WHEELING — From noon to 5 p.m. today the Wheeling YWCA’s Cultural Diversity & Community Outreach department will be throwing the area’s first Mini-Con. “What’s a Mini-Con?” you ask. Well, it’s the Y’s own scaled down version of a Comic-Con or Comic Book Convention.

This is the Y’s chance to highlight, showcase and celebrate the culture of comic books, graphic novels, action figures, and animation. They will have vendor tables, artist, and even a celebrity guest. The Mini-Con will take place on the second floor of the Wheeling YWCA at 1100 Chapline Street. Admission is merely a suggested donation of your choice, but there will be plenty to do, see, experience, and purchase.

And if that’s not enough, here’s a list of the other amazing folks involved with the Mini-Con:

Clutch Gaming

Children’s Museum of the Ohio Valley

New Dimension’s Comics

We Are Roleplayers (W.A.R.)

Pat Daugherty (Ohio Valley Batman)

The Outer Rim Praxeum Lightsaber School

Fantasies Unraveled

Kelci Crawford

Local celebrity Rob Garrison

Open discussion on “Women & Minorities in Comics” lead by Jeremy Larance, chairman of the Department of Humanities, associate professor of English; Wally Hastings, associate professor of English; and Dominique Hoche, associate professor of English.

Kids Costume Contest (ages 12 & under)

Schedule of events

11 a.m — Set up for vendors or anyone who needs it.

noon — Doors open

1 p.m. — First WAR exhibition

1:30 p.m. — Ohio Valley Batman

2 p.m. — second W.A.R. exhibition

2:30 p.m. — The Outer Rim Praxeum Lightsaber School

3 p.m. — Open discussion on “Women & Minorities in Comics” lead by Jeremy Larance, chairman of the Department of Humanities, associate professor of English; Wally Hastings, associate professor of English; and Dominique Hoche, associate professor of English.

4 p.m. — Kids Costume Contest Results.