By: Shane Bagot
The Jersey Shore Comic Book Show opens its arms for this year’s Nerd Fest event. It will take place on September 20, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Swedesboro. Entry is $5 and free for kids under 10.
Nerd Fest is an affordable family event that features artists, vendors, and crafters. The event will provide a variety of items for sale from vendors, including comic books, paperbacks, trading cards, toys, and more. There will also be free giveaways.
There will be appearances from the 501st Star Wars Legion for fans to take photos with, as well as The GIZMO BROS with their Hot Wheels die-cast car races. The event will feature special guests throughout, including Neil Vokes, Bob Petrecca, and Lee S. King.
The Jersey Shore Comic Book Show started Nerd Fest back in February 2019 in Lindenwold. This is now its most popular annual event. Daniel and Mary Campbell put on these comic book-themed shows throughout New Jersey and, at one point, in Pennsylvania.
Daniel owned a comic book store and was a show promoter in the comic con community but was forced to give it up for another career. It was not until he met his wife, Mary, that she inspired him to get back into it. They had attended a couple of shows before getting hooked on the idea.
The Jersey Shore Comic Book Show’s first couple of shows were on a much smaller scale and focused on the basics. It started in their hometown community center. As time went by, recognition grew. The Campbells started to expand into different groups like Star Wars and Ghostbusters. They incorporated special guests on demand and were able to keep it affordable for guests.
Mary and Daniel’s core goal is affordability. They strive to keep it within reason so all attendees can enjoy it.
“That’s always been my thing. I want to make it affordable for families to have kids, and they don’t have to pay more than $30 to walk through the door and pay 50, 60, $70,000 for autographs from big stars,” said Mary Campbell.
One of the special guests attending Nerd Fest this year is writer and educator from South Jersey Carmen Costa. Costa is the founder of the publishing house Harpoon Creative Industries and comic creator of Proctor, a supernatural adventure story. He will be at the event selling and signing his Proctor series.
Costa is excited by the prospect of interacting with like-minded fans. It is a joy for him to work on and connect with folks face to face.
“Nerdfest is one of those smaller, more intimate settings where you really get to make sure everyone who wants a copy of the book can get a copy of the book. Where some events are a little more overwhelming, this is a great event for anyone who wants to get their feet wet without experiencing the anxiety of what can come with something larger,” said Costa.
Costa’s connection and status in the South Jersey community are established, as he is said to know every comic book store owner in the region personally. He also attends roughly 30 events throughout the year. With the success of his comics, which have sold over 8,000 copies, Costa is a mainstay in the community.
The community that Mary points out is vast, from collectors to cosplayers to artists. The collective of comic book fans in South Jersey is only growing with time. She appreciates the closeness of everybody and the family atmosphere. They are not just vendors or cosplayers, but they become family, according to Mary.
It is her favorite part of putting this and many other events together.
“Just being with everybody, the whole atmosphere of it, the whole togetherness, the whole family. We will become, like, one big happy family, and we look forward to just meeting everybody, getting together, and having fun,” said Costa.
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