CON ARTISTS

If Spock-eared Trekkies conversing in Vulcan and Adam West churning out autographs to fanboys well beyond the age of Batman’s intended demographic are the first images that arise when you think “comic-book convention,” it might be time to let KingCon II change your mind. The four-day comic, illustration, and animation festival, which started Thursday, is returning this year with more local artists, authors, and exhibits that put a chic spin on this staple of geek culture. Special guests this year will include Chris Claremont, the legendary X-Men writer who was responsible for Storm (Marvel Comics’ first female African-American superhero), Jonathan Ames, cult writer of gritty urban life and creator of HBO’s Bored to Death, and Paul Pope, author and illustrator of the famed comic THB.

Thu., Nov. 4, 7 p.m.; Fri., Nov. 5, 9 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 6, 11 a.m.; Sun., Nov. 7, 11 a.m., 2010