Massey's Comic Route 66 Comic and Toy Convention returns to Lebanon
The Fourth Annual Massey's Comics Route 66 Comic and Toy Convention will feature special guests who have been published by DC and Marvel Comics, who are responsible for bringing the likes of Batman and Spider-Man to the masses.
'This is one of our favorite weekends of the year! We love bringing artists, crafters and vendors
to Lebanon each year,' said event organizer Casi Massey. 'We love going to these events around the state and are happy to bring it to our community.'
'We've got comic book creators coming in that have worked in the industry for years, legends you might say, and some who are on their way up,' said co-organizer Fines Massey.
A new guest this year is artist and writer Andre Parks. Parks is a long-time collaborator with a return guest, Phil Hester. The pair is probably best known for their work on 'Green Arrow' with filmmaker Kevin Smith.
Admission is $10 for adults and free for children ages 12 and under.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at Massey's Comics in Lebanon or at the door.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
Sacha Baron Cohen stuns with jacked physique after Marvel debut: See his new look
Borat who? Sacha Baron Cohen is sporting a shockingly different look these days. As he enters the Marvel-verse as Mephisto, the notorious supervillain, Cohen has ditched his signature "confused comic" look for a figure that is well, jacked. On the cover of Men's Fitness U.K., Cohen shows off bulging biceps, a freshly shaven beard and an unmistakable 6-pack. That Cohen would go all in for his transformation is no surprise; he is perhaps best known for his tireless commitment to the bit, going full character-actor as Borat or Ali G, for the benefit of political satire. Cohen worked with celebrity trainer Alfonso Moretti to get in shape for his role in Marvel's "Ironheart," according to Men's Fitness. The comedian said his workout routine included 100 push-ups a day, while Moretti said his diet was "high fibre, low sugar, plenty of protein — nothing fancy, nothing extreme." On his Instagram story, the "Borat" star shared the Men's Fitness cover and joked, "This is not AI, I really am egotistical enough to do this." "Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, others use personal trainers," he wrote. "I did all three." In another Instagram story, Cohen joked he is "hard launching my mid-life crisis" and "debuting my new character: middle aged man who replaced beer with protein shakes." On July 1, Cohen made a surprise appearance in the Disney+ series "Ironheart" as Mephisto, who is essentially the Marvel comics equivalent of Satan. In the show, the main villain is revealed to have made a "deal with the devil" with Mephisto for his powers. The series' title character, Riri Williams, eventually makes her own bargain with Mephisto to bring back a loved one. It hasn't been confirmed when or where Cohen might return as Mephisto, but the character could have a major role in Marvel's future. In the comics, Mephisto has been involved in storylines connected to characters like Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. Mephisto's on-screen debut was highly anticipated, but Cohen's casting had not been officially announced prior to his "Ironheart" debut. "He's one of the big, big, big bads in the comics that has a lot of tethers to characters that we've been working with for years, and also characters that we hopefully will work with in the future," Brad Winderbaum, head of Marvel Television, previously told USA TODAY. Winderbaum also teased Mephisto's possible big-screen debut, telling USA TODAY, "Without going into too much detail, the types of projects he will be in are not dependent on television."


Newsweek
25 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Marvel's 'Eyes of Wakanda' Changes Streaming Premiere Date
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Marvel fans anxious to see the new animated anthology series "Eyes of Wakanda" aren't going to have to wait as long. Entertainment Weekly reports that the series, previously slated for an August 27 release, will now stream on Disney+ as soon as next Friday, August 1. All four episodes of the series will stream on Disney+ on the premiere date. Read More: DC's 'Booster Gold' Moving Ahead at HBO Max The news comes from "Eyes of Wakanda" director and showrunner Todd Harris, who spoke to EW about the show just before San Diego Comic Con got underway. Disney+'s "Eyes of Wakanda." Disney+'s "Eyes of Wakanda." DISNEY "My goal for the whole show was to do the thing that a movie has trouble doing, which is making the world bigger," Harris told EW. "It is a nation with multiple zip codes." "It was mostly just expanding the backdrop of the world that [Ryan Coogler] was able to establish, with just a little bit more time and a few more opportunities at the watering hole. These things have been around for this long, really spreading out the mythology of Wakanda." Like another recent animated anthology project, Hulu's "Predator: Killer of Killers," the action in "Eyes of Wakanda" jumps across the centuries from one story to the next. Noni (Winnie Harlow) is the hero of the first episode. She's a former member of the Dora Milaje and now up for a role in the Hatut Zaraze, Wakanda's own covert ops organization. According to Harris's description, Noni has a bit of a rebellious spirit. He describes her as "a James Bond version of a Dora who just doesn't tow the company line." Harris says that with "Eyes of Wakanda" he sought to reach "to the weird corners in the Marvel universe to see what we can get away with." One of the things he's gotten away with is bringing the hero Iron Fist into "Eyes of Wakanda," but presumably not the one played by Finn Jones. In the source material, the Danny Rand version of Iron Fist played by Finn Jones is just one of many heroes who have carried the Iron Fist title. We don't know much about this new Iron Fist yet, but it's possible we could get a Wakandan Iron Fist. Regardless of where this new Iron Fist is from, fans will be able to find out Friday, August 1 when "Eyes of Wakanda" debuts on Disney+. More Comics: 'Fantastic Four' Star Wants A Spider-Man Team-Up 'Fantastic Four' Early Reactions Are Overwhelmingly One-Sided


Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
‘'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' review: A breath of fresh air for superhero fans
As a longtime comic-book reader, I've gotten used to the fact that most modern superhero movies don't look much like their source material. Starting with the all-black leather costumes in the '00s X-Men movies, superheroes on the big screen have usually opted for muted colors and streamlined design when it comes to their outfits, environments and even powers. That's why this summer has been so refreshing for viewers like me, first with James Gunn's 'Superman' and now with Matt Shakman's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' both of which enthusiastically embrace the colorful silliness of the comic books that inspired them. While 'Superman' marks a fresh start for DC's movie universe, 'First Steps' is yet another installment in the never-ending Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's consciously set apart from other MCU movies, and that leaves it much better off. Set on a retro-futuristic alternate Earth, 'First Steps' allows the story of the Fantastic Four to play out unencumbered by ongoing storylines or characters from other movies and TV shows, making it the most accessible and straightforward MCU movie in years. Like 'Superman,' it begins not with the team's familiar origin story, but with Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as established, well-known heroes in their world. Every bit of background information that viewers need to know is delivered in bite-sized bits of exposition via TV broadcasts and news headlines. Although it's taken a long time for them to enter the MCU, the Fantastic Four marked the beginning of Marvel's comic-book Silver Age in 1961, and 'First Steps' emulates that era, resembling a 1960s sci-fi movie. The technology is more advanced than what existed in 1961, but with a throwback design sense that looks nothing like actual modern technology. The team even gets its own kitschy robot named H.E.R.B.I.E., a variation on a character first introduced in the 1970s Fantastic Four animated TV series. It's the kind of stylized aesthetic that's common in comic books but less likely to be presented in a modern blockbuster movie, and it instantly sets 'First Steps' apart from the rest of the MCU. What also sets 'First Steps' apart is that the Fantastic Four are the only superheroes in their world, and they seem universally beloved. Following the outer-space accident that gave them their superpowers, they've taken on numerous threats, which the movie lays out quickly and clearly in an initial montage. There's enough material there for several movies, but Shakman allows it to exist as backstory, to establish how experienced and accomplished the Fantastic Four have become in the four years they've been active. 'First Steps' becomes slightly less distinctive as its main threat comes into play, and the characters travel back into space to confront the giant, planet-devouring entity known as Galactus (Ralph Ineson). Those CGI-heavy scenes resemble similar set pieces in other Marvel movies, although the team's spaceship retains its vintage look. As is often the case in the MCU, the villain proves to be the weak link, both visually and narratively. Galactus is still a meaningful enough threat for the stakes to be apparent, and what's more important is how the characters react. Married couple Reed and Sue are expecting their first child, and their protectiveness as prospective parents drives their decision-making. In the largely forgettable pre-MCU Fantastic Four movies, the team's family dynamic was often missing, but here the main characters feel like a genuine family unit, living together in their vast but cozy New York City headquarters and sitting down to Sunday dinner each week. Pascal and Kirby embody the movie's core relationship, and Kirby, in particular, brings range and complexity to Sue, who is a devoted mother but also an eager scientific explorer. That makes it easy for the audience to invest in the climactic showdown between Galactus and the Fantastic Four, with the fate of the world — but also Reed and Sue's baby — at stake. Shakman makes significant improvements on the dodgy special effects of past Fantastic Four movies, and Johnny (as the flame-based Human Torch) and Ben (as the rock-covered Thing) look much more convincing and substantial. It helps that so much of the space-age sets and costumes have the same weight and presence, although it renders Galactus' CGI clunkiness that much more obvious. The actors make up for the shortcomings, whether they're interacting directly with each other or reacting to phenomena that were obviously added in later. As Galactus' herald, the Silver Surfer, Julia Garner adds her own emotional depth to a character who is primarily regal and aloof. The performances and the visuals add up to a fun, fast-paced sci-fi adventure that never slows down, but also never feels rushed. The humor arises from authentic connections between the characters, rather than from strained quips, which makes 'First Steps' more earnest than most recent MCU movies. It's old-fashioned in an appealing, honest way, delivering a simple, engaging superhero story without franchise baggage. The requisite post-credits tease indicates a larger future for the characters (who are already set to appear in next year's 'Avengers: Doomsday'), but 'First Steps' stands on its own, with the kind of grand yet intimate adventure that superheroes embark on all the time in comic books, but all too rarely on the big screen.