Ratha Con

Ratha Con Dates and Locations

Ratha Con is a pop culture convention taking place on May 7 & 8th, 2016 in Athens, Ohio. The night before, on May 6th, at ARTS/West, 132 W. State St., Athens, OH. there will be an art opening of pop culture themed art and a screening of a film. Art opening at 6 pm and film at 8 pm. The main convention on May 7 & 8, 2016 will be from 10 am to 5pm both days at the Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St. Athens, OH 45701. Saturday the 7th will be followed by a costumed dance party at Casa Nueva Cantina, 4 W. State St. Athens, OH. starting at 10 pm.

The 2016 admission cost will be $10 for adults, $5 for kids 12 - 17, free for kids 11 and under. These prices are subject to change - dependant on the special guest(s).

Friday, April 18, 2014

We have so much planned for the 2014 Ratha Con.

Here is a schedule for the presentations and workshops:

Daniel Trout - Bullwhip presentation - 11 am - 12 pm - Large exercise room

Dungeon's & Dragon's game led by Benton Molina - starts at 11 am - main floor
*registration required

Comic Panel with Sandy Plunkett, Steve Richter, Terence Hanley, and Ken Eppstein moderated by Sam Berlin - 11:30 am - 12:30 pm - large conference room

Magic Gaming - starts at 12:30 pm - main floor *possible regristration required

Charles Milhouse dicussion on self publishing - 12:30 - 1:30 pm - Large conference room

Model Making with Jay Pare - 2 pm - main floor *registration required

Wearable Wounds with Danette Pratt workshop - 1 - 2:30 pm - small conference room *registration required

Light Saber Choreography with Blindwave Productions - 1:30 - 2:30 pm - large conference room

Stage fighting workshop (to apply techniques learned in Blinwave presentation) with Brian Evans and Tom Fiocchi - 2:30 - 4 pm - large exercise room
* registration may be required

Daniel Boyd's presentation of his films and graphic novels - 2:30 - 3:30 pm - large conference room

Costume contest - 4 pm - parade of costumes 4 - 4:15 pm

We will also have our Artist Alley, sellers, local collectors with their collections on display, and artisan vendors selling their handmade work.

Cost is $5 for everyone 13 and up and kids 12 and under are free.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

We have returning comic creators like Steve Richter, Larry Blake, Terence Hanley, Jesse Marks, Lee Smith, and Derek Croston to name a few and so far a new creator, Terry Eisele, (http://www.terryeisele.com/) who has created a set of graphic novels based on the real-life events of the Lidice massacre.

Terry Eisele

www.terryeisele.com

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

This year at Ratha Con we will have a bullwhip demonstration by Daniel Trout. This is what Daniel says about his study and a little about what to expect from the demo: "I have been fascinated with whips since I saw that first flash on the big screen in the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark as a wide-eyed 6 year old, and have been making a serious study of whip artistry for the last 10 years. In that time, I have had the opportunity to work with and get to know some of the most talented whip performers and whip makers in the world today, including many of the artists who supply whips to the entertainment industry, and the coaches who teach the performers how to use them.

The presentation would be loosely structured and interactive, explaining how the whip works, what it can do, what it can't do, and deconstructing some of the myths and untruths that have been built up about the bullwhip over the last 100 years."

Monday, March 10, 2014

On the day of the convention we will have a D & D game run by Benton Molina, local college student who has been a DM for several years. His game is called "The Wolf Spider's Den". Game description: In Noren, a fantastical alternate-Europe, banks rely on dangerous methods to make money. These methods do not utilize loans or deeds, but instead involve the raiding of ancient treasure troves. For these raids, or 'Acquisition Runs', banks hire licensed adventurers, or 'Cutters', to do the fighting. Players will take on the role of these hired adventurers. They are hedge-knights, sorcerers, burglars, and other miscellaneous fortune-seekers. The game will run approximately 5 hours and will be played by the first 6 people to register at the door on the day of Ratha Con. Players should be at least 11 years old.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

http://youtu.be/XBZ9PelNcIA
A video from our first convention - done by one of our talented comic artists, Derek Croston.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Pop Culture art exhibit to take place at ARTS/West during the month of April in honor of Ratha Con. Art that represents anything from popular culture. Please contact ARTS/West for information - 740/592-4315 or artswestathens@gmail.com

Deadline is March 10th for submitting work

Monday, January 27, 2014

Announcing our other special guests

Ratha Con is proud to announce our other special guests:

Blind Wave Productions

Blind Wave Productions from Marietta, Ohio who won the 10th Annual LCC (Lightsaber Choreography Competition). They will be presenting a workshop on lightsaber choreography, as well as, setting up a table with a monitor to show their videos.
http://youtu.be/faQO57Iwlo0

Friday, January 24, 2014

Special Guest for 2014 Convention

Ratha Con is proud to announce our first special guest for the 2014 convention:

Charles Millhouse

Charles is an independent author and has published eight books in the science fiction/fantasy genre. He best describes his style of writing as Retrofiction: The use of golden age storytelling set in futuristic or period settings, dealing with character(s) or situations in unbelievable circumstances.

His eighth book, The 4th in the Talon's Epic Series - "The Long Twilight" was published in September 2013.

Charles lives in Southeastern Ohio with his wife and two sons. He is currently plotting or outlining a new idea to be published in the near future.

Charles will be presenting a panel discussion on self publishing, in particular digital publishing.

Friday, May 10, 2013

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

10:00 - 11:30 am - conference room, ground level/athens community center

Panel Discussion with comic artists Sandy Plunkett, Steve Richter, Chris

Monday and michael easton

10:30 am - 5:00 pm - Children’s activity area - coloring pages, mask making,

etc...

10:30 - 5:00 pm - Boffer Sword Play - in front of Community Center -

(registration required in children’s area)

12:00 - 1:30 pm - conference room, ground level/Athens Community Center

Discussion on costume design with Ohio university theater professor, thomas

fiocchi.

1:30 pm - Build A Superhero Timed Contest - teams of 3 or 5 work togther to

create a superhero with attributes and a name. (Registration Required)

2:00 - 3:30 pm - conference room, ground level/Athens community center

Special guest, Joanne Padgett, author of “Vampires of Camelot” will lead a

discussion on self publishing.

4:00 - 5:30 pm - conference room, ground level/Athens community center

Panel discussion with Ohio University professors, Michael Gillespie, Kevin

Haworth, and Akhil Huston, about using comics and graphic novels in academia.

5:00 pm - Main Floor, community center- winners of raffle named

5:30 pm - Main Floor, community center - costume contest

(registration required)

Gaming run by John Pare and JT Johnston -

11:00 am - 3:00 pm - Castles & Crusades for 6 people (registration required)

4:00 - 6:00 pm - axis and Allies for 4 people (registration required)

1:00 - 4:00 pm - Mutants & Masterminds for 6 people (registration required)

All Day:

ARTISTS’ ALLEY

Larry Blake

Jesse Marks musingmark.deviantart.com

Sandy Plunkett plunkettart.com

Steve Richter steverichterart.com

Katherine Wirick katherine.kreider-wirick.com

Ken Eppstein nixcomics.com

Michael Easton mkeaston.com/mkeaston

Lee Smith OhioComics.com

Terence Hanley/Five Star Comics hanleyart.com

Chris Monday flyingweevil.com

Derek Croston methodcomix.com

Courtney & Chris Young

Joe Dragunas facebook.com/TheArtOfJMDragunas

Gary Gibeaut/Five Star Comics garygibeaut/fivestarcomics.co

Art Vendors

Nancy Baur - comic greeting cards & comic themed sewn items

reewesablefiberarts.blogspot.com

Thomas Fiocchi - costume items

Special Displays

Connor Miller

James Hamilton & Brent Smalley’s Nerdiversity

Models

Jay Pare

Sellers

The Wizard’s Guild Athens, OH

Super-fly Comics & Games Yellow Springs, OH

Jerry Lowe

Frank Gorscak

Fan Clubs

Rebel Legion - Great Lakes Base greatlakesbase.com

501st Legion - Ohio Garrison ohio501st.com

Food Vendors

Not Guilty Food Cart

Fluff Bakery

Gaming - casual magic games - inquire at The Wizard’s Guild booth

6:00 - 10:00 pm - Costume Dance Party - Multipurpose room/Community

Center. - Music with DJ Barticus and new, local Band “The Geek Girls”

Admission is FREE with Ratha Con handstamp and $2 for others. Beverages and baked items for

sale to help raise money for ARTS/West.

A Secret Map promoSteve Richter's new gallery show, A Secret Map, opens Friday, May 10, in Athens, Ohio, 6pm til 9 pm at UnionArts Gallery on West Union.

Check this out - happening tonight. Great way to get ready for the con tomorrow. While you are at it go to The Kennedy Museum to see a retrospective of Sandy Plunkett's work.

Directions

To reach the Athens Community Center 701 E. State St. Athens, OH:

From Columbus – take 33 East to the E. State St. exit. Turn left onto E. State St. Your destination is on the right (2^nd light after Applebee’s).

From Chillicothe – take 50 East to 33 West to the E. State St. exit. Turn right onto E. State St. Your destination is on the right (2^nd light after Applebee’s).

From Marietta – take 50 West to the E. State St. exit. Turn right onto E. State St. Your destination is on the right (2^nd light after Applebee’s).

From Pomeroy – take 33 West to E. State St. exit. Turn right onto E. State St. Your destination is on the right (2^nd light after Applebee’s).

The Athens Transit buses run every hour to the Athens Community Center from several locations throughout the city of Athens. Go to athenstransit.org or call 740/592-2727 to get the full schedule and times. Cost is $1 to ride the bus.

To reach ARTS/West, 132 W. State St. Athens, OH:

From Columbus – take 33 East to the E. State St. exit. Turn right onto E. State St. Follow it through the city until you come to a converted church in front of you with a cemetery on your right and a sign for ARTS/West over the front door. Go to the right and take the drive on the left up to the parking lot behind the building.

From Chillicothe – take 50 East to 33 West to the E. State St. exit. Turn left onto E. State St. Follow it through the city until you come to a converted church in front of you with a cemetery on your right and a sign for ARTS/West over the front door. Go to the right and take the drive on the left up to the parking lot behind the building.

From Marietta – take 50 West to the E. State St. exit. Turn left onto E. State St. Follow it through the city until you come to a converted church in front of you with a cemetery on your right and a sign for ARTS/West over the front door. Go to the right and take the drive on the left up to the parking lot behind the building.

From Pomeroy – take 33 West to E. State St. exit. Turn left onto E. State St. Follow it through the city until you come to a converted church in front of you with a cemetery on your right and a sign for ARTS/West over the front door. Go to the right and take the drive on the left up to the parking lot behind the building.

To reach Casa Nueva Cantina, 4 W. State St. Athens, Ohio:

From Columbus – take 33 East to the E. State St. exit. Turn right onto E. State St. Follow it through the city until you come to an intersection with Court St. Your destination will be on the right within the first building on the block.

From Chillicothe – take 50 East to 33 West to the E. State St. exit. Turn left onto E. State St. Follow it through the city until you come to an intersection with Court St. Your destination will be on the right within the first building on the block.

From Marietta – take 50 West to the E. State St. exit. Turn left onto E. State St. Follow it through the city until you come to an intersection with Court St. Your destination will be on the right within the first building on the block.

From Pomeroy – take 33 West to E. State St. exit. Turn left onto E. State St. Follow it through the city until you come to an intersection with Court St. Your destination will be on the right within the first building on the block.