By Alix Norman
The first was a huge success. So the second, without doubt, will be legendary. Especially when you discover this year’s line-up includes a vastly expanded number of events, gaming rooms, shops, artists and (Very!) Special Guests…
Cyprus Comic Con 2015 will be a celebration of everything related to the ninth art – the island’s very own non-profit ‘geek-fest’ is a real treat for anyone with a love of sci-fi and fantasy, anime and manga, video games, TV shows and movies. Which, basically, is all of us. In fact, says Tony Michaels – Comic Con’s PR and Communication manager – there’s going to be something for everyone, be they gamers, coders, hackers, cosplayers, illustrators, movie-buffs or even, merely, a fan of geek culture…
“Last year,” says Tony, “that first Comic Con was far, far more successful than we had anticipated. The amount of people who came and how much they actually enjoyed it, and the response after the event – which was amazing! Do you know,” he adds, with excitement, “the winner of last year’s Cosplay competition got so many requests to attend events and festivals that he actually started a company making more of his costumes and featured in a reality show?!”
Of course, the Cosplay competition will be the mainstay of the entire conference, with fantastically-garbed contestants becoming their character for the day. Last year saw Darth Maul, Maleficent and several Daeneryses parade alongside Faith from Mirror’s Edge; Gaara from Naruto; Link from The Legend of Zelda and the State Alchemist from Fullmetal Alchemist.
“Both the contestants and the viewers love the Cosplay contest,” says Tony. “It’s just beautiful to see how much work has gone into the costumes and the development of character – some of the participants have been working on their costumes for the entire year!” And though the Cosplayers are definitely a highlight, there’s far, far more to excite the crowds…
“Last year we expected about 1,000 people to attend,” says Tony. “But we had over 4,000 throughout the day!” This year, in anticipation of even greater numbers – “at least 7,000,” says Tony – Comic Con has moved to the larger premises of the Philoxenia Conference Centre to accommodate not only the hordes of enthusiastic attendees, but also the talented artists and gamers who take part.
Along with the 30-odd well-known local artists who will be exhibiting and selling their work, the conference will also offer gamers – be they of the video or table top variety – the chance to shine. Several competitions and showcases are being organised (Isengard Fantasy Shop again leading the ranks, with activities such as Magic the Gathering, Warhammer, Dungeons and Dragons), with some rather thrilling prizes up for grabs, and – should you lean more towards games of the screen variety areas boasting both modern and retro video games are on hand.
Meanwhile, the Bazaar area will be offering fan-made crafts and creations, pre-owned toys and video games, collectibles, comics, and action figures; an entire Fringe Festival will take place in the courtyard; Mix Fm will be hosting a live link and an all-day DJ; and the winning entries of the Cyprus Comic Con Film Festival – which received over 50 entries from all over the world – will be announced and shown.
And last – but certainly not least – are the Special guests: Neil Gibson, author of Amazon Kindle’s best-selling graphic novel Twisted Dark and CEO of Tilt Comic Publications will be returning for the second year to enliven the proceedings and meet his legions of fans; while Lucas Films illustrator Erik Maell, Michalis Dialinas (of Marvel, Dark Horse, Kaboometc) and Ilias Kyriazis (Image Comics Artist – Secret Identities) will all be appearing in their professional capacities. And, to top off the illustrious list, there will also be a special appearance from Miltos Yerolemou, the actor best known for his seminal appearance as Syrio Forel in Game of Thrones and his upcoming role in this year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens…
Fortunately there’s a Food Court to sustain the body while the mind runs wild. Which it will. “If you came to Comic Con 2014, you got a taste of what to expect,” Tony concludes. “But this year, it’s going to be bigger, better and brighter than ever.” And, on a personal note (as someone who attended last year) here’s my advice: get there early. Because you won’t, and I mean this, you really won’t want to leave Cyprus Comic Con 2015.
Cyprus Comic Con 2015
At the Philoxenia Conference Centre on from 9am to 9pm on August 29. Tickets are available on the door (€2 / €1 for under-15s / cosplayers go free) and buses from other towns have been laid on. For full details of the event visit http://cypruscomiccon.org or the Facebook page ‘Cyprus Comic Con’
