I usually try to manage my expectations when it comes to major events, but Comic Con Cape Town over-delivered. It is without a doubt the best Comic Con I’ve attended.
This year’s event was my fifth overall Comic Con and I’ve never felt more seen and happy after an event. As an introvert these big events can be quite scary, but as a geek it feels like home. There are so many things that I can highlight or praise about this year’s event, but I’m going to try and stick to five that meant the most to me.
The People
To me Comic Cons are all about the people, you guys made this one extra special. I’m surprised by how many people recognised me or asked me for photos. It was so awesome to just chat and hang out and to meet everyone. It truly made this Con more special than all the others. I don’t do this for the recognition, but to entertain and to just share what I love with the world. I got to link up with some new friends from back home in Namibia, which made this Comic Con weekend a 10/10. I genuinely appreciate everyone, I guess I can call all of you my friends now.
Activations
Comic Con Cape Town went the extra mile with all the activations this year. I might’ve spent a few hours waiting in line to take part in Squid Game, but I’d say it was worth every second. I was also transported into the world of one of my favourite TV shows, The Last of Us, by M-Net. And I couldn’t get enough of the gaming. I might’ve kicked a few butts in EAFC, but don’t tell anyone. I loved the Mew stand, and my new t-shirt.
The Panels
Ian McDiarmid is a legend. I loved both his panels, he’s such a down to earth cool guy who loves talking Star Wars. The quizzes and all the other panels were amazing as well. I also got to sit through so many cool stuff at Pop-Taku stage. The Geeks got Talent showcase was my definite favourite and dubbing one. I think all the winners deserve their spot at the top. South Africa definitely has a lot of talent. I also attended a few panels at the Artist Alley stage and it blows my mind the amount of creativity that exist in this country, it is awesome.
The Cosplayers
I’m still in awe of all the cool cosplays. I still have to wrap my mind around all the creativity and hard work that goes into making all the awesome costumes. Now I’m not just talking about the pros or semi-pros, but every single one who took the time to get into costume. It doesn’t matter whether they bought it or made it, it was just fantastic. Now obviously I admire anyone who can make their own cosplay. They put it hours of hard work and their hard-earned money to create something special. I wish I could’ve personally complimented everyone, but that’s not possible. So I’m just going to say – you all look awesome.
The Comic Con Cape Town Team
This might not exactly have been the highlight for everyone – but I just want to say thank you to everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this Comic Con happen. We appreciate your hard work and dedication in giving us geeks a second home. The team who worked with us media people (we can be drama queens sometimes), you were all fantastic. And to every single vendor thank you for doing all the work to make our shopping experiences easy and fun.
There’s really so much I can still say about this year’s Comic Con Cape Town, but that will still come. Keep your eyes on my socials for videos and posts from Comic Con Cape Town.
