Listen up nerds, geeks and cosplayers

CALLING all nerds, geeks and comic-book fans. The annual FanCon Comic Con opens in the Mother City today, promising a feast of all things fantasy, anime, comics and more.

The three-day event at the Cape Town International Convention Centre is Cape Town’s answer to the internationally acclaimed Comic Con.

FanCon is an opportunity for adults to masquerade as cosplayers – dressing up as their favourite superhero or comic characters, while rubbing shoulders with fellow fans and “rock stars” of the industry.

FanCon organisers, brothers Nizar and Mahdi Abrahams, say it will provide lovers of comics and pop culture a glimpse of “geek heaven”, with a number of iconic exhibits and displays, life-sized figurines from the comic book realm, panel discussions with international illustrators and authors, and even a gaming zone.

There are cosplay activities for the growing community of dress-up enthusiasts.

The organisers have brought in winners of the Eisner-Award – the Oscars of the comic-book world – from the US, along with board-game designers, and renowned cosplayers from Germany.

Artists will also release new material. Moray Rhoda, of the locally produced comic series SECTOR, plans to release a new issue at the event, as well as i ntroducing past issues to new readers. There will also be panel discussions on board-game design and the representation of women in comics, among others. FanCon 2017 is expected to draw crowds of up to 8 000, and is reflective of how much South Africa’s comic- book world has grown over the last decade.

Nazir says the event also provides a good opportunity for anyone – young and old – to join the comic world.

“Some people think comics and other parts of the ‘geek’ world are not for them, but with comics and fantasy being such a large part of film, games and television, almost everyone can – even if they don’t know it.

“They think they are not part of the fandom, but if they are watching Game of Thrones, they are really a part of it,” he says.

Cosplayers will attend FanCon at the CTICC this weekend.