Comics professionals in Boston continue to report in as safe following explosions during the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street today.

Boston Comic Con design by Tim Sale

Today during the Boston Marathon, two explosions hit the finish line around 673 Boylston Street nearby the Hynes Convention Center, the location of this year's Boston Comic Con, leaving 23 injured and 2 dead at last report.

The explosions sparked concern on social media across the world for friends and loved ones in the Boston area amongst the comics community. Many local comics professionals including writer Marjorie Liu and artists Ming Doyle, Joe Quinones and Maris Wicks have sounded off on Twitter that they are safe, and most all local comic shops were well outside of the affected areas. The closest comic store was Newbury Comics' Newbury Street location two blocks away. CBR has confirmed that the store has closed down for the day and that all employees are safe.

CBR also reached out to the organizers of this weekend's Boston Comic Con for any updates as to the current status of the convention. According to a show representative, there are no current plans to delay or cancel, despite a recent statement from the Boston Police Department via Twitter that the area around the crime scene "will be closed for the foreseeable future."

"Currently we expect the convention to continue as planned," a representative told CBR News. "We will have more information in the days ahead. Thank you for your patience and understanding."

For those currently in Boston, the Boston Police Department has posted a list of what community members and visitors should do, included below.

  • Residents and visitors to the city are encouraged to stay calm.
  • Residents and visitors are asked to avoid the Copley Square area so as to allow law enforcement agencies to continue their investigation.
  • Family members looking for information relative to individuals possibly injured during the incident are encouraged to call (617) 635-4500.
  • Community members wanting to assist this investigation anonymously are encouraged to call the Boston Police Department's Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS (8477) or text the word TIP to CRIME (27463). Individuals who may have been taking pictures or video are asked to share that information.
  • Continue to monitor BPDNews.com or @boston_police on Twitter for ongoing public safety updates.

The thoughts and wishes of CBR go out to all affected by this tragedy. Stay tuned for more as it develops.