Salinas >> The power and intensity of comics is taking over the Student Center at Hartnell College this weekend.

It’s the site of the third annual Salinas Valley Comic Con, which continues Sunday.

Artists, established and new, are set up along with vendors of sci-fi toys and literature. And people costumed as their favorite film and comic characters are roaming about the room.

This is the first year the event has been held at Hartnell. The first two were at the National Steinbeck Center. Comic Con is a partnership between the Steinbeck Center and the John Steinbeck Library.

“The 2016 Salinas Valley Comic Con is about literature. About reading today,” writes Susan Shillinglaw, director of the Steinbeck Center, in the event’s program. “About the intersection of images and text. About the power of literature.”

It’s about all that and more. The event is a chance to meet and talk with up-and-coming comics writers and illustrators as well as those who are at the top of their field.

Allen Roman of Salinas is one of the new generation of comics creators. A graduate of UC Irvine, where he majored in computer games, Roman is showing and selling his work for the first time at Comic Con. He does comics, urban sketching and other drawings.

Roman has been working at his craft for four years. “I just read a book and said, ‘I want to do this,’ ” he said. The book was “Emitown,” by Emi Lenox.

“Hopefully, I can make something out of it, and I’ll come back and be famous and rich,” Roman said.

Two well-established comic illustrators were seated side by side at a table. Ryan Sook and Alex Sheikman are well known in the field.

Sheikman is a native of the former Soviet Union. The self-taught artist said he related to superhero comics when he moved to the United States as a boy. He was used to seeing illustrations of Russian workers as powerful figures.

“I learned how to read (English) by comics,” Sheikman, a San Jose resident, said.

He has illustrated books by “The Dark Chrystal” creator Brian Froud. Sheikman also was selling his own book, “Robotika,” and a collection of sketches. The sketches are from a year when he did an illustration every day.

Sheikman said he likes going to events like Comic Con because he enjoys seeing new approaches to art.

“You get to see not only the professionals but the young people coming up. They’re an inspiration,” he said.

Sook is a freelance illustrator who works for Marvel and DC comics. The Cambria resident has made a living doing it for 20 years. He was working on sketches in a sketch book between chatting with attendees.

Sook has been drawing since he was a young boy. He was inspired by a small collection of comic books his father owned. Soon he was buying and collecting his own comic books.

Comics, he said, have been popular because they’ve always offered a sense of escapism and a clearly defined example of good vs. evil.

“There’s a bunch of really talented people (here),” he said. “I like to see new life coming into the industry. … I like art generally. I like all kinds of art.”

Those who attended Comic Con Saturday in costume were impressive. Spencer Braff, a Salinas middle school student, was dressed in a catlike costume she made herself. She was Chatnoir from the animated show, “The Miraculous Ladybug.” The show is one of her favorites.

“I like the animators,” Braff said. “It’s heavy witty. … It’s really nice to look at.”

Nick Ybarra of Salinas was dressed as a biker scout from “Star Wars.”

“It cost quite a bit of change,” he said of the costume. “Most of it was made by me with the help of a lot of friends.”

Ybarra is a member of the 501st Legion’s Golden Gate Garrison. The 501st is a worldwide charity group with more than 9,000 members. The only requirement for membership is an authentic costume.

Group members at Saturday’s show included storm troopers, biker scouts and bridge crew.

“We are bad guys doing good,” said Chris Green of the Golden Gate Garrison.

“Darth Vader is retired (for the day),” said Greene said. “He had a busy night (Friday).”

A lot of the garrisons members were out at the debut of the new “Star Wars” movie, “Rogue 1” this weekend, Greene said.

“My goal is to have two storm troopers out of King City next year,” he said.

Comic Con continues 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Among the highlights will be a spotlight on Salinas indie cartoonists and a spotlight on apocalypse and zombies. There will be workshops, including a Latino comics expo.