Maui Comic Con is a chance for fans to dress up as their favorite superheroes and cartoon characters, but organizers of the budding event are hoping it will also serve as a launchpad for local artists.

Since its inaugural year in 2016, Maui Comic Con has grown from 2,000 attendees to 3,500 in 2018, with an even bigger crowd expected at next weekend’s gathering at the University of Hawaii Maui College.

Its founders are Alika Seki, a civil engineer by profession, and his friend Kenneth Gardner. Seki, who opened Maui Comics & Collectibles in Kahului in 2015, said their intent in starting the pop culture confab was twofold: to make the comic con experience more accessible to Maui residents and to bring together and showcase local artists.

To that first end, admission to Maui Comic Con is free.

Recalling his own upbringing, Seki said he wants to ensure those who want to attend a comics convention don’t have to fly off island or pay for expensive tickets to do so. He is adamant about keeping the local event free, even if it affects the bottom line.

“When I was a kid, if something cost money, it was already out of my reach. My parents weren’t into spending money on frivolous things that weren’t going to serve us,” he said. “So, when people are constantly telling me that I have to start charging admission for this convention … I just remember that young-kid version of me.”

An aspiring artist himself, Seki also is hoping to grow the infrastructure to enable talented local artists to get in touch with one another and help them find jobs.

“If you work in construction, you can get a referral or a recommendation. … If you’re looking for a designer or if you’re looking for an artist, there’s no one who’s going to make that connection for you,” he said. “There’s not as much professional infrastructure for art and artists.”

Maui Comic Con activities include a vendors hall with comics and collectibles retailers and craftspeople from across the state. The Artist Alley will showcase the local comic art community, offering books, prints and original artwork. Among the 30-plus local artists expected are Ekolu Collective, a multitalented trio whose work includes everything from digital illustrations to mural designs; Head Shot Heroes, who can turn people into superheroes or villains in a drawing; and aspiring artists, writers and creators from the Hawaiian Comic Book Alliance.

Each day will feature a cosplay contest presented by Night Darling Cosplay, with prizes awarded for individual, group and keiki costumes. (Sign up online at mauicomiccon.com.)

“Maui Comic Con gives local cosplayers a voice and a stage to be proud of who they are,” Night Darling said in a statement. “We as cosplayers are able to come together as one and be comfortable in our own skin and be surrounded by fellow nerds for a weekend.”

A Preview Day on Friday will offer classes on art, writing and other ways to break into the business of visual storytelling. Aspiring artists can even sign up for portfolio reviews with industry veterans.

Although attendance at Maui Comic Con is small in comparison with similar events held in Honolulu and on the mainland, the local convention is drawing some big names in the industry. They include Nashville, Tenn.-based cartoonist Eric Powell, creator of the award-winning comic series “The Goon,” which is in development as an animated movie. Returning to the islands is writer, artist and editor Carl Potts, who created the “Alien Legion” series for Epic Comics, oversaw the development of “The Punisher” franchise at Marvel and edited such titles as “The Incredible Hulk,” “Doctor Strange” and “Moon Knight.”

Also appearing will be Hawaii-based artist James Silvani, who has illustrated Disney and Muppet comics and the continuing adventures of Darkwing Duck; and part-time Hawaii resident Keith Tucker, a top animation storyboard artist for Warner Bros., Disney, Universal and Marvel studios.

Seki said is hasn’t been a problem attracting industry notables to be part of Maui Comic Con.

“I have a wait list for famous people,” he said. “These are people who I, as a kid, adored them.”

He said big-name artists prefer smaller events because they get to interact directly and more intimately with fans and aspiring artists.

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MAUI COMIC CON

>> Where: Pa‘ina and Pilina buildings, University of Hawaii Maui College, 275 W. Kaahumanu Ave.

>> When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 27

>> Cost: Free admission

>> Info: 281-0440, mauicomiccon@gmail.com, mauicomiccon.com