Vendors and celebrities find worth in Gem State Comic Con as event draws record numbers

More than 50 years ago, comic book conventions, or comic cons as they are more commonly known, have drawn enthusiasts to indulge in their favorite pastime. Today, thousands flock to the annual events, even at smaller, newer cons.

Just such an example is the annual Gem State Comic Con. The event started in 2019 and has steadily grown in the years since, and it broke its admissions record for 2026, bringing in 54,124 sales, more than 4,000 the previous year for the three-day event.

Attendees can meet some of their favorite actors and artists, peruse products for purchase, sit in panel discussions, play games and more. Whether or not the attendees dress in cosplay, they are coming in droves.

Those increased crowds mean increased vendor and celebrity guest interest. Bigger crowds mean more opportunities for sales. And those dollars aren’t just confined to the comic con.

“In the beginning, it was just basically all Idahoans coming to the event. But people from Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, even California, they see our guest list and they fly over,” said Dave Haworth, president of business operations for Boise-based Colossus Girl Entertainment, the company that organizes Gem State Comic Con. “Which is great, of course, for Ada County and for Boise because it fills up the hotels, it fills up the restaurants, it fills up the other businesses. It’s great for the economy.”

What’s great for the economy, however, might come with its own complications as the event gains in popularity and growth. Gem State could outgrow the Expo Idaho grounds, though the venue does make use of its expansive outdoor space in addition to the indoor areas. But the capacity for an event is 4,000 people.

“I feel within the next five to 10 years we will be ill-prepared because the population is growing, but we don’t have a convention center that could then accomplish what [Gem State Comic Con] needs.” Haworth said. “It needs something like what Reno has. Boise, to me, it’s the greatest city in the United States. To me, it’s the best place to live in the world. I feel that a nice, high-tech convention center would do so much more for [the city].”

Despite the potential future limitations, the comic con has gained traction in recent years, drawing names like Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Goonies); Ray Park (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, X-Men); Adam Baldwin (Firefly, Chuck); Jewel Staite (Firefly, Family Law); and Phil LaMaar.

LaMaar, an actor since the 1980s, who is known for his on-screen work in Pulp Fiction and Mad TV, is also well-known for his voice acting in shows such as Futurama, Samurai Jack and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Though celebrity guests do earn money from appearing at the conventions by signing autographs and posing with fans for photos, LaMaar said it goes beyond the business side for him.

“It’s lovely to meet people and to talk about these shows with these great universes,” he said. He began coming to comic cons when Futurama castmate Billy West suggested his fellow actors attend the events.

During its existence, Gem State Comic Con has grown to a three-day event, starting as just one day. The number of days doesn’t just accommodate the number of attendees, it also helps to bring in bigger names.

“A lot of people think that actors just come for free and they just want to come for the fans,” Haworth said. “They don’t realize that convention is actually a business. It’s not for us, it’s not fun and games, it’s a business, and it’s the same way with the agents and the actors and everyone that’s involved. You have to do the math, and calculate it.”

Haworth stated that the number of days will increase the likelihood that a celebrity guest will say yes to appearing, since there will be the ability to sign more autographs and sell more photos.

“When you bring someone in like Sean Astin from the Lord of the Rings, and you look at what he’s asking for to be there, and you have to say, ‘Can you sign this many autographs,’ to cover what he’s being paid and this, and that, does he have enough time to do that? We do the math like, ‘OK, he can possibly do that in two days.’”

One of the celebrity guests Haworth said Colossus Girl Entertainment has looked at bringing in is Ewan MacGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the newer Star Wars movies. Someone with that name recognition would need at least three days to make the math work.

Along with the celebrity guests, artists and vendors come from throughout Idaho and other states to also make a connection with fans and those looking to spend their money on collectibles, toys and art.

For one Boise nonprofit, exposure to the large amount of people wandering through the convention halls was the sole purpose for setting up a booth.

Idaho LUG (LEGO Users Group) had samples of builds its members have created, including a rocket made of 40,000 LEGO bricks over three days by 1,500 elementary school children. It’s just a “small” example of the projects the group does for fun and competitions, and the overall purpose is to encourage creativity in kids and adults.

“I spend all day working on computers. I want to get away from the screen and do something with my hands,” said Greg Fastabend, the founder and president of Idaho LUG. “I started this because I wanted some LEGO friends. … I just started advertising and started a LEGO regular meetup, and more and more people started showing up. Then we got organized, and then we got recognized by LEGO because of the groups and the outsourced stuff and the community stuff we’re doing is just grown from there.”

Lehi, Utah-based artist Jeff Cox took time off his day job as a postal carrier and traveled to Idaho to participate in Gem State. It’s one of about four comic cons he will attend this year.

Cox started his illustration career just before COVID, creating sketch cards. As a fan of the Garbage Pail Kids trading cards when he was 9 years old in the 1980s, he was excited to learn the cards were still being made. He began sending in submissions to become an artist for the franchise. After 11 months of trying, the company brought him onboard first as a Star Wars artist, then as a Garbage Pail Kid artist.

Now 50 years old, Cox attends the comic cons to connect with fans, sell his work and grow as an artist.

“In the past five years, I feel like I’ve really come a long way,” he said. “I look back and I see where I’ve come from. I’ve made a lot of progress. … I’ve got a lot of things ahead of me. I’ve got a lot of original art, original ideas, concepts on the drawing board. … I’m going to try to start doing less for companies and doing more of my personal work.”

Items that attendees could purchase at this year’s Gem State ranged from handcrafted products to vintage toys and books from local authors. Haworth said there were 352 total vendors.

Like some of her fellow vendors, Samantha Allan, owner of WispyStitch, is based in Utah but travels to work various cons. She has been making and selling crocheted and stitched products and other items for about five years. She has been running her business full-time for two years. Comic cons and other such events help her to reach more customers.

“I try to do at least one [event] a month, that’s my goal, but some months have a couple,” Allan said. “The summer’s really busy with outdoor festivals and things like that.”

As for sales, she said the numbers are decent. “It certainly could be a lot better, but it’s slowly growing. As I do more shows, I promote my business and more people follow me and find it [at the event].”

Haworth said most of the vendors are local, but his organization doesn’t discriminate based on where a vendor is from. And as one year wraps up, vendor applications for the next year open and slots fill up fast. Those who do purchase booth space need to be prepared, he said.

“First year Gem State, the vendors were like, ‘Oh, first year Gem State — it’s only Boise.’ So they just brought what they brought. And then halfway through the day, they’re like, ‘We’re out of product.’ You should never underestimate Idaho and now for the three-day show, vendors are bringing enough product for seven days because it’s massive.”