ATHOL — The Athol Public Library and Hero Shack Press are busy with preparations for the upcoming Comic Book Fest on Saturday, Oct. 14.

The festival will take over both floors of the Athol Town Hall and the library next door. This all-ages event will be a comic book lover’s dream with 18 independent artists, workshops, vendors, a cosplay contest, games, crafts and more.

The Hero Shack Press team, Christopher and Diana Tamulevich, recalled their excitement over last year’s Fest.

“This year we’re offering more to do, see, and experience. Not only do we have many of the independent artists returning, we also have new talent joining us,” Tamulevich remarked. “Plus, there will be a cosplay contest for all ages. We are hopeful that this year’s event will surpass the excitement and success of last year.”

Emily Boughton of the Athol Public Library commented, “We were really pleased with the turnout last year and happy to see how much our community loved it. We had folks asking about the next one before the event had even wrapped up.”

The team started planning this year’s Comic Book Fest just months after the first one ended; working throughout the year to bring more of what the community and participating creators enjoyed.

The 18 artists are coming from neighboring towns—and even neighboring countries—to participate. The roster includes Reckless Sidekick Productions, Gridiron Publishing, Krista Erickson, Free Fall Press, Joe Graves, Crimebuster Comics, Nile and Calvin Hennick, M.M.Dumas, Global Syndicate Publications, Sketchy Art, Bill LaRose, Nerdy Kid Designs, Patrick Brigham, The Dress Up Dreamers, and Cross Comics (who is coming all the way from Canada).

As visitors meet the artists and join in the free activities, they will have the opportunity to earn free raffle tickets for signed prints, pop culture collectibles, exclusive items, and more.

The Comic Book Fest will take place at the Athol Town Hall, 584 Main St., and next door at the Athol Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 14. Visitors of all ages are welcome to stop by and enjoy the festivities from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

For more information and a complete schedule of events, please call the library at 978-249-9515, visit athollibrary.org, or check out the Facebook event page.