Twin Tiers Comic-Con is a 2-day celebration of comics and pop culture in Upstate NY. We spend the weekend showing our love for comics, collectibles, toys, art, writing, games, cosplay, and much more! Special events include autograph signings, guest panels, costume contests, giveaways, and lots of activities for kids and adults alike!
ABOUT THE SHOW
The origins of Twin Tiers Comic-Con can be traced back to 2007 and the small art shows hosted by Heroes Your Mom Threw Out Comic Shop in Elmira, NY. These underground exhibitions showcased the talents of young, overlooked artists in the Upstate NY area, and gave them an audience to show and even sell their work.
These underground shows grew in popularity to the point that they spun into a full-fledged convention in 2011. The new comic con, dubbed Hero Bot Con (after the comic shop's mascot, the Hero-Bot), took place in September of 2011 at the Elmira Elks Lodge. The event was showcased by professional comic artists including Khoi Pham, Aaron Kuder, and Ken Wheaton, as well as local author, Tedd Arnold.
Due to the success of the inaugural event, Heroes Your Mom Threw Out Comic Shop teamed up with Page One Entertainment to bring forth a bigger and better show for the following year! In 2012, Hero Bot Con expanded in size at its new venue, the Chemung County FFC. Hero Bot Con 2012 was headlined by Top Cow creator and legendary artist, Marc Silvestri. Other special guest industry professionals included: Matt Hawkins, Roger Stern, Ron Marz, Jamal Igle, Steve Ellis, Mike Raicht, Charles Paul Wilson III, David Rodriguez, and returning guests, Aaron Kuder and Ken Wheaton.
Hero Bot Con 2013 took place at the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in Horseheads, NY. The venue increased once more from the previous year, as more industry pros took center stage at our show. The event was headlined by returning guests Khoi Pham, Jamal Igle, Mike Raicht, Michael Garland, Jesse Wichmann, and Ethan Young. Marking their first appearance at our show were artists Ryan Bodenheim, Jerry Gaylord, Penelope Gaylord, and Bryan Turner!
In 2014, Page One Entertainment announced that Hero Bot Con would be rebranded and reimagined as TWIN TIERS COMIC-CON! This new convention from Page One was set to be a 2-day event, thus growing the show from a local to a regional convention. Twin Tiers Comic-Con ("TTCC" or "T2C2") was announced to take place at the First Arena in Elmira, NY on August 16-17, 2014. The event featured Guests of Honor, Lloyd Kaufman and Ethan Van Sciver. Page One's first 2-day event proved to be a success thanks to our awesome and dedicated fans. At our premier T2C2 event, 2,000 people flooded the First Arena to celebrate comics, art, video games, and cosplay!
Through 2018, Twin Tiers Comic-Con was held at the First Arena in Elmira, NY. Special guests will included Verne Troyer, David Yost, Walter Jones, Carey Means, Dana Snyder, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, James O'Barr, Rodney Ramos, Dennis Calero, Justin Jordan, Rafer Roberts, Aaron Kuder, V. Ken Marion, Lloyd Kaufman, and many more.
In 2019, T2C2 moved to the Arnot Event Center located inside the Arnot Mall in Horseheads, NY. The venue boasts a massive, 80,000 sq.ft. floor space that rivals the First Arena. With special guest Seth Gilliam, the 2019 event was our biggest yet, with over 100 booths for artists, retailers, activities, vehicles, attractions, gaming, and more. The event drew almost 4,000 attendees and cemented T2C2 as an unstoppable force in the regional convention circuit! But then...a COVID pandemic struck and we were force to go 2 years without a show...
In 2023, Twin Tiers Comic-Con returned to the Arnot Event Center!
T2C2 has its roots in historic Elmira, NY. The city is also the hometown of all the convention's organizers, as well as a large portion of the core group of artists that helped the show grow.
The other reason is simple: a central location! The average commuting convention attendee will travel anywhere from 2-5 hours (or MORE depending on the show) to attend a comic convention. Elmira is in the unique position of being within a few hours driving distance of 8-10 major cities in New York and Pennsylvania!:
Elmira, NY is located: 3.75 hours from New York City | 3 hours from Albany, NY | 2.5 hours from Buffalo, NY | 2 hours from Rochester, NY | 1.75 hours from Syracuse, NY | 45 minutes from Binghamton, NY | 30 minutes from Ithaca, NY | 20 minutes from Corning, NY | 3.75 hours from Philadelphia, PA | 4.5 hours from Pittsburgh, PA | 3.25 hours from Erie, PA | 2.5 hours from Penn State | 2 hours from Scranton, PA | 4.5 hours from Hartford, CT
Also, as a result of this central location, T2C2 has the ability to draw attendees from a handful of colleges within an hour drive of the convention, including: Cornell University, Binghamton University, Ithaca College, Elmira College, and Mansfield University.
Guest announcements can be found here, or by checking our Facebook page here!
Ticket announcements and sales can be found here.
Most celebrity and pop culture guests will likely charge for things like Autographs and Photo Ops. These prices will be set by the celebrities and/or their agents or managers. T2C2 and its organizers are NOT responsible for setting these prices.
Autographs are typically made on headshots the guests will have available at their tables, or they will Autograph items that the attendees bring in from their own personal collections. Photo Ops are typically either Cell Phone Photos taken with the attendee's phone/camera with the guest at their table, OR Professional Photo Ops taken with the guest by a professional photographer and printed out for the attendee to take home with them. Professional Photo Ops typically cost more than Cell Phone Photo Ops.
Attractions such as Famous Cars may charge a fee for you to take a photo op in their vehicles. The prices for photos at these attractions are set by the owners/managers of the vehicles. T2C2 and its organizers are NOT responsible for setting these prices.
Artists and other comic guests typically do not charge for autographs or photos, but make sure to ask them before you assume they are free!
Cosplayers (people in costumes) typically do not charge for you to take a picture with them. However, if there is a professional set-up for you to have a photo op with a cosplayer in front of a backdrop and with a professional photographer, the cosplayer and/or photographer MAY expect a fee for these special services! If you're not sure, just ask!
Show Exclusives for this year can be found here! This will provide information on prints, VIP bags, panels, and other exclusives!
Hotel information can be found here! Travel directions, parking options, and venue information can be found here!
Absolutely! If you are an Artist (you draw, paint, write, sell prints, create your own comics, etc), you can Register here!
If you are considered a Vendor (you sell merchandise, comics you don't create yourself, games, DVDs, apparel, etc), you can Register here!
Well, by visiting our Past Guests Page, of course! You can find Past Guests here!