Despite some wet and chilly weather, Pennington’s first ever Comic Con was a tremendous success! The event, the brainchild of new faculty member Laura Cunningham, was held on Friday, April 11, utilizing various spaces around campus. Within the MMAC student center, the Art Club showcased their incredible talent in Artist's Alley. From comic-inspired bowls, planters, bookmarks, and buttons, to on-the-spot custom caricature and character drawing, they truly wowed attendees with their masterpieces while raising funds for their club. 

Across the way in Meckler Library, Mr. Floyd and Mr. Brandon from Final Boss Comics – located at 10 Gordon Avenue in neighboring Lawrence Township – captivated their audience with Board Game Tutorials (Mr. Brandon) and hourly Trivia Contests (Mr. Floyd) which tested students’ knowledge of comics, anime, video games, and more. Dozens of action figures, comic books, and other memorabilia were awarded during these trivia sessions, both as swag and as prizes for correct answers. 

Final Boss Comics store gift cards were also given away as prizes for the event’s Cosplay Costume Competition and Super Smash Bros. Tournament! Fred Z. ’27, Alice S.’25, and Jason C.’ 26  wowed the judges with their costumes and walked away with the top prizes. Meanwhile, in the lower level of the MMAC, over a dozen students battled it out in the Super Smash arena. 

Back in Meckler, a small but brave band of students faced diabolical foes, challenging puzzles, and, most terrifying of all, magical math in order to earn admission to the prestigious and magical Strixhaven University! This was not a College Counseling excursion, but rather, a D&D One-Shot Campaign, led by Pennington Teacher of English Ben Sulton. The evening culminated with a hilarious reading of scenes from the Shakespeare-inspired Star Wars: Verily! A New Hope, performed by Pennington’s talented Drama Club in the Diane T. McLarty Black Box Theater. 

Farmstead Foods Mobile Kitchen food truck provided much-sought-after fuel for the evening’s activities, offering students delicious snacks for purchase. Cunningham, who is the School’s new librarian and media specialist, was thrilled with the response to the event and is already at work brainstorming next year’s festivities!