A celebration of "all things geek" is set to take place in south Wales, with the return of the Swansea Comic and Gaming Convention. This year's event looks set to be the biggest and best yet, with a brand new venue and huge line up of guests.
There will also be a whole host of activities, opportunities to try out old and new games and the chance to dress up as one of your favourite characters to be in with a chance of winning a prize as part of a cosplay competition.
Run by volunteers, with a percentage of each ticket proceeds going to Hafal to support people with mental health problems, the event promises to be plenty of fun for people who have interests in a variety of different things from comic books to computer games. We've taken a closer look at this year's event and answered all you need to know about what's coming up. You can keep up to date with the latest events around Wales with our What's On newsletter.
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When is it taking place and where is it being held?
The event takes place on April 9 and 10. It is the first time the event has been held over two days. The event is being held at Swansea Arena. It will be the first ever convention to be held at the venue.
How do I get tickets?
You will either need a ticket for the specific day you plan to attend, or a two-day ticket if you plan to attend on both days. The event will be open from 10am to 6pm on both days. Tickets will also be on sale on the door on the day, but if you buy your tickets ahead of time then you’ll be able to get into the venue faster. Two day tickets cost £15, and one day tickets cost £10. You can purchase them by clicking here.
What guests will be there this year?
The headline name this year is John Wagner, best known for his work for 2000AD, having co-created Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Robo-Hunter and many other memorable characters. His graphic novel ‘A History of Violence’ is now a major film.
Also appearing will be Patrick Goddard, who has worked extensively for the Galaxy’s Greatest comic. He has drawn Judge Dredd, Sinister Dexter, Grey Area, Aquila, Chopper and many more. He’s most known for his work on Savage with Pat Mills and recently drew the Sniper Elite comic of the video game for Rebellion.
Joe Glass, a comic writer based in Cardiff, known for his LGBT+ superhero adventure series, The Pride, will also be in attendance. He has also released a number of independent projects including Glitter Vipers and The Miracles, and continues to push for better inclusion and representation in the medium. You can check out the full line up by clicking here.
What activities will be taking place?
Once you've paid your admission price all activities are free. Saturday and Sunday timetables have been published in full on the event's official website, which you can find by clicking here, but highlights include the following:
The Arcade Vaults, Cardiff will be bringing a selection of Retro consoles and machines for those who like old school gaming. There will be sessions between 10.15am and 5.45pm on both days.
Jonathan Keeble will read an excerpt from Vampire Slayer, by William King on both days at 2pm, along with a short talk about his voice-acting career, which will be followed by a question and answer session.
Trecco Bay’s 'Next Level Gaming Arena' will have a selection of the latest consoles available for you to play between 10.15am and 5.45pm on both days. There will also be a board games demonstration area set up with volunteers on hand to teach you how to play a range of different games during the same time frame on both days.
Will there be any competitions?
People are encouraged to attend the event wearing cosplay outfits, includes themes of sci-fi/fantasy, books, film, comics/graphic novels, stage plays/musicals, games, TV shows, anime/manga, horror and popular culture.
There will be a competition for best cosplay, across three different categories - craftsmanship, performance, and just for fun. Prizes will be given in age groups of over 18s and under 18s. You can enter only one category, not all three. You can enter on both days, but you will not be eligible to win again in the Sunday competition should you win on the Saturday.
What the organisers have said...
One of the convention's directors, Simon Kendrick told WalesOnline: "We're super excited. It's the first time we've put on this event over two days - we've decided that this year is our go big year.
"The event basically came about because myself and Ricky (Webber, co-director) kept running into each other at other people's conventions and having the conversation: 'Why doesn't Swansea have something like this?' I've got a games store, I run the Games Emporium on High Street, and we realised that between us Swansea could have something like that if we got off our butts and did something about it.
"We put together the original one in 2016 at the Volcano Theatre, then moved to the Brangwyn Hall, and have been growing ever since. We're hoping it will become a proper fixture at the arena. The response we've had from the public to this event, we're thinking there's more than enough public support for it to become a fixture at the arena, all going well.
"Over the years the event is run by volunteers, and we're assisted on the day by a group of willing volunteers because at its heart it is a community event for the geek community of Swansea.
"Because we cater to every area of comics and gaming we appeal to different sub communities - you've got a very strong board game/card game/war game presence in Swansea, a couple of universities with student clubs and things like that, computer game fans, loyal comic book fans, and cosplay is becoming a bigger part of the event every year we run it. Swansea and the wider area has some very creative and talented people making costumes and enjoying coming to the events and showing off their handy work."
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