Comic, game expo hopes to bank on 'Star Wars' fascination

Ken Murphy knows people love "Star Wars."

As an avid "Star Wars" fan himself and owner of the comic shop Marvels and Legends, he sees the appeal the space-fantasy franchise has for people of all ages.

"I think 'Star Wars' is Americana," said Murphy. "In the last 35 years I think it has become part of our science fiction lore. It appeals to men, women and children."

When parents come into his shop looking for something to get their children interested in reading, his first suggestion is the clean "Star Wars" comics.

Now Murphy is hoping the lovers of "Star Wars" culture locally will decide to give the first annual Comics and Gaming Expo in Cape Girardeau a try this weekend.

The two-day expo Saturday and Sunday at Buckner Brewing Co. includes all kinds of activities to get comic and gaming fans through the doors -- a 40-minute long pro- quality "Tomb Raider" fan film by Jackson native Nick Murphy (no relation) called "Tears of the Dragon," gaming tournaments for video- and table top games and a special appearance by Gary Friedrich, creator of the original "Ghost Rider" comic book.

If all that isn't enough to get people in, vendors will be there in force selling all sorts of memorabilia, and money raised by the expo will go to the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

Devoted comic and gaming fans are likely to show up en masse for either or both days, without further persuasion than just knowing the expo exists.

But the stormtroopers will be the icing on the cake Sunday that Murphy hopes will bring in those extra people who may not come otherwise. Several local, authentic "Star Wars" stormtrooper impersonators will be at the expo, getting pictures taken and such with the crowds (great for family shots).

The chance to see an authentic stormtrooper this close is rare, and these guys mean business, from their armor to their blaster rifles.

And the first 200 people who show up for the comic day on Sunday will get a free "Star Wars" comic book.

The stormtrooper squad will be headed by local Ral Wheeler -- a man with a hard-core devotion to the "Star Wars" universe and its characters. Wheeler and his troops are all business in their costumes, even talking and acting like real stormtroopers, praising Darth Vader.

"When I asked him to do it, he said 'Anything that gives us a chance to put on the armor,'" Murphy said of his friend Wheeler. "He's passionate about it, and he loves to entertain people."

Murphy said he wants to make this expo an annual event -- the only one of its kind between Memphis and St. Louis. Already the feedback has been great, he said, and he expects a heavy turnout over the two days.

"We're going to raise good money for charity, and that's important," Wheeler said.

Of course, the stormtroopers will only help bring in those crowds.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182