families, and a passion for comics...we weren't sure if we could do this again. So, we just...didn't talk about the show for a couple of months and let our minds recover from what had transpired.
A huge win in some ways, but also a huge, devastating loss.
The Rebirth
Spring '24
After refusing to discuss the convention until the new year had settled in, we decided to look for a new venue and keep going. We were fortunate to be linked up with The Dome at Adventure Crossing in Jackson Twp., New Jersey who were most gracious and empathetic to our situation. Their willingness to work with us along with the backing and support of our vendors, artists, and previous attendees is the fuel we needed to keep going...but not after a little hiatus.
Now we have a point to prove, and Super Jersey '25 will be the largest iteration of our show to date.
About The Founders
Until the weekend of each event, Super Jersey Comic Expo is produced by 3 guys who are comic & pop culture enthusiasts that just happen to have significant experience in the world of event planning, marketing, and PR.
We attend conventions, we vend at conventions, we are collectors and we are diehard comic fanatics that wanted to build something amazing in an already-thriving state for pop culture and comics- New Jersey.
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We may be some of the "new guys" in the comic convention scene, but we have experience and passion to back up our word and we will always fight for our vendors & guests to have an amazing convention, as well as providing an experience packed with value for all attendees.
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LEFT TO RIGHT
AJ Blair- AJ's House Of Comics
Paul Brown- Spotlight Marketing Solutions
Stan Kalucki- Comic Collision
