Local bookstore and homegrown celebrity team up for a fun-filled geektastic charity event!
Co-founders Shana Porteen, owner of Black Ice Comics & Books in Houghton, and Patricia Summersett, actor/voice actor from L’anse, are proud to announce the 5th Annual GeekU.P. to be held September 9 at Michigan Tech's Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts in Houghton. Geek.U.P, which will be Noon to 7 p.m., is a mini-con charity event celebrating geek culture offering an artists’ alley, vendors, cosplay contest, celebrity Q&A’s, autograph sessions, and more!
This year’s charity recipient is Unite Mental Health and Wellness, located in Houghton. Unite Mental Health and Wellness is a nonprofit mental health service organization committed to helping individuals in our community connect to non-emergency mental healthcare. Partnering with providers both locally and remotely, they support professionals and services currently available in our community while filling in the gaps where care may be lacking.
GeekU.P. has an exciting celebrity guest line-up this year and they will take part in Q&A sessions and autograph signings for attendees:
Colleen O’Shaughnessey is a voice actor who can be heard in numerous animated series and features, video games, commercials and toys. She is best known for her roles as “Tails” in Cartoon Network’s animated series, Sonic Boom, as well as in the Sonic the Hedgehog Movie, “Wasp” in Avengers-Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, “Jazz” in Nickelodeon’s Danny Phantom, and “Sora” in the anime series, Digimon & Digimon Adventure Tri. Other noted voice roles for fans of anime include “Ino” and “Konohamaru” in Naruto, “ChoCho” in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, “Kelsey/Glitter Sunny” in The Glitter Force, “Anna” in K Return of Kings, and “Nel” in Bleach.
Roger Craig Smith is a prolific voice actor who has voiced some of the most iconic characters in entertainment. Over the course of his illustrious career, one of Roger’s notable credits include the voice of “Sonic the Hedgehog” not only in video games, but also in the Disney film series, Wreck-It Ralph, and in Cartoon Network’s animated series, Sonic Boom. Other notable credits include the voice of “Batman” in the video game Arkham Origins as well as in the DC animated films Batman Ninja and Superman: Red Son, the voice of “Ezio Auditore da Firenze” in the Assassin’s Creed Franchise, and the voice of “Claggor” in Netflix’s award-winning animated series Arcane. Anime fans will know Roger as the voice of “Deidara” from the worldwide hit Naruto, “Shinji Hirako” in Bleach, and “Minoru Okabe” in the blockbuster, Suzume.
Providing voice and full performance capture for several video games, Patricia Summersett is known as the first official voice of “Princess Zelda” in Nintendo Video Games for: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Other top voice credits include Rainbow Six: Siege, Star Wars: Squadrons, and the Assassin's Creed Franchise. She has also appeared in several films and television series. Patricia was raised in L'anse, and graduated from Houghton High School before pursuing her acting career in L.A. and Montreal.
“We’re very excited about what we have in store for GeekU.P. this year”, said Shana Porteen, GeekU.P. co-founder and owner of Black Ice Comics & Books. “We want to welcome folks of all ages to Geek.U.P. to come have a great time. Even if it’s been years since you read a comic, or you’ve never played a video game, we can’t wait to share the fun, have folks meet our fabulous celebrities, and help us raise money for Unite Mental Health and Wellness."
“I'm thrilled to celebrate local arts and culture in the community I grew up in! I certainly hope to inspire and provide insight for budding artists who may be thinking of a related career path”, said Patricia Summersett, GeekU.P. co-founder and guest celebrity. “Shana and I dreamed up this event several years ago and I’m amazed how the festival has evolved so considerably. I’m excited to imagine how it may grow and expand in years to come”!
More information and the developing schedule can be found at our website www.GeekUP906.com.
Tickets at the door can be purchased through cash/credit.
