Thursday, July 17, 2025
East Rockaway’s benefit-relief comic convention, HurriCon, returns June 14, bringing comic books, cosplay, collectibles—and the community—to Bethany Congregational Church. Now in its seventh year, the one-day convention supports local outreach and recovery efforts through comics and pop culture, all in the spirit of inclusion and service.
The event, which originated in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, was created by church trustee and event organizer David Donovan, who turned disaster recovery into an unlikely comic-book celebration.
“When you walk through that door, it doesn’t matter if you’re Muslim, Christian, Jewish, atheist, or whatever,” Donovan said. “We are an open and affirming community. You are welcome here.”
This year’s convention welcomes Marvel Comics writer Joe Kelly, currently penning Amazing Spider-Man. A limited number of free copies of the new Amazing Spider-Man #1 will be given away to lucky attendees. In addition to comic books, the event features artists, writers, toys, food, cosplay, raffles, and what organizers promise is “the best raffle table of any convention in Long Island.”
Past guests have included Star Trek novelist Michael Jan Friedman and artists like Keith Williams, Sean Jackson, and East Rockaway’s own Kimball Thorpe. HurriCon typically draws around 150 attendees each year.
Friedman, 69, who manned a booth at the HurriCon event in November, became involved years before when he met Donovan at a different fundraiser. Donovan called Friedman and invited him to the event.
“I told him to lose my number,” Friedman said, jokingly. “But, he persisted.”
Donovan, who grew up attending comic conventions in the 1970s, said those early experiences of inclusion shaped the philosophy behind HurriCon.
“It’s about coming here. It’s about being safe,” Donovan said. “It’s about enjoying yourself.”
All proceeds from the event—including admission, table rentals, food, and raffle sales—go back to Bethany Congregational Church, a historic institution founded in 1885. The church runs a local thrift store and food pantry, hosts AA meetings, and supports mission groups like Next Step Ministries, which provides free home repairs in the community.
Donovan said that after Hurricane Sandy devastated the area, the church became a relief center—and HurriCon was born when they needed funds to repair the worn gym floor. In 2018, the first HurriCon raised $3,000, half of what was needed.
“The desperate need for funds allowed the church to cultivate creativity in a way it never did before,” Donovan said.
