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| Mego Central and related contents are copyrights of Robert Acqarulo, 2004 Images and information on MegoCentral.com may not be used or duplicated without express permission of the site. Web design by Matt MacNabb |
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| MEGOCON 2004! The idea for MegoCon 2004 was born more than 16 months ago, a shared ambition of Robert Acquarulo and Chris Johnson, two collectors who were very enthusiastic about their hobby but who knew very little about promoting such an event. "Organizing the event was an incredible amount of work, but very rewarding" said Acquarulo. "Relationships were established within the Mego collecting community which will last a lifetime." |
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| ~ D I S P L A Y R O O M G A L L E R Y ~ |
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| SATURDAY - The Big Show The doors to MegoCon 2004 opened at 8:00 AM on Saturday, June 12th in the Gold Ballroom; that was 5,000 square feet of dealer booths and other Mego related goodies. Such things included MegoCon 2004 T-shirts, hats, lapel pins, acrylic cases and just about every boxed, carded and loose Mego figure, play set and vehicle that was ever made available, all of it there to see and buy. Preeminent Mego dealers wre on hand, including "Doctor Mego," David Lee of NotDolls.com, Mark Huckabone, James "Captain Dunsel" Brady, renowned fantasy artist Ken Kelly, and many more were in attendance and had many Mego products for sale. Throughout the day attendees had the option of catching a lecture or a seminar, visiting the display room, or admiring all of the custom figures that were on display in the customs room. A customs contest was also held, to elicit the most realistic, most unusual and the most Mego-like custom figure, which was a huge hit with all who attended. "Having the opportunity to meet some of the most talented customizers within the toy industry was something I'll never forget," said Acquarulo. |
| MegoCon 2004 Invisible Man Exclusive The MegoCon 2004 Invisible Man boxed figure was offered to 3-day and 1-day ticket holders. This exclusive was limited to just 75 pieces and included some of the most talented customizers within the Mego fan base. Michael Rogers (www.reboxyourmego.com) made the box for this exclusive; artist Al Bigley illustrated the Invisible Man. The head sculpt was rendered by Jim Hampton and the body by Dr. Mego (www.megodoctor.com). Chris Johnson and Robert Acquarulo selected the character and the talent that would create this figure. "It was really a community effort," said Acquarulo. "Everyone came together to create something very, very special." |
| FRIDAY NIGHT - The Reception MegoCon 2004 kicked off with a Friday night reception in the Skytop Ballroom on June 11th at 6:00 PM. Guests enjoyed fresh fruit and cold cut platters as the got acquainted. A swap meet was also arranged for their enjoyment. |
| Banquet Dinner Hundreds of people enjoyed the dealer room, customs and display room, and lectures, but the highlight of the show was the Saturday night banquet dinner, where the MegoCon 2004 guest of honor, Neal Kublan, spoke freely and answered questions for over two hours in an intimate setting. At one point, Mr. Kublan was visibly choked up as he realized the work that he did all those years ago remains so appreciated by those who grew up playing with them, some three decades later. Mr. Kublan put to rest many rumors and myths that have been floating around the collector community for years. It was a special event that won't be forgotten soon. |
The Guest List The guest list read like a Who's Who of the toy industry. Those ranks included Doc Mego (Paul Clark), Neal Kublan (V&P), Brian Heiler (Mego Museum), David Lee (NotDolls.com), and Marty Abrams (past Mego Corp. President) and his son Ken Abrams. Legendary artists Ken Kelly and Neal Adams were also in attendance, as both have a connection to the Mego Corporation through their fine work. Marty Abrams was promoted to president of the Mego Corporation at 28 years of age. Marty's vision to secure exclusive |
Sunday Morning Sendoff On Sunday morning, the 13th, a continental breakfast was held for guests. That enabled them to meet for a last time and to say their good byes til the next time. Although many that attended the show had talked to each other for many years via e-mail, this was their first opportunity to actually meet face-to-face. The MegoCon 2004 event started out as a dream for longtime collector Robert Acquarulo. Finally being able to put a face with a name was truly something special. The Mego community really pulled together to make this event a success and for that, Acquarulo wil be "forever grateful." He offered up a special thanks to John and Diana Bonavita, for their friendship and help throughout the years. "John is truly a special man," said Acquarulo. Acquarulo ended by saying "Thanks to all that attended and participated in MegoCon 2004. LONG LIVE MEGO!" |
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rights for popular movie and TV characters made Mego one of the largest toy companies in the world. MegoCon 2004 celebrated both the man and the toys his company created. "Having the opportunity to meet and get to know Marty Abrams was for me the highlight of the event," said Acquarulo. "Having grown up playing with Mego toys while collecting them as an adult made this experience something that I will cherish forever." Acquarulo went on to thank Ken Abrams for "securing his father's attendance for the show." |
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| The pair's first task was to choose a location, one that would accomodate a large gathering, and that would also be a central location. New York's Hotel Pennsylvania, located directly across from Madison Square Garden, proved the perfect choice for such an event. With the location confirmed, plans for MegoCon 2004, held June 11 - 13, were under way. Organizers Robert Acquarulo and Chris Johnson faced the multi-faceted challenge of putting the first ever MegoCon together. This awesome goal required them to put together a guest list, advertise, produce a figure exclusive, solicit participants for customizing contests, build banners, print flyers and programs, solicit sponsors, organize a banquet dinner, and |
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| about a thousand other details that come together to create a convention of MegoCon magnitude. Features of MegoCon included customizing contests, a dealer room, display room, educational seminars, PowerPoint presentations and line reviews. Topics included everything from the Mego World's Greatest Super Heroes (WGSH), to Micronauts, Lion Rocks, painting and sculpting techniques, and "How to Display and Protect Your Collection." |
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