Yay! The Summer holidays are here! It is time to have fun.
No matter which region of the world you come from, if you are a student or pupil or just someone who prioritises summer holidays, then this is a time when you will be looking for something exciting to do. Between travelling to exotic places, hanging out with family and friends and just being by yourself, enjoying any form of entertainment, there are many things that you can do this summer holiday. In between these different escapades, you can do something which is both exciting and didactic – attend comic book festivals taking place this summer.
Ok, let’s be clear here; the recommendations on this article concern those who live in the African countries where these events will be held. It is understandable that many others would like to know what is happening in every part of the world as far as comic book events are concerned. However, our focus here is on promoting events which are not well-known in Africa and through this effort, promote creations from African creators who live and work on the continent. That said, let’s see why you should attend comic books events in the first place.
Comic book and geek events, like any other event out there, are avenues for interesting encounters. In these events, comic book, movie, TV show and video game fans, and just curious individuals alike get to meet with comic book creators, film producers, video game manufacturers and even representatives from merchandize companies. At the same time, they get to discover new comics, games, movies, TV shows and merchandise which will be of great interest to them. Added to these, visitors can also attend conferences, masterclasses and other training which will provide them with a deeper insight on the industry. It is therefore very exciting to meet with creators, see new products, learn new things and just have fun with whatever is on display.
This is even very exciting when it concerns African comics. African comics are relatively new and quite different to comics from other parts of the world. The culture, storytelling and setting therein make the stories quite different from what you will find in superhero comics from the United States, Franco-Belgian comics and Japanese Manga. It is therefore very exciting to go to comic book and geek events and find African comics and their creators.
To be able to enjoy these experiences, therefore, here are some events you can attend this summer holiday.
1. LAGOS COMIC CON
Ok, technically, by the time Lagos Comic Con will take place, many youngsters would have been back in school. However, this mega event still counts as it happens in Summer. The Lagos Comic Convention is the largest comic book festival in Africa. For an event that holds for just a single day, it successfully pulls crowds that easily surpass the 10,000 visitor mark. Added to this, it successfully attracts participants from other countries like Zebra Comics PLC from Cameroon. On its menu are exhibitions, panel discussions, video game contests, video reveals, cosplay, comics sales and award of prizes. This year’s edition of the event will take place at the Landmark Centre, Water Corporation Drive, Annex, Nigeria on September 23. If you are a lover of comics, movies, video games and all that is geek culture, and you are based in Nigeria, you should not miss this event for anything on earth.
2. COMIC CON AFRICA
If you are in South Africa and wondering if you will ever experience the thrill of comic conventions in North America like the San Diego Comic Con, then you can stop worrying – Comic Con Africa is right here for you. Comic Con Africa is the Ultimate Pop Culture & Gaming Festival in Africa, a platform for both local and international Entertainment and Pop Culture, including some of the world’s biggest in the Film, Gaming, Comics, Collectibles and more! FOUR days of complete AWESOMENESS! 2022 was the convention’s first show after the pandemic and they have learnt a few things. First things first, they will be capping their tickets daily to manage capacity and to ensure an amazing experience for all their fans! This year’s event will take place between the 22nd and 25th of September at the JHB EXPO CENTRE in Cape Town, South Africa.
3. KIDSCON BY NAICCON
Started in 2014, the Nairobi Comic Convention, also known as Naiccon, is a geek festival that takes place in Nairobi, Kenya. So far, Naiccon has successfully held seven pop culture events, with over 6000 enthusiastic, artists, illustrators, comic book lovers, animation artists, youtubers, cosplayers, gamers, Digital content creators and movie lovers attending through the years. The convention organises other events like the Nairobi Comic Convention (NCC), Mombasa Comic Convention (MobCon) and Kids Convention (KidsCon). Like every other geek event, it is an opportunity for geeks and fans of everything around comics to celebrate comics, games, movies, exhibitions and cosplay. Even though the main event (Naiccon) isn’t taking place during summer, they have another event which comes up in August and which will interest kids – KIDSCON. This event is geared towards youngsters and a platform for them to enjoy all of the aforementioned goodies. It will take place on August 19 this year.
4. K-MER OTAKU FESTIVAL
This is for all fans of Japanese Geek culture out there – The K-mer Otaku Festival is here for you. This is an event geared specifically towards celebrating Japanese manga, animation, games and all other merchandise derived from this very popular market. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy exhibitions, games, karaoke, drawing sessions and much more. It is open to people of all ages and it takes place on August 5 at the “Hotel de Ville” premises in Yaounde, Cameroon.
5. THE GEEK BOWL
The Geek Bowl by Japanimes is an exciting gathering that brings together lovers of the arts for entertainment (comic strips, animated films and series, video games, etc.), and will be held in Yaounde. It is the biggest gathering of its kind in Cameroon. The special feature of the event is that it brings together consumers and producers of these artistic domains. From 2013, fans of Japanese manga, Franco-Belgian comics, American comic books and video games from all over the world had been able to come together as one, under the Japanimes umbrella to share their passions at an event called the Nimes Party, while at the same time discovering local producers, who have had the opportunity to introduce the general public to rising African comics, local video games and more. The first event which was called Nimes Party, was born in 2014, and was organised every year until 2019, by a group of enthusiasts, all members of the Japanimes association. The association will return this year, following a three-year hiatus, to organise a new event called the Geek Bowl. In one day, activities such as drawing, video gaming, cosplay, karaoke and exhibitions will be carried out. Also, there will be workshops around the creation of Origamis, kanjis, comic book writing and illustration, magic and much more. Apart from these activities, there will be exhibitions by several partners, and all round entertainment and excitement for visitors. The Geek Bowl will take place on August 12 this year.
If you are an African fan of comics, video games, movies, animation, merchandise and anything around comics, you have a lot to do this holiday. There are a ton of events to partake in which should help keep the geek in you alive.
