Cape Town, 27 March 2023: 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.

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About Comic Con Cape Town 

The four-day festival focusses on all elements of pop culture and brings international and local comic artists, film and TV celebrities, and Cosplayers to South African shores where they meet fans, sign autographs, and have photo ops. Pop culture is growing rapidly in South Africa and the standard of our Cosplay is world class. Packed with championships, competitions, super show specials, product launches, workshops, panels, Q&A sessions, screenings, activations, and interactive experiences, there is something for everyone to enjoy whether you are a casual fan or a bona fide geek. 

We are passionate about developing local fandoms and services and pop culture. In 2018 the South African Comic Con journey began when the annual Comic Con Africa was launched in Johannesburg to much excitement and with great success. In 2019 Comic Con Africa reached 71,000 guests over four days. (www.comicconcapetown.co.za) 

About the City of Cape Town 

The City of Cape Town is a local government entity with authority over the greater city of Cape Town.  Wrapped around a mountain range and nestled between two oceans, Cape Town boasts an array of attractions including one of the New7Wonders of Nature – Table Mountain - which provide a memorable experience for its residents and visitors.  

Cape Town is the undisputed DigiTech hub of Africa and has earned a reputation as a premier events destination by successfully hosting major events. It has been recognised as the World’s  

Leading Festival and Event Destination 2018, 2020 & 2021 and Africa’s Leading Festival and Event Destination for three consecutive years by the World Travel Awards. 

About FanCon

The first FanCon was held in 2016 to great success and has now established itself as a must-attend event on the South African geek calendar. The multi-day event focuses primarily on comics and comic creators but

includes all and every kind of geek fandom – FanCon is an energetic and vibrant showcase of all things Pop Culture!

Visitors to FanCon can expect an entertaining and lively experience, where every aspect of comics, pop culture, and geekdom in general will find expression in a diverse range of activities, including an artist alley, featuring local, national, and international comic book talent. Attendees can interact with creators and artists, purchase comics, prints, original artwork, and commission art pieces. Welcome to geek heaven!

About Cape Town International Animation Festival African animation continues to grow and shine on the global stage! The continent is filled with incredible storytellers, artists and creatives all with new and interesting stories to share. If you are one of those creatives then join us in 2023 at The Comic Con event (27 – 30th April 2023) and again at Fame Week Africa (4-6th September 2023)

There’s something for everyone including pitching competitions, screenings, studio focus and industry panels.

Keep an eye on the Comic Con Cape Town social platforms for more: 

Facebook: /ComicConCPT
Twitter: @ComicConCPT
Instagram: @comicconcapetown 
Web: https://comicconafrica.co.za/comic-con-cape-town/
Exciting Comic Con content can be found on YouTube @ComicConAfricaOfficial 

Keep an eye on the FanCon social platforms for more: 

Facebook: @FanConCapeTownComicCon
Twitter: @FanConComicCon
Instagram: @fanconcapetowncomiccon
Web: www.fancon.co.za