Ithaca College, a mid-size nationally-ranked private college, will offer a course on running a comic convention in the Spring 2019 semester, the first time we’ve heard of a college course on the topic.  Students taking the course will plan and manage Ithacon, the second-longest-running comic convention in the nation.  The course, Creating and Promoting Ithacon, will be co-taught by Ed Catto, formerly of Bonfire Agency (see "Rotterdam, Catto Start Bonfire") and Reed Exhibitions, currently a lecturer in the Department of Management; and English professor Katherine Kittredge, who’s the coordinator of Ithacon.

Students will plan, manage, and market the convention, and do post-event analysis.  Other topics of the course will include publishing, filmed entertainment, licensing, collectibles and fan communities.

This year’s Ithacon, which will be held March 23-24 on the Ithaca College grounds, will spotlight The Twilight Zone, an homage to the show’s 60th anniversary and the legacy of Rod Serling, who taught at the college from 1967 to 1975 and whose scripts, screenplays, films, awards and other materials are housed at the Rod Serling Archives at the college.

Guests will include former DC Comics president Paul Levitz, Bill Schanes, formerly of Diamond Comic Distributors, and editor Will Dennis.

Catto described the course and the upcoming show.  "We are excited for this course and the fantastic learning opportunities for students," he said.  "Ithacon has been a fixture of Ithaca’s pop culture scene for decades, and we’re looking forward to hosting fans on the Ithaca College campus for the 44th annual show in March."