ANSONIA — Get your geek on Saturday at The Armory with ANSONI-CON, a pop culture celebration scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Armory is at 5 State St.
Proceeds from the event will used toward the creation of a teen space at Ansonia Library. It’s free to get in, but the city charged vendors who will be there selling stuff.
The event is modeled after the various comi-cons, horror cons, sci-fi cons, and gamer cons that dominate the culture.
Ansonia’s event is ambitious, especially for a first-year event. Click here for the event’s Facebook page.
Among the attractions:
- A Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros tournament, organized by Andrew Bosworth. There’s a $3 entry fee. Registration is at 12 p.m. The event is at 3 p.m. Players must bring their own Switch and controller, according to a flyer posted by the city.
- An “ANSONI-CON” raffle to benefit the library. Tickets are $1 each or 10 tickets for five bucks. Prizes include collector comic books and signed art prints, according to a flyer posted by the city.
- An appearance by artist Shannon Maer
- A ‘meet and greet’ with TC Ford, former editor-in-chief at Charlton Comics, the legendary comic book company once based in Derby.
- The “Weirdo Wonderland” shop from Milford will on hand with its eclectic collection of pop culture curios for sale.
- Costume/cosplay contest for kids and adults: come dressed as your favorite comic book, video game or movie icon (or create your own).
- Dungeons & Dragons demonstrations and games
- Harry Potter trivia
- Training opportunities for kids with the “Padawan Training Institute”
- Magic: The Gathering games
What’s That About Politics?
ANSONI-CON is being organized by volunteers, including Jeff Sweeney, Rich DiCarlo, Giovanni Nicolia, David Papcin, John Marini, and Domenico Filippone.
Filippone, an Alderman running for re-election in the city’s Third Ward, wrote a letter to the editor published Oct. 8 promoting the event and urging residents to vote for him and his Team Cassetti Republican running mates.
City Democrats questioned the wisdom of tying the event to a political campaign.
“Although holding this event does seem like a great thing for the community [I helped to hold a similar convention while I was a student at UConn], at the same time I’m not sure a press release for this event should also double as a campaign press release for the Republicans,” said Steven Erlingheuser,who is running on the Democratic line to represent the Seventh Ward on the Board of Aldermen. “It’s one thing if you want to campaign, which is perfectly fine, but I’m not sure it should be done in what seems like a press release for an event in the community. It makes it sound like your main motivation is campaigning for Republicans rather than the stated intention of raising funds to help develop a teen center at the Ansonia Public Library. Something like this should be promoted in a nonpartisan manner if it’s being promoted by the city.”
Erlingheuser made his comment in the form of a comment on ValleyIndy.org. Filippone didn’t respond to an email seeking additional comment.
The Valley Indy emailed Phil Tripp’s campaign and asked whether the Democrats were considering filing a complaint with the state Elections Enforcement Commission over the letter. Tripp, running as a Democrat, is challenging Republican incumbent Mayor David Cassetti.
“Phil isn’t interested in pursuing a SEEC violation at this time, although it is clearly one and not the first,” Lisa Glazer, Tripp’s campaign manager, said in an email. “We are focused on talking to Ansonia residents and letting them know that we can do better and that our community deserves better.”
John Marini, the city’s corporation counsel and one of the ANSONI-CON organizers, said the event is not political and the goal is to raise money for a teen room at the library. He said Filippone’s letter was fine.
“With respect to Ansoni-Con, it’s certainly not a political event. My understanding is that the alderman mentioned it in his letter as an example of what he’s been doing to help his community,” Marini said. “But that was his letter. It did not come from the city and was not published on a city webpage, so I really don’t understand the issue on this one.”
