Animation artist Kurt Lehner appearing at former Pulp 716 location in Lockport

Mar. 30—An illustrator and animation artist whose credits include Disney, Marvel and MGM films and television series will be making an appearance today in the Lock City.

Kurt Lehner will be on hand from noon to 4 p.m. at Russkull's Comics and Collectibles, 45 East Ave., to sign pieces of his original artwork from various projects he's worked on to celebrate the store's grand opening.

Originally from Toronto, Ont., Lehner's credits in the film industry from his 30-year career include animation work in films and TV series such as "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas," "Gargoyles" and "All Dogs Go to Heaven 2."

In 2013, he also became an official commissioned artist for Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee.

Store owner Russell Scrufari recalled first connecting with Lehner earlier this month at a comic book convention in Sanborn and soon after, they solidified plans to bring the artist into the newly opened business.

Scrufari, a lifelong Lockport resident and comic collector, saw his business idea as a way to fill a void after the closing of Pulp 716 last October, a store that he often frequented as a customer.

Scrufari said it was the 1967 animated "Fantastic Four" series that ran simultaneously with the comic book series that got him hooked into the hobby and he's been collecting ever since.

"I saw this as my opportunity to open up my own store. It's something I've always wanted to do because... I've been a collector all these years," Scrufari said.