It only comes once a year. But when it does – it rocks! Good vibes, friendly atmosphere, colourful costumes, smiling folk and the whole of Malta’s St. James Cavalier venue buzzing with creative energy… You’re right! We are indeed talking about the Malta Comic Convention, the comics event you’ve all been waiting for and organisers Wicked Comics are back to make more of your dreams come true.
The seventh edition of the Malta Comic Con – which always features a huge number of British comic creators – will be held on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December 2015 at St. James Cavalier in Valletta, the capital city of Malta. The impressive venue was originally a bastion (part of the fortifications of the City) constructed by the Knights Hospitallers which was later converted to a vibrant Art’s and Creativity Centre.
“Way back in 2007 we dreamt of having a comic convention in Malta,” says Chris Le Galle co-founder of Wicked Comics, “so we held a small comic gathering to see if there were any more people who shared our dream.
“The amazing response we received confirmed that we were far from alone. So in 2009 we made this dream a reality and held the first comic convention on the Island, one we’ve been holding annually ever since. Many were the challenges we faced along the way, but thanks to the strong local and foreign support we are blessed with we continued to grow each year, improving on each passing show.
“So now we’re proud to say that the Malta Comic Convention is not just a viable platform for the multitude of talented creators that continue to exhibt each year, and a credible destination for comic symposium but also an entertaining event that brings joy to the lives of many. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the many people who each year help us realize this dream and promise to deliver another two fun-filled, exciting and memorable days.”
The intimate and friendly atmosphere prevailent at the Malta Comic Con ensures that the event’s visitors can spend quality time with their favourite creators who are always happy to chat, sign, sketch and create commisioned artwork for their fans. As customary, the organisers say they will once again provide a varied guest roster of professional writers and artists who have worked on a number of popular characters for all the major comic publishers as well as other who have been publishing quality independent books.
“With virtually no queuing, the Malta Comic Con provides the ideal platform for fan-creator interaction,” the team say “and, complementing our guests will be a number of up and coming creators from abroad as well as a plethora of talented local creators promoting their exciting work.”
The official Malta Comic Con Cosplay competition and the Fat Spidey Roaming Cosplay Awards will be returning. Plus, in addition to the various skits performed by the convention’s fabulous cosplayers, Marianne Galea and her Fantasy Showgirls will also be performing themed dances at the theatre.
“We’re also working on providing more interactive and cosplay oriented events which we will reveal in due time. Professional photographers will be available on both days for everyone in attendance who wishes to have some quality pictures takens. So get started on those wonderful costumes!”
The video game area will once again be buzzing with activity ranging from retro to currents gaming and the fan favourite competitions will also be returning to determine the best gamers in Malta. There will also be more table top gaming than there has ever been before. Along with a number of gaming clubs and exciting game developers, the popular war gaming organisation W.A.R.S will also be present running a variety of introductory table-top and role playing games. So both hardcore gamers and begginers can join the fun.
Free movies and animations will be running in the in house cinema for the duration of the show. Fans can also look forward to much more exciting and interactive activities such as quizes, sktech challenges, work shops, informative and entertaining talks, Q&As and discussion panels featuring a number of professional guests and moderated by leading pop culture journalists.
Visitors can also feast their eyes on the majestic artwork of guests that will be featured in the three official Malta Comic Con exhibitions that will be running during the show. To round things off nicely one of the Islands most popular comics retailers, Pandora’s Box Collectibles will be joining a number of other retailers in offering an assortment of comic related memorabilia. In other words – there will be something fun for everyone!
• For more details kindly visit: www.maltacomic-con.com and make sure to like the event’s Facebook page to get the latest Malta Comic Con announcements:
• Wicked Comics will also be offering a number of packages for fans wishing to travel to the Malta Comic Con from abroad, which include heavily discounted accommodation rates and local transport from hotel to convention centre. Similarly, Wicked Comics have a number of packages tailored for foreign creators who wish to exhibit at the Malta Comic Con including heavily discounted tables. Anyone wishing to know more about these packages, and local creators/retailers wishing to exhibit at the Malta Comic Con 2015 are kindly requested to email us for more details on info@maltacomic-con.com
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.
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