There is less than a month to go until the biggest comic con of its kind on the south coast, Portsmouth Comic Con – International Festival of Comics, returns for its third year on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May 2022. Offering the best in comics, cosplay, film, TV and pop culture entertainment, Portsmouth Comic Con is excited to announce a raft of new guests, panel discussions and workshops joining stars of the screen, immersive experiences, and the wonderful world of cosplay.
Alongside special features for 2022 – the Star-Wars Walk-Through Experience; Saturday’s She-Quential, A Celebration of Female Superheroes; and Sunday’s World of Witchcraft and Wizardry –there are also exciting hands-on workshops; more new guest artists; and a range of panel discussions covering everything from independent comics to women in British comics and how to graphic novel your life.
New guests joining the stellar line-up of some of the greatest comic writers and illustrators in Artists’ Alley, sponsored by Catawiki, are Peter Hogan, best known as the writer and co-creator of RESIDENT ALIEN; and Russell Walks, who creates art for Star Wars, Star Trek, and Marvel’s Amazing Multiverse, amongst many others. The ever-popular Marc Silk, the voice of Scooby Doo and Shaggy, will also be returning to Portsmouth Comic Con for the third time.
There is an exciting array of workshops for children and adults of all ages to get involved with. Comic book artist Gary Erskine will be demonstrating what makes a successful comic book character and offering advice on how to design your own characters. On Saturday and Sunday, children and teens can learn the basics of comic and zine making, understanding about framing action, drawing dynamic poses and elements of caricature. On Sunday, professional artist Louis Netter will look at how comics are conceived and created, with a specific focus on acting in the comic and how to explore emotions.
Appearing for the first time are Extreme Robots, the leading fighting robots arena spectacular, featuring the stars of the smash-hit BBC Television series “Robot Wars”. This smoke-fuelled, firebreathing arena show features previous winners from the show and the incredible house robots including Major Damage.
The programme of panels, roundtables and drop-in sessions cover many varied topics from the world of comics including:
• Women and British Comics: From Misty to Minnie the Minx!
• Female Superheroes and Empowerment
• Accio Fans! Celebrating 20 Years of Harry Potter at the Movies
• Here be Witches
• Deaf representation in comics, film and TV in 2022
• MAYAMADA ROUNDTABLE – the greatest animé and manga of all time with special guest Nigel Twumasi from Mayamada.
The ever-popular adult and children Cosplay Parades will return on both Saturday and Sunday, with some great prizes to be won. Hosted by GoGeek Events CIC, they celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of the spectacular world of cosplay and costuming.
Spread across Comic City and Comic Village will be the best traders, merchandise stalls and independent illustrators. There is also a wealth of exhibitions and displays to explore, with visitors able to go behind the scenes of film and TV; and an exploration of the technology being used by the creatives of the future in the VR/Immersive Tech & Gaming Zone. The Interactive Zone will offer retro computer gaming from Game Over and classic and modern board games from Dice Portsmouth. The Steampunk Deck also returns with a ‘Witches & Wizards’ Steampunk theme, led by The Gosport Steampunk Society.
Tickets are selling fast and likely to sell out before the event, so don’t delay, get your day session or
great value full weekend tickets!
