The Memphis Comic Expo is racing faster than a speeding bullet to a new venue this year, but there is more to the move than just changing locations.

Show creator Donnie Juengling is taking his creator-focused show, now in its 11th year, to the Memphis Sports & Event Center at 995 Early Maxwell Blvd. next weekend, Sept. 13-14.

There are plenty of logistical considerations when putting together such an event. The amount of money an organizer like Juengling can shell out can be substantial, including flights and hotel fees for top guests in addition to appearance fees for some, venue fees, etc. There are transportation considerations to get key people to the event then making sure the venue provides the proper atmosphere.

Finding the magic in gathering to trade cards

“The focus is a pure love of comics,” he said, “It’s such a pain and a labor of love, but I can’t believe I’ve been doing it this long.”

Until last year, the show had been held every year at Agricenter International in Cordova.

“The best thing about that venue is the location,” Juengling said. “It’s certainly a very dated facility.”

Last year, he moved the event Downtown to the Renasant Convention Center.

“It didn’t go as well as we would’ve liked,” Juengling said.

Adding to the frustration, the event had problems with the adjoining hotel and was forced to accommodate guests at a different hotel a few blocks away.

This year, he hopes for new energy inside a modern venue that opened less than three years ago.

“Sometimes something as simple as the venue is a reflection of your event,” Junegling said.

The uncertainties can contribute to anxiety leading up to the show, hoping expenses are covered by ticket sales and a natural disaster doesn’t hit and cancel the show, potentially leaving the organizer on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars.

“It’s a stressful, yearlong process,” Juengling said about booking guests, speaking with hundreds of people along the way and pulling everything together for a successful event.

He said a constant battle and one of the biggest challenges of trying to put on an event in Memphis is dealing with the narrative regarding safety in the city.

“We’ve had some guests back out because they were reading the sound bites in the news,” Juengling said.

Ron Crum, owner and operator of Comics Collectibles at 4730 Poplar Ave., was part of a group that put on the Memphis Fantasy Con from 1982 until 1994.

“It was horrible. It was a tremendous amount of time-consuming and difficult work and very expensive,” Crum said. “People who come to the shows probably don’t realize how much goes into it.”

He said they would have laughed if anyone asked for an appearance fee back in the ’80s.

Jigsaw: Cosplaying the part

This year’s Memphis Comic Expo is bringing back one of the top names in the industry: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cocreator Kevin Eastman returns for the second time in three years to headline the event.

The lineup also includes voice actors from popular animated series and video games, including four stars from “Marvel Rivals.”

The show will also showcase what Juengling thinks is the best comics-creator lineup of any show in the region, including James Robinson, Greg Land, Kyle Starks more.

Comic artist and downtowner Marpheus Wade has had a booth at the event most years since it began. His “Shinobi Ninja Princess” comic was picked up by Scholastic a few years ago and distributed in schools. Now he’s working on “Jetta: Tales Of The Toshigawa.”

“The expo is one of the most prolific shows as far as bringing in comic book talent,” said Wade, who plans to show off some of his new Transformers art this year.

Fans and artists mingle at Memphis Comic Expo

A fan favorite every year at the expo, the costume contest will return with many guests cosplaying as their favorite characters from comics and movies.

This year will also be the show’s biggest push into the card-gaming community, which is wildly popular thanks to Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars Unlimited, Disney’s Lorcana and a variety of other titles.

Bartlett resident Eric Crimmins has been a vendor at the expo every year since it began. He has sold horror-related merchandise for nearly 30 years, specializing in toys, autographs and memorabilia used in the movies.

“What I like is there’s just so much variety to choose from,” he said about the event. “I’m excited about the new venue and think it’s probably in the best area now to do the show.”