Comic Con Africa 2019 Review

September 30, 2019

Comic Con Africa 2019 Review

Comic Con Africa 2019 has come and gone by in a dizzying flash of brilliant cosplay, collectibles, gaming, comics and a 4 day celebration of geek culture. Held in Johannesburg at the Gallagher Convention Center, this years' Con was a definite step-up from 2018 in terms of size and scope. Here's my take on what went down as well as some photos of the event:

1. The Venue

With 6 Halls dedicated to all things geek, the venue at Gallagher Estate definitely delivered in terms of catering for the masses with close to 60000 expected visitors, the organizers made sure they pulled all the stops to cater for the masses. Halls 4, 5 and 6 were the busiest as this was where all the merch and artist alleys, artwork, Cosplay and main stages were happening. Included this year was a separate Kids Con (at Hall 2) which I thought was fantastic (and less crowded!) for the younglings and padawans to entertain themselves with fun games, jumping castles and play areas, kid-friendly cafes and events and lots of merchandise and toys (including LEGO!)

2. The Exhibitors & Artists

This year had some amazing local artists showcasing their wares and I actually found myself gravitating more towards these than the usual commercial stuff. Of course there was the expected visit to the Funko store, the comic book buys and pulls and the boardgaming D&D hauls but I actually invested a bit more time and money in some of the handmade merchandise and custom artwork.
I seen some mumbling and grumbling post-con reviews about how crowded the Halls were and how people couldn't really move inbetween vendors and exhibitors and well, yes, I do agree somewhat. Future planning (2020) should perhaps take placement into consideration around movement of masses and exhibitors.

3. The Cosplayers

Okay South Africa. Ya'll need to hear this. When it comes to Cosplay, you freakin' rock! Just when I thought I had seen it all, 2019 delivers in Cosplay in a most spectacular fashion. Much respect to every single of you!
I dabbled in a bit of Cosplay meself by retro-fitting my Iron Spider cosplay from 2018 into a punked-out version (i.e. The Iron Spider Punk).

4. The Celebs

Okay so we didn't get Anthony Mackie (again). And Isaac Hempstead Wright aka Brandon Stark aka The Three Eyed Raven aka The King of Westeros was a no-show as well. But hey, we got William Shatner! And we got Troy Baker and Nolan North! And we got the Night King march! I attended a few of the celeb panels and discussions and enjoyed every minute of it. When an international celebrity states that 'This is the best questions we have ever been asked in a Con.' Well, that says it all!

5. The Merchandise

Loot! Loot! More Loot! My wallet is considerably lighter post-con. But boy oh boy, it was worth it!
From Funko exclusives to Comics to Apparel to Merch and Mugs and Toys and Art and Badges...so, so, so many many badges! (I think my Spiderpunk jacket ran out of space at one point!)
In fact, I'm not going to say much more about the Loot...I'm just gonna leave this photo here...

I also did a wrap-up review of ComicConAfrica2019 - Check it out here:

6. The Boardgaming

I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled at the large representation for tabletop gaming. From the guys over at Unplug Yourself to the RPG game sessions from Dum Dum Die, 2019 delivered with a critical hit in terms of gaming. I managed to sign up for a few gaming sessions and that game of Zodiac D&D Jenga was the most fun I have had in an RPG session in a while.
I would like, come 2020, to see even more boardgaming representation and even more vendors selling games, minis and dice!

THAT game of Jenga though...!

7. The Fans

Of course, Comic Con would not be complete without the dedication from the fans and fandom arrived in their throes, hundreds...nay thousands as the halls filled up quickly to accommodate you wonderful community of geek-friendly humanoids! There was never a time when the Con was not buzzing with fans and that in itself is a triumphant achievement.
Again, saw some post-con reviews around food and drinks and long queues and again, come 2020, the organizers should perhaps take this into account with the planning. Also, some halal food would be welcomed!