Working close to home

Professional comic book inker and artist Scott Hanna is among the guests slated for the Phillipsburg Comic-Con at Phillipsburg High School.

(LehighValleyLive.com File Photo)

Phillipsburg high school students are turning to comic book veterans to help purchase books for its new comic book electives.

The Phillipsburg Comic-Con will be held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9 at in the large gymnasium of Phillipsburg High School.

Scheduled guests include professional comic book inker/artist Scott Hanna, artist Rags Morales, artist Adam Kubert, writer-creator Joe Kelly, fashion designer and former "Project Runway" contestant Pamela Ptak, children's author Richard Egielski and Eisner Award-winning author Sheena Howard.

Admission costs $5; free for children 5 and younger. The first 100 attendees, ages 6-17, will receive a free comic with paid admission, according to the convention's website. Proceeds will go toward the purchase of additional school books for Phillipsburg new comic electives, which will be offered for the first time in the fall.

Hanna, a veteran of the industry, has lent his talents to DC and Marvel Comics -- including runs on "The Amazing Spider-Man," "Detective Comics," "Avengers vs. X-Men," "Spider-Man," "Batman," "Deathstroke" and "Green Lantern Corps," among others.

Hanna and Ptak, a former contestant on Lifetime's "Project Runway," are the founders of Riegelsville-based Arts and Fashion Institute.

Morales is best known for his work on DC Comics' "Nightwing" and "JSA" series and the critically-acclaimed miniseries "Identity Crisis."

Kubert is the son of legendary comic book artist Joe Kubert and brother of artist Andy Kubert. Adam Kubert's comic book credits include "Uncanny X-Men," "Ultimate Fantastic Four," "The Incredible Hulk" and "Wolverine."

Kelly wrote the Eisner Award-nominated "I Kill Giants" and is one of the creators of Man of Action Entertainment, which spawned "Ben 10" and "Big Hero 6." His comic book background includes "Spider-Man," "Deadpool," "Uncanny X-Men" and the "Action Comics" story "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?"

Phillipsburg High School is at 200 Hillcrest Blvd.

Dustin Schoof may be reached at dschoof@express-times.com. Follow him on Twitter@dustin_schoof. Find Lehigh Valley Entertainment on Facebook.