‘We have fun with it and I think that’s the point’ Matanuska Pens etches a memorable first year at Arctic Comic Con

ANCHORAGE — Matanuska Pens participated in the 2024 Arctic Comic Con event at the Dena'ina Center Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28.

Arctic Comic Con featured a wide variety of vendors from across Alaska and the Lower 48. Matanuska Pens was one of several booths from the Mat-Su Valley. Matanuska Pens co-owner Jamie Nelson said this was their first time participating in Arctic Comic Con and she appreciated the chance to be a part of such a large event.

“It's been a great opportunity for us for sure to get our name out there," Jamie said.

Jamie’s husband David said that he’s excited to bring their booth back to Arctic Comic Con.

“We already signed up for next year,” David said with a laugh.

Matanuska Pens sells handcrafted pens made from various materials. They also offer exotic and collectible pens such as those imbued with memorabilia from pop culture movies and television shows. They even had a pen that contained a piece of wood from the house from “The Goonies.”

Jamie said that Arctic Comic Con’s demographic made for an ideal venue to sell pens that were themed around franchises such as “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars.” She noted that their rolling dice pens and earrings were some of the more popular selling items at the event. She said that she loved seeing parents come up to their booth and share their excitement over seeing these collectible items.

“It's been a great show," Jamie said.

Jamie said their small business grew out of her pen-collecting hobby. She jokingly described herself as a “pen snob” who managed to turn her passion into a thriving labor of love thanks to the support of her husband. Jamie crafts the pens with a special device called a lathe and David finishes them with his various woodworking skills. Jamie added that he's definitely the heart of this operation.

"I definitely couldn't do this without him," Jamie said.

Jamie works with David to create one-of-kind pens throughout the year. She said it’s a great “boredom buster,” especially during the long winter months. She said that their small business is something they just do on the side while working their “day jobs" but their customer base has continued to grow and they’ve even evolved beyond pens to offer other items along the way.

“It’s turned into something we really enjoy doing,” Jamie said. “We have fun with it and I think that's the point.”

Matanuska Pens is based out of Palmer and predominantly sells their wares at public events and markets throughout the year. All the pens they sell are refillable and come with a note describing what type of ink to get. They have a website with an online store that features a catalog of pens, ink, and other items. They also offer custom orders catered to whatever the customer is looking for.

Jamie said they’ve had a lot of positive feedback from their customers which has encouraged them to keep doing what they love. She noted that they try to repay the kindness they’ve received by donating to various sources including their recent donation of pens to the tabletop tournament that occurred during the 2024 Arctic Comic Con.

“Just to be able to give back, it’s so cool," Jamie said.

For more information about Matanuska Pens, visit matanuskapens.com. To see where they will appear next, follow them on social media.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com