Baltimore Comic-Con celebrates 25th anniversary with key honor

Baltimore -- Every year, Baltimore Comic-Con brings thousands of pop culture enthusiasts to Charm City. This weekend, the comic book convention celebrates its 25th anniversary and to kick off the festivities the city of Baltimore honored the man behind it all.   

The award was granted to Marc Nathan, owner of Baltimore Comic-Con, "in recognition of being a cornerstone of the Baltimore community and culture for 25 years." 

Presenters of the award thanked Nathan for "bringing a platform for fans to celebrate their love for comics, pop culture, and entertainment." 

"It's a wonderful honor," Nathan said after receiving his accolades. 

Baltimore Comic-Con has come a long way since he opened it 25 years ago. Today it brings thousands of fans into downtown Baltimore each year. 

"It just grows every year, and we fill almost every hotel room downtown and the restaurants," Nathan said. 

First-time attendee Juwan Smith from Baltimore says he understands why. 

"Because there's not a lot of cities that do something like this...there's so many things that I can do! And I feel so comfortable, I feel like I know that I belong here," Smith explained. 

"I always loved comic books growing up," Brent Carroll, an Elkridge resident said. 

It's a place where people can feel like a kid again, sifting through the bins to find the comics and the superheroes they grew up loving. 

"Nostalgia...," Brent said. "This Avengers one from 1984 I had when I was younger but just found it for a great price in great condition...it gives you a warm feeling inside. It kind of takes you back to a time when life was simple." 

"This is our superhero his name is drip," Jay of 2Land Comics said. "It stands for do right and inspire people." 

Jay created a superhero he wished he had growing up in Capitol Heights. 

"It would have meant a lot to hear a superhero that spoke the slang that I speak and to see a superhero that had a similar hairstyle," he explained. 

He hopes to bring "Drip" to Baltimore Comic-Con for years to come. 

"It's a place where people are unashamed to be themselves and kind of nerd out a little bit. I like it," the creator said.