Royal Oak Band Among the Roster at Comic Con

Royal Oak's I Love Lightning Bugs will be releasing a new album titled Kensington along with a video and the band's first comic book, which chronicles crazy tales from the road, at Motorcity Comic Con 2012.

Band members Angie Kaiser, Reid McLellan and Rob Shelby will be among the more than 250 comic book creators, writers and artists from across the country on site at the comic convention, as well as more than 40 actors from the TV and sci-fi movie industry.

"Comic Con is my favorite event of the year," said Shelby, who plays bass for the band. "No one is ever judged. You can just be yourself."

A self-described geek, Shelby said you don't have to wear tight pants and big glasses to be cool at Comic Con. Guests of the convention are more likely to be dressed up as Darth Vader or one of the Ghostbisters, he said.

I Love Lightning Bugs formed just two years ago and marked its territory on the Detroit music scene quickly by working local stages of Ferndale, Berkley and Detroit proper. The band records in a Royal Oak studio.

about their melodramatic, bass guitar driven style, and their "grandiose moves of U2, Psychedelic Furs, the National and New Order." Allen says, "It's uplifting music for a depressing time.” 

Shelby, who is in his mid 30s, says the band came up with the idea to create a comic book version of themselves because, as he puts it, "We're not hipsters and cool anymore so we created a fake world for the band."

Mindy McPeak illustrates the band's fictional paranormal and sci-fi adventures. It has become so popular that the only time you can see what the band actually looks like is if you come to a show.

"People don't want to look at the real us anymore. They prefer the comic book version," Shelby said, so the band releases a comic book with every new musical release to create an encompassing universe around its music and personalities.

"It also creates instant conversation with our fans. We aren't cool. We are the death of cool," Shelby said. "We read comic books. We are paranormal enthusiasts. We figured we'd just go with it."

You can find out more about I Love Lightening Bugs and listen to music from the band by visiting ilovelightningbugs.com. Or, meet the band and McPeak in person at Motor City Comic Con, May 18-20 at  in Novi.

You can catch the band live at the on June 9 from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

If you go

• What: Motor City Comic Con
• When: Friday May 18-Sunday May 20
• Where: Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave, Novi
• Adults One Day: $25
• Aduts Weekend: $55 
• Kids ages 6-10 One Day: $10
• Kids ages 6-10 Weekend: $20 -under 5 Free
• Hours: Friday 12:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.