The excitement and anticipation was pulpable at the official Media Launch for Comic Con Africa hosted last night. The team at Comic Con Africa were eager to announce that in just 23 days the doors to the ultimate pop culture and gaming festival will open, welcoming fans to the 2022 edition of Comic Con Africa brought to you by KFC, Telkom VS Gaming and LUNO.
The Con will take over Johannesburg Expo Centre (Nasrec) for four epic days of total geek immersion from 22 to 25 September 2022. The show grounds are bigger, the activity areas are larger, and over 256 hours of content across 8 stages equals an experience to remember – and with this being the first live show since 2019’s record-breaking event, the atmosphere is going to be electrifying.
The backbone of Comic Con Africa has always been Artist Alley. This is where fans can meet and chat to the artists and writers who bring us the stories of the superheroes and villains we love. To date 15 international and local comic illustrators and writers have confirmed their appearances at the Con. The Cricut Spotlight Stage will feature Live Draws and fascinating Q&As. Also found in this area is the Author Avenue showcasing captivating books from SciFi to Fantasy, and The Block exhibitors who design and produce clothing, prints and other merchandise inspired by the comics.
Cosplay is always an exciting feature of any Comic Con, and this year 60 eager contestants are ready to compete in the Cosplay Championships and wow visitors as they put their cosplays on display on the Main Stage for the three expert judges, International Cosplayers Taryn Cosplay and Leon Chiro, and Elizabeth Rage from the USA. The excitement is real, as the winner will go to compete for the Cosplay Crown at MCM London Comic Con. Cosplay Central will be buzzing with cosplayers signing prints, taking photos, and meeting fans.
It’s a gamer’s paradise again at this years Comic Con Africa, with the latest in gaming gear and accessories to take your gaming set up to the next level, and the best in esports tournaments with the Telkom VS Gaming Stage that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Fans who have been following the preliminary rounds of the tournaments are amped to support their favourite teams in the finale that takes place over the weekend.
This year’s show also plays host to the Dorito’s Crunch Cup powered by Comic Con Africa, where fans can enter to play a different title each day ranging from Fortnite, Street Fighter, Tekken and FIFA. These free-to-play to play tournaments will have Doritos looking for those flaming hot moments and crowning a title champ daily with R4000 in prize money. RedBull exciting Campus Clutch Valorant tournament kicked off in August and Comic Con Africa is excited that the finals of this will be hosted at the show. Comic Con Africa headline sponsor KFC will also be hosting KFC AF Gaming challenges from their activation space with finals being hosted daily on the main stage.
With over 300 exhibitors offering hot deals, shopping for official merchandise and collectibles will be high on the list of visitors’ priorities. CGC services will be available to verify signed copies of comics. Collectibles and signed comic books are investment opportunities, and fans will likely spend hours happily digging through boxes of comic books looking for the ones they need to complete their collections.
The Tabletop Gaming and Roleplaying Game Zones are going to be packed with action. Weekend tournaments such as the To Ride Tournament will bring out the competitive streak in players and supporters alike. Both new and established players will have opportunities to join in the free play of games such as Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh, X-Wing, Magic the Gathering and more. PAVL is a new apocalypse themed event, AKA the Post-Apocalyptic Victorian Live Action Roleplaying experience, and is open to all visitors.
There are two new co-located shows this year. StreamerCon taps into the world of online content creation, the demand for which exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the place to meet your favourite vloggers, YouTubers, Twitch streamers and podcasters with eight Spotlight Content Creators alongside 36 more in fun activities, panels and Q&As on the StreamerCon Stage. It’s the place to be for fans wanting to learn more about streaming or meet their favourite streamers IRL.
StreetCon will be showcasing the perfect mash-up of urban culture and pop culture, bringing an even greater offering to the show. With legendary local brand Bathu as the official sneaker partner, fans will be able to grab the hottest merch, streetwear and sneakers from various brands that are inspired by Urban x Popculture. StreetCon has also announced four multidisciplinary urban and street artists as spotlights guests, also adding to the mix will be live graffiti battles and sketch battles from top local talent, brought to you by Grayscale.
Not to be forgotten is KidsCon for all Superheroes, big and small. This immersive experience for kids, by kids will ensure that your day spent at Comic Con Africa is the ultimate family day out, with gaming for kids, shopping the best in kids toys and lifestyle products, character meet and greets and tons of fun activations to enjoy.
A much-anticipated highlight to any Comic Con is being able to meet and engage with some of the world’s most famous, influential and trending actors. Earlier this week Comic Con Africa announced two such incredible international talents, Selwyn Ward, known as the Red Turbo Power Ranger and Tati Gabrielle, the talented actress known for her roles in the movie Uncharted, and popular series’ YOU, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and The 100. But with Comic Con Africa there is always more to delight fans. And last night Comic Con Africa announced the attendance of two more stars that will be appearing and the Con,
Ross Butler, from 13 Reasons Why, Riverdale and Shazaam will be visiting Comic Con Africa, and also, Stanger Things fans will be excited to know that Jamie Campbell Bower, know for his role as the infamous Vecna in the Season 4 will be bringing his charm to the Comic Con Africa main stage. Jamie is also known for his roles in Mortal Instruments and the Twighlight Saga to mention a few.
In case you need a refresher, here is a full list of the line-up announced to date – and keep an eye on Comic Con Africa’s Instagram and Facebook because the line-up is only going to keep growing.
International Film & Series Celebs:
Selwyn Ward – Red Turbo Power Ranger
Tati Gabrielle – Uncharted, YOU, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and The 100
Ross Butley – 13 Reasons Why, Shazaam and 13 Reasons Why
Jamie Campbell Bower – Stranger Things, Mortal Instruments and The Twilight Saga
International Cosplayers:
Taryn Cosplay (Italy)
Elizabeth Rage (USA)
Leon Chiro (Italy)
Local and International Comic Book Artists:
Andrew Lee Griffith (USA)
Bill Masuku (Zimbabwe)
Daniel Govar (USA)
Jason Masters (South Africa)
Karl Mostert (South Africa)
Livio Ramondelli (USA)
Sean Izaakse (South Africa)
Steve Ellis (USA)
Team Kwezi (South Africa)
Tony Moy (USA)
Zach Howard (USA)
Tasia M S (South Africa)
Stephane Roux (France)
Show Features:
3 Halls
2 x Food Truck Village
Kentucky Town with KFC
30,000sqm of indoor and outdoor event space
Seven activity zones
160 speakers
256 hours of content
50,000 + fans
