Author: The Hippo Press

Return of the Kids Con

A convention for the younger fans of heroes and comics comes to Concord

By Delaney Beaudoin

Emily Drouin’s childhood passion for art and reading led her to a successful career as a children’s comic book artist. As she traveled around the country attending large conventions dedicated to the artistry of illustration and all things comics, she began to notice the lack of events geared toward the younger generation.

“I realized that there wasn’t much for kids to do. So I started teaching workshops at various conventions throughout New England, running kids zones, where I taught kids how to do cartooning and how to create comics.” Drouin said.

in sci-fi character costume, posing with props
Kids Con New England. Photo courtesy of BNH Media.

Drouin’s workshops became so popular that she decided to create her own convention, Kids Con New England, which will be back for its seventh year on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Douglas N. Everett Arena in Concord.

Kids (and adults) in attendance will get the chance to interact with invited artists through a variety of individually hosted workshops.

Other available activities at the convention include a puppet show, a performance by the father-and-son rock band Clemenzi Crusaders, a sensory station, a magic show by Sages Entertainment, Lego building, Jedi and superhero training, and most popularly, a family cosplay costume contest.

The convention will feature artists from all over the country such as Mark Parisi of the Marty Pants book series, Tim Jones of the syndicated comic strip Sour Grapes, Dave London and Pete Chianca of the comic strip Pet Peeves, and Jim Lawson of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, in addition to several indie creators.

“Most of … [the artists] are from New England. It’s great to be promoting the local creators and they’re all mostly self-published,” Drouin said.

comic book artist signing copies of comics at convention table
Photo courtesy of BNH Media.

Drouin recruited many of the featured artists and creators by attending national conventions and also through her membership in the National Cartoonists Society. Both Drouin and Dave London of the comic strip Pet Peeves are members of the New England chapter. London has attended the convention in the past and is scheduled to host a 40-minute character drawing workshop on Saturday.

“We’ve had the ability to meet great families from all over New England,” London said. When asked about the importance of events such as Kids Con NE he responded, “It shows kids that if you have a budding talent or interest in art there are many things you can do with it… You don’t have to hate reading because somebody’s telling you to read a chapter book; you can get lost in the world of literature through graphic novels and comic strips.”

In addition to traditional comic book and strip artists, there will also be video game designers such as Jeff Black of “Little j Games” attending. During the convention, Black will be actively experimenting with the help of attendees.

“We’ll be designing an entire game from start to finish during the event and we’ll be giving it away as a print and play to anyone who wants it … with the idea being that this will create something that people will feel invested in,” Black said.

When asked about what she hopes attendees and the comic community get from their experience at Kids Con New England, Drouin said, “To bring the artists community together, but also to encourage the next generation of creators. … It’s great to have … geekdom brings all the geeks together.”

Kids Con NE

When: Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Douglas N. Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road, Concord

Tickets: $12 online or $15 at the door for general admission (kids 5 and over and adults) $10 admission for seniors and veterans. Kids under 5 get in for free.

More info: See kidsconne.com for a complete schedule of the day’s events and a listing of the artists and costumed characters who are slated to attend. Here, according to the website, are some of the scheduled events.

• Creative workshops and arts & crafts: The creative workshops work on a first-come basis while seats and supplies last; breaking sketchbooks is encouraged. The lineup includes Cartooining with Tim Jones at 10:15 a.m.; a puppetry workshop with Homeslice Puppetry at 11 a.m.; Mr. Rogers Puppet Show with Alex Jordan at 11:55 a.m.; Create a Comic Strip Gag with Dave London at 12:50 p.m.; Draw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Jim Lawson at 1:40 p.m.; Draw ALong with Scott SanGiacomo at 2:30 p.m.; Watercolor Painting with Sue Greco at 3:20 p.m., and Draw Peanizle with cartoonist Don Mathias at 4:20 p.m. Throughout the day there will be coloring fun, mask-making and a Yoda puppet project (as well as an art contest in the morning).

• Activities and performances: Greg Lato’s Create My Own World Concert at 10:10 a.m.; Jedi Training with Calm Passion for age 5+ at 10:40 p.m.; Sages Entertainment Magic Show at 11:30 a.m.; The Clemenzi Crusaders Rock Concert at 12:20 p.m.; Jedi Training with Rising Storm Training Academy for ages 5+ at 1:10 p.m.; superhero training at 1:50 p.m.; a magical sing-along and storytime with fairytale characters at 2:30 p.m.; kids and family costume contest at 3:20 p.m. and the Clemenzi Crusaders rock concert at 4:10 p.m.

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of BNH Media.

Technicolor Dreamcoat

By Haily Morgan

Actorsingers will present the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat this weekend — the Nashua-based community theater organization’s first show since the 2020 shutdown.

The show was originally scheduled to hit the stage in May 2020.

“Originally we tried to do Zoom rehearsals,” said Actorsingers board of directors member Evelyn Decker. “Then they started closing theaters, so we actually could not perform anywhere.”

The theater group stayed afloat with the help of grants and savings, she said. Now, two years later, the show is back on.

“We reauditioned. There were a fair amount of people that were in the original try. We also got some new people, and we started over again,” Decker said.

Joseph director Angelica Forcier Rosenthal said she watched as many versions of the musical as she could to help her find her vision for the production.

“Saw a lot of things I knew I did not want to do. I also try to wait to make hard decisions until I know my cast. The actors add so much variety to what’s going on,” Rosenthal said.

The musical is a sung-through comedy with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and was the first Rice-Lloyd Webber musical to be performed publicly, according to a press release. The musical tells the biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, his 11 brothers and the coat of many colors, the release said.

Actor Garrett Meyer plays Simon, one of Joseph’s brothers.

“As a collective whole the brothers are very antagonistic and they are the ones that set the play in motion,” Meyer said. He says all of the brothers feed off each other’s energy as well. “From a stage point of view, it is very fun to watch.”

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
When: Friday, May 20, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 21, at 2 & 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 22, at 2 p.m.
Where: Keefe Center for the Arts, 117 Elm St. in Nashua
Tickets: $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students (plus a $2.50 fee), available at actorsingers.org

Featured photo: Pictured Andrew Gibson (standing,) and Jesse Drake. Courtesy photo.

Tomorrow’s auteurs

See the work of teen moviemakers at the NH High School Short Film Festival

By Hannah Turtle

[email protected]

In its 14th year, the New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival has received more submissions than ever before, totalling more than six hours of film from across the state. The films submitted were created and produced entirely by high school students.

The festival, free to attend this year at Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Manchester, will show two hours of this year’s best student films, selected by a panel of 14 judges including teachers and industry experts.

Afterward, awards will be distributed to the top five films and the top two films will be shown at another festival this summer.

After two years of running the festival online, excitement for the in-person festival is particularly high. Mike Place, a veteran of the festival, spoke about what drove the high volume of submissions this year.

“Now that everyone’s back together, there was a big drive to work with other people, with classmates, to just make cool films,” Place said.

With the high volume of submissions this year, the competition was fierce, and narrowing it down was harder than ever.

“All 23 films that made it to the festival are definitely worth watching, they’re entertaining, they tell a story, some of them are just amazing. I even received a couple of phone calls from the judges asking if a few were done by professionals,” Place said. “Some of the films deal with common themes for teenagers — bullying, mental health — and some are just weird, David Lynch-style.”

Michael Shaughnessy, a film teacher at Merrimack High School, has 10 students involved in the festival this year, and is looking forward to having them share their work with the community.

“I want them to recognize that they are part of a larger community of people that create,” Shaughnessy said. “When they go to an event like this, they get to see all the different styles and ability levels. They can see where they have gifts and where they excel, as well as where they need work.”

Gabriella Faro and Tyler Kuslaka, seniors from Salem and Windham respectively, worked together on a film called Second Chances.

“The film is about a girl who gets murdered and gets a second chance in order to find out who did it,” Faro said.

“Our film, on a deeper level, is really about karma. We focused on making it have a deeper meaning than just a ‘high school short film,’” Kuslaka said. “I really hope the audience sees that. I was really inspired by Quentin Tarantino, by those endings that nobody ever sees coming.”

The students particularly enjoyed the filmmaking process, all remarking that the challenges of production helped them to grow as students and filmmakers. The students seemed keen on making the best films possible, hoping to distinguish their work from what one might expect from high school students.

“We put our whole heart and soul into the film,” Faro said.

As for their futures, both Faro and Kuslaka plan to study film in college. Faro will attend Curry College in the fall to study film and communications, and Kuslaka will attend Mount Saint Mary’s University to study film production as well as acting.

This was a common theme among students with work in the festival. Karen Robinson, a media production teacher at Londonderry High School with students in the festival, has four seniors this year, all with plans to pursue some aspect of filmmaking in the fall.

Robinson’s students, all part of a film club at LHS, submitted a film called Pressing Engagement, a comedy about two people who encounter increasingly strange circumstances on their way to a date.

Ahna Gainey and Joshua Truesdale, two LHS seniors, emphasized how much they enjoyed collaborating on the project.

“Our crew worked so well together. I’m just so appreciative of everyone on that team. There’s no way this could have been possible without everyone working together,” Gainey said.

Both Gainey and Truesdale are looking forward to the festival — though for different reasons.

“Last year, it was all on YouTube, which was disappointing. I’m excited to be in an environment with other student filmmakers, and to see everyone’s faces,” said Truesdale.

“Frankly, I’m just excited to see who won,” said Gainey.

New Hampshire High School Short Film Festival
When: Sunday, May 22, at 12:30 p.m. (doors open at 11:30 a.m.)
Where: Chunky’s Cinema Pub, 707 Huse Road, Manchester
Tickets: Tickets are free
More info: nhmediateachers.org

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

This Week 22/05/19

Big Events May 19, 2022 and beyond

Friday, May 20

Beaver Brook Nature Center (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org) will hold a Lilac Walk today from 1 to 3 p.m. (for adults). Walk around Beaver Brook’s Shoen Meadow to learn about the area’s lilacs, according to the website, where you can register for $20 per person.

Saturday, May 21

Inventor Ralph Baer, father of the video game console, has a statue in his honor in Arms Park in Manchester (he was born in Germany and he moved to the Queen City in 1955; he died in 2014). A celebration of the centennial of his birth will be held today in Arms Park starting at noon (with a food truck social hour). At 1 p.m., speakers and presentations will discuss Baer and his legacy in video games and local innovation and there will be an unveiling of a new plaque for his sculpture, according to see-sciencecenter.org/baer-100-celebration, which also lists the schedule of events at SEE Science Center in downtown Manchester (where entry will be free starting at 2 p.m.) celebrating Baer.

Saturday, May 21

Another plant sale Saturday: The Bedford Garden Club will hold its May Plant Sale today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bedford Village Common (15 Bell Hill Road in Bedford). The sale will feature perennials, annual, herbs and ground cover as well as the presence of master gardeners who can answer questions, according to bedfordgardenclubnh.org.

The Goffstown Community Garden Club will start its Plant Sale on the Common today at 8 a.m. Find more about the club on their Facebook page.

Saturday, May 21

The Manchester Choral Society and Orchestra will put the cap on their 61st season with a performance tonight at 7 p.m. at Ste. Marie’s Parish (378 Notre Dame Ave. in Manchester). The presentation will include a performance of “Lobgeang” (Song of Praise) by Felix Mendelssohn and will feature the Queen City Youth Choir, a choir featuring kids in grades 3 through 6, according to a press release. Tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and admission is free to all students from kindergarten through undergraduate, the release said. Call 472-6627 or go to mcsnh.org to purchase tickets in advance; they may also be purchased at the door.

Saturday, May 21

The New Hampshire Renaissance Faire begins its second weekend today. The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow (Sunday, May 22) at 80 Martin Road in Fremont. In last week’s (May 12) issue of the Hippo, Meghan Siegler talked to some of the performers and organizers about getting ready for the Faire and what attendees can expect. Find the e-edition of the issue at hippopress.com; the story is on page 10. Or go to nhrenfaire.com.

Sunday, May 22

The James Montgomery Band will perform at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) today at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $29. Find more concerts this weekend and beyond in our concert listings on page 42.

Save the Date! Thursday, May 26
Next Thursday is the first home game of the season for the Nashua Silver Knights, described on their website as a “wood-bat baseball team competing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England.” The Silver Knights will play the Pittsfield Suns on Thursday, May 26, at 6 p.m. See nashuasilverknights.com for tickets and the season schedule and the promotion schedule (Thursday’s game will feature a magnet giveaway).

Featured photo from Brian Caton of the Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword. New Hampshire Renaissance Faire. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 22/05/19

Red and blue go head to head

The New Hampshire Legislative Softball Classic that pits Republican lawmakers against Democratic lawmakers is back after a two-year pandemic hiatus. According to a press release, this is the fourth charity game in the series, which was established in 2017 after the shooting of congressmen who were practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game in Washington, D.C. The Granite State version of the game will take place Sunday, May 22, at 2 p.m. at the Anheuser Busch Softball Field in Merrimack. The three previous games raised approximately $30,000 to assist the homeless, the release said. This year, the nonprofits that will benefit include Liberty House in Manchester, which helps homeless and transitioning veterans; Haven, which supports victims of domestic violence; and the Nashua Center, for children and adults with disabilities. Contact Rep. Peter Somssich at [email protected] or Rep. Tim Lang at [email protected] for more information about the Classic or on how to donate to the charities.

Score: +1

Comment: The Republicans have won all of the state’s Legislative Softball Classics thus far, the release said.

Increase in overdoses linked to fentanyl

Last week, state officials issued warnings about the recent increase in fatal overdoses in Manchester and Nashua that appear to be primarily due to easy access to cheap, potent fentanyl and fentanyl being mixed with other substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana. According to a press release, fentanyl is about 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, and drugs may have deadly levels of fentanyl that can go undetected because it can’t be seen, tasted or smelled. “Fentanyl is by far the most common drug implicated in overdose deaths in New Hampshire,” Dr. Jennie Duval, Chief Medical Examiner for the state, said in the release. “It is a highly potent opioid drug that may be fatal in very small amounts, alone or in combination with other drugs, medications or alcohol. Our investigations often suggest that the decedent may not have even known they were using fentanyl.”

Score: -2

Comment: The state is also reminding residents that The Doorways is available to help access any level of treatment by calling 211, the release said.

Manchester-Nashua area rent up 13.4 percent

A new report from Stessa, a digital platform that allows property investors to manage the performance of real estate assets, shows that median rent in the Manchester-Nashua metro area is now $1,571, compared to $1,385 in 2019 — an increase of 13.4 percent. According to the report, which calculated the percentage change in median rent from 2019 to 2022 in metro locations throughout the country, Manchester-Nashua had the 33rd highest increase in median rent out of 96 midsize metro areas.

Score: -1

Comment: It could be worse; the median rent in San Jose, Calif., is $3,161, the report said, and closer to home, the median rent in Boston-Cambridge-Newton is $2,308.

New businesses struggle in the Granite State

New Hampshire ranks 6th in the country for the highest percentage of businesses failing in their first year. According to a LendingTree analysis, 22.9 percent of new businesses fail in the Granite State before they make it to their one-year anniversary. On average, 18.4 percent of private-sector businesses in the U.S. fail within the first year; after five years, 49.7 percent have failed, and after 10 years, 65.5 percent have failed, the report said.

Score: -1

Comment: New Hampshire’s business failure rate after five years is 53.5 percent, while its failure rate at 10 years is 67.9 percent, the report said.

QOL score: 80

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 77

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].

News & Notes 22/05/19

Covid-19 update As of May 9As of May 13
Total cases statewide 314,533 316,691
Total current infections statewide 3,902 4,527
Total deaths statewide 2,488 2,500
New cases 3,389 (May 3 to May 9) 2,158 (May 9 to May 13)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 1,148 1,243
Current infections: Merrimack County 364 417
Current infections: Rockingham County 817 1,058
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

State health officials announced 585 new positive cases of Covid-19 on May 13. The state averaged 524 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, an 8 percent increase compared to the week before. As of May 13 there were 31 people being treated for Covid in state hospitals.

Child care

The Department of Health and Human Services will use an additional $29 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to support child care providers, families and businesses impacted by the pandemic, making the total amount of funding that has been invested in the state’s child care sector more than $142 million since the beginning of the pandemic. According to a press release, plans for improving child care in the state include strengthening the child care workforce; partnerships with businesses and employers; a child care capacity building; and equitable access to affordable, quality child care. “Access to quality child care has been a critical touchpoint during the Covid-19 pandemic,” DHHS Associate Commissioner Christine Santaniello said in the release. “Since March of 2020, we have worked … to keep child care centers open so that parents can continue to work and maintain their families’ financial stability. Making continued investments will help us build a better child care system, allowing more families to afford quality care, and ensuring equitable access to child care for all New Hampshire families.”

Primary deadlines

The deadline to change your party affiliation before the New Hampshire state primary election is May 31, according to a press release from New Hampshire Secretary of State David M. Scanlan. Voters who want to change their party affiliation can do so by contacting their local town or city clerk, or at any scheduled meeting of their local supervisors of the checklist. Voters can check their status on the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Lookup page at app.sos.nh.gov if they’re unsure of their party affiliation. Voters who have not declared a party affiliation may vote in the state primary, which will take place Sept. 13, but they must choose either a Republican or Democratic ballot on the day of the election and will remain a registered member of that party unless they submit a signed request to the supervisors of the checklist to return to an undeclared status before leaving the polling place, the release said.

Scanlan also issued a reminder that the filing period for candidacy for the state primary election and general election is June 1 to June 10. Those who want to file for office but aren’t registered voters in their town must register no later than May 31, and registered voters who want to file for nomination must be registered as a member of that party, the release said. For more information on the filing period, candidacy fees and qualifications for office, visit sos.nh.gov.

Apprentices & LNAs

ApprenticeshipNH, the Community College System of New Hampshire, Catholic Medical Center and Elliot Health System have collaborated to launch a registered apprenticeship program designed to cultivate talent in nursing, tech and support roles at The Elliot and CMC. According to a press release, the “earn while you learn” approach will give participants a chance to engage in classroom learning and on-the-job training while being in a paid position. “I can’t recall a point in my career when it has been this challenging to fill these positions,” Karen Schoch, Director of Organizational Development at Catholic Medical Center, said in the release. “A program like this not only helps us place people in critically important positions, it also removes barriers for people who want to pursue a health care career.” A Healthcare Career Fair at Manchester Community College will be held Thursday, May 19, from 1 to 6 p.m., and anyone interested in entering the health care workforce through a paid registered apprenticeship program is encouraged to attend.

Meanwhile, the New Hampshire Needs Caregivers! initiative has launched Healthcare Heroes in the Making, which will recruit, train and place high school students across the state as licensed nursing assistants to fill critical in-demand positions. According to a press release, the program pays for training and licensing costs and requires 110 hours of time and is open to high schools across the state; so far, 16 schools and 72 students have been approved to participate.

Earlier this month, John Askew of Derry won the 2022 9-Ball Shootout Pool Championship — and a cash and prize package worth $10,000 — in Las Vegas. According to a press release, Askew was one of nearly 6,000 pool players in the country who attempted to qualify for the American Poolplayers Association’s 9-Ball Shootout and one of 518 who advanced to the national finals. Askew is a member of the local APA League, the release said.

The Goodwill store on John E. Devine Drive in Manchester celebrated its grand re-opening on May 14. According to a press release, the store has been renovated to include smoother checkout lanes, a Handpicked Boutique where shoppers can find quality merchandise and more items for sale. The nonprofit’s revenues go toward its mission to support those in need.

The new school superintendent who was selected by the Nashua Board of Education is not able to be certified in New Hampshire as was expected, and he will not be able to serve the district, according to a press release. Stephen Linkous is certified as a school superintendent in Kansas, and it was assumed that there is reciprocity between Kansas and New Hampshire, the release said, but there is not, and Linkous can’t be certified in New Hampshire. Linkous had already started transitioning to the role, and the Board of Education voiced its appreciation for his efforts.

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