Comic Con Cape Town is less than one month away! With the final touches being done on cosplays, and weekend passes almost sold out – pop culture and gaming fans from around the country expected to gather at CTICC this April for Comic Con Cape Town, here are nine things to expect:
One: Main Stage
As you walk into Comic Con Cape Town, the main stage will catch your attention. This is the centre of the con where fans will be able to interact with celebrities through Q&A sessions, watch cosplay competitions, see winner announcements, special panels, all while partying alongside American con resident DJ – DJ Elliot as MC.
Be sure not to miss the opening ceremony for the event on Thursday 27 April – which is a live orchestral recital of Star Wars music by Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre.
With four international film and series celebrities set to make an appearance on the Comic Con Cape Town main stage, fans have shared their excitement online over the announcement of Ross Marquand and Tati Gabrielle so far.
Ross Marquand is an American actor who first gained widespread recognition for his role as Aaron on the hit television series, The Walking Dead. Marquand has also made appearances on numerous other TV shows such as Mad Men, The Mindy Project, and Brockmire. For superhero fans, Marquand also portrayed Red Skull in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Tati Gabrielle’s big break came when she was cast as Gaia in the hit Netflix series The 100. She went on to star in the supernatural drama The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as Prudence Blackwood, a character that quickly became a fan favourite. Aside from her work on television, Tati Gabrielle has also appeared in several films, including the movie adaptation of the video game Uncharted.
Comic Con Cape Town is set to announcement more international movie/series stars in the coming week, be sure to keep an eye on the Comic Con Cape Town social media platforms for the announcement of the full programme.
Two: Cosplay
From store bought costume to larger-than-life animatronic outfits – Comic Con Cape Town is expected to welcome the pros and the casuals, both of which can win for dressing up.
Cosplay is a staple of any Comic Con experience – leading to a welcomed colourful overload of the senses. For fans who are interested in competing at the highest level, there is the Comic Con Cape Town Regional Championships of Cosplay, sponsored by Brother Sewing, which houses four categories – The Regional Champion (overall winner), Masters Champion, Champion of Needlework, and Champion of Armour. Entries to compete can be found here.
For more casual fans, there is the daily Casual Cosplay Competition, hosted on the main stage at 13H00 daily – where fans can sign up on the day to compete. Noteworthy international cosplayers joining the festival include Elizabeth Rage and Leon Chiro, with local multidisciplinary artist Odidi Mfenyana joining as a judge too.
Stepping in to the South African cosplay scene is also Ubisoft – the international video game publisher. With R20 000 up for grabs, fans are encouraged to dress up as a character from a Ubisoft title to stand a chance to win. Entry is required, and fans can learn more and sign up here.
Three: Gaming
Get excited to level up with Comic Con Cape Town this April! Join in on soon-to-be-announced gaming tournaments from top brands that focus on top tier competitive gaming with thousands of rands up for grabs, even for casual players.
The Comic Con Cape Town gaming offering is set to satisfy the gaming itch of avid, competitive, and casual gamers this April – be sure not to miss out on the opportunity to shop for merch from your favourite titles.
Four: Artist Alley
With the floor curated by FanCon, Comic Con Cape Town is excited to be welcoming over 60 artists in the Artist Alley. As the heartbeat of any Comic Con, this a place on the show floor that is devoted to celebrating local and international artists of comic book, original pieces, fan fiction, and more. Here fans can admire artwork, get inspired, exchange over techniques, or even purchase and commission artwork from vendors.
At the Con this year, Comic Con Cape Town is excited to highlight the work of several local artists who have done work for major comic book publishes including Marvel Comics and DC Comics – including, but not limited to, Karl Mostert, Warren Louw, and Sean Izaakse.
On an international front – American artists Mark Brooks (Ultimate Spider-man) and Afua Richardson (Black Panther World of Wakanda), will join British artist Ian Churchill (The Avengers).
More information on the Artist Alley and all announced comic book artists can be found here.
Five: Shopping!
With dozens of vendors on the Comic Con Cape Town floor, fans are able to browse their way up and down the halls of the show across two floors of CTICC 2. With merch for sale, and show exclusives throughout the event, fans are reminded to set some budget aside for this shopper’s paradise.
Some noteworthy exhibitors include Cricut, GunplaSA, Symbiote, and Funko
Six: StreetCon
Step into the zone on the con floor that highlights the perfect collaboration between urban culture and pop culture. Having successfully launched in Johannesburg at Comic Con Africa 2022, SteetCon is now coming to Comic Con Cape Town. With retailors and activations at the forefront of the zone – fans can also watch “Sketch Battles” where street artists are given limited time to fulfil a head-to-head brief, as well as “Custom Wars” where artists are tasked with customising sneakers that will be on display for the entire weekend.
StreetCon will also spotlight the works of local artists including Bushy Wopp, Keith Vlahakis, Wayne Bks, and MacClements.
Learn more about StreetCon here.
Seven: StreamerCon
Taking all the online magic and giving it to fans in real life, StreamerCon is a content creators paradise. This feature area will give content creators a space to meet up, exchange ideas, learn more about the industry, and rub shoulders with local content creators.
Also joining in the fun is Scottish YouTuber MarleyThirteen, who is a Call of Duty streamer boasting over 600 000 subscribers.
Learn more about StreamerCon here.
Eight: Photographs and Autograph Opportunities
As the perfect opportunity to get face-to-face with the international celebrities and comic book artists at Comic Con Cape Town, fans can purchase a professionally taken photograph with an actor or actress of their choice.
With autographs, fans can either purchase something at the show for the star to sign, bring something from home, or even get a photo print out.
With these opportunities in high demand, fans are encouraged to keep an eye on the Comic Con Cape Town social media for pre-orders as availability at the show for all sessions is not guaranteed.
Nine: Side events
Comic Con Cape Town does start and end at the CTICC, more than the main event – the show has several side events. These include a Cosplay Pirate Sunset Cruise with the proceeds going to CANSA, a session where fans get a comic book artist to doodle on their coffee coaster in support of help2read, a Star Wars quiz at Beerhouse, and even an exclusive screening of The Incredibles at Galileo Theatre.
At CTICC, fans can expect to see the second incarnation of the Sew-a-thon – a 6-hour challenge where fans are tasked with creating an outfit. Additionally, the Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF) is taking place alongside the con, where fans can access screenings on the Thursday and Friday with a Comic Con Cape Town ticket, and/or purchase tickets to world-class workshops with top international animation talent on the Saturday and Sunday.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of The Daily Vox.
