The official launch event for Comic Con Cape Town took place yesterday and the organisers, Reed Exhibitions Africa and ReedPOP, shared some exciting news about what local fans can look forward to next year.
Cape Town Stadium will transform into a multileveled emporium of all things geeky and good from May 1 to 3 next year, including a dedicated Cape Town Animation Festival level.
Organisers also announced the first international guests who will be attending Comic Con Cape Town 2020, the first of which is global superstar Ricky Whittle. Whittle is best known for his role as Shadow Moon in American Gods and Lincoln in the post-apocalyptic drama The 100. Prior to moving to the United States of America, Whittle had a budding career as an actor and model and became well known in the UK for his portrayal of Calvin Valentine in the British soap opera Hollyoaks.
“We are thrilled to announce that Ricky Whittle will be joining us at Comic Con Cape Town in 2020. He was a fabulous guest at Comic Con Africa in 2018 and him wanting to come back to South Africa for another event is testament to the impact that these festivals are having on the South African fans. With the greater focus on films and series that the Cape Town event is bringing, Ricky is the perfect guest to announce,” says Carol Weaving, Managing Director, Reed Exhibitions.
The first Comic Book guest to be announced is Eisner Award-nominated comic illustrator, painter, and designer Mark Brooks. Mark is known for his acclaimed interior work on Marvel Comics’ Star Wars Han Solo. He’s currently the cover artist for DC Comics’ iconic Batman series, Detective Comics. He’s on regular rotation at Marvel creating covers for numerous titles including Avengers, Secret Empire and Conan the Barbarian.
Comic Con Cape Town will be working closely with the City and the Cape Town Animation Festival to bring locals a uniquely Capetonian pop culture festival that will greatly focus on the needs and wants of the fans.
The event aims to focus more on films and series while showcasing artistry of our local comic community. It will be an annual event in May each year and Comic Con Africa in Johannesburg will continue to be an annual event in September. The event promises to thrill fans with an array of international and local celebrities that will attend. With the rise of pop culture in South Africa, conventions such as Comic Con Cape Town serve as fantastic platforms for enthusiasts to immerse themselves in all things pop culture, making this an event not to be missed.
Alderman JP Smith highlighted the importance of the official support from the City of Cape Town: “We welcome the extension of this successful international franchise which draws massive support. This notable event will attract much more than the diligent Comic Con fanatics; it will also drive the promotion of the City internationally and increase investment and growth to our economy and fuel our Film Cape Town development. Comic Con Cape Town will be another prominent feather in our cap.”
Comic Con Cape Town will be co-located with the Cape Town International Animation Festival which is the only dedicated African Animation Festival on the continent, renowned for presenting world-class content.
“In 2019 CTIAF welcomed more than 60 speakers from nine different countries and over 2 000 guests over three days. The festival has grown from strength to strength over the past five years. This is an indication of the strength and growth of the South African animation industry. We’re so pleased to be partnering with Comic Con so that we can share these success stories with a broader audience and encourage future animators to pursue their dreams,” says Dianne Makings, Festival Director for the Cape Town International Animation Festival.
For more information about Comic Con Cape Town please visit www.comicconcapetown.co.za
