Malta Comic Con morphs into “Pop Culture Online Fest” for 2020

By John Freeman on September 19, 2020

Malta Comic Con - Pop Culture Online Fest 2020

For the first time in eleven years, there will be no Malta Comic Con this year, the popular event, whose past line up has included a diverse line-up of international creators, yet another victim of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Instead, organisers Wicked Comics are to host an online event – Pop Culture Online Fest – aiming to keep the community spirit of MCC alive – and are offering comic creators who’ve previously been guests of the event a platform to spotlight their work with specially recorded video messages.

Taking place between the 21st – 28th November 2020, Pop Culture Online Fest will offer activities such as talks, workshops, include 30-second video spots about featured creators, quizzes and a cosplay competition.

“The general idea is to give space for the community to participate in popular comic con activities from the safety of their home,” explains Wicked Comics Christopher Muscat.

“We’ll mostly pre-record the activities and broadcast them from our new website and social media, on the scheduled dates with the start and end dates being the heading dates.

“We believe that the spirit of the Malta Comic Con can never be virtually replicated, and our intention is not to create an online convention,” he continues. “But we also believe that through the comic con we have built a community that transcends the event itself.”

Malta Comic Con - Some Past Posters — *Malta Comic Con – Some Past Posters*

One of the activities the team will be carrying out during the Pop Culture Online Fest is the creation of 30 second video spots with featured creators, an opportunity being offered to any Maltese or international creator who has ever participated in a Malta Comic Con.

“We have always maintained that we would have never been able to build this community without your help,” he adds, addressing comic creators directly. “Some of you have been with us and believed in us from the very start, others joined along the way, but the most important thing is that you have all positively contributed to the growth of our community/family.

“We will certainly miss the opportunity to reunite with you all this year, so we created this event to keep our bond alive.”

• For more about Malta Comic Con visit www.maltacomiccon.com | Pop Culture Festival 2020 News

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.