No need to travel across the country to speak to the best comic book creators and get the latest scoop in the world of geeks - Baltimore Comic Con is right in York County's backyard.

On Saturday and Sunday, writers, artists, people who want to work in comics, and fans will converge on the Baltimore Convention Center to celebrate their mutual love for this medium and discuss ways to launch it into the digital push.

Who else to tie the past and future together other than Stan Lee, public face and figurehead of Marvel Comics who will make a guest appearance this weekend at the convention.

Lee is best known for pushing the limits on comic book stories and in collaboration with several artists, co-creating "Spider-Man," "Hulk," "The X-Men," "The Fantastic Four," "Iron Man" and "Thor."

Lee will sign autographs and take pictures for a fee on Saturday and Sunday, and a special spotlight will be

4:30 p.m. Saturday for Lee to discuss his career in comic books.

Special tickets can be purchased to guarantee an autograph or photo, and VIP Gold ticket holders will be able to attend a special Friday night panel and a meet-and-greet in Baltimore.

Another centerpiece of Baltimore Comic Con is the 2012 Harvey Awards banquet and ceremony, which will take place Saturday evening.

The Harvey Awards are industry-nominated and selected, and considered to be the industry's oldest and most respected awards, according to a news release. The Harveys recognize achievements in more than 20 categories, and the presentation will be hosted by actor and comedian Phil LaMarr, best known for his work on "MADtv."

This is the seventh year the Harveys, named after MAD magazine's founding editor Harvey Kurtzman, have been hosted in Baltimore.

In addition to Lee and the Harvey Awards, the recently released panel schedule includes talks about how to use Kickstarter to get a comic published and future approaches to teaching comics in schools; and spotlights on legends and the bosses of the major comic book companies and the concepts of creator-owned digital-only comics.

Kids can get in on the fun, too, with their own special pavilion filled with activities for budding artists. Children can color and draw all day in a special area and on Saturday enter into a comic contest.

Kid-friendly panels include creating a cape or mask, lessons by "Archie" writer Dan Parent, and learning how to draw favorite comic book characters,or inspirations of their own.

What comic book convention would be complete without a costume contest? At

1 p.m. Saturday, colorfully clad contestants will enter to win prizes for the best overall and 10 other categories.

Filling the additional space in the convention halls will be artists, exhibitors and retailers from all over the world.

For more details and to see a full list of events, talks and guests, visit baltimore

comiccon.com.

- BETHANY FEHLINGER,

If you go

WHAT: 13th annual Baltimore Comic Con

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W. Pratt St., Baltimore, Md.

COST: A two-day admission ticket costs $40; Saturday is $25 and Sunday is $20 if purchased separately.

DETAILS: Read more at

baltimorecomiccon.com

TWITTER: Follow #YorkatComicCon for coverage at the event, and use the hashtag to send your own insights.