Capital City Comic Con takes place March 22 to 24th and in Canada, it is Victoria, BC’s way of celebrating pop culture. Fans living on the island need not travel far to get their nerd on. When cruise ship season is literally missing the boat (the season does not begin until April) to coincide, Clipper Vacations is very accommodating with weekend packages for those not wishing to drive in. Plenty of options exist for air travellers.
This event is now in its second year and its focus has always been on spotlighting Canadian local talents. Jordan Stratford (Wollstonecraft Detective Agency), Glen Mullaly (X-Wing Marks the Spot) and Ken Steacy (War Bears) are very respected names in their respective industries and they are confirmed to be attending. Recently announced are artist Marco Rudy (Final Crisis) and author Mark Bellomo (The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures: 1977-1985). Unconfirmed at the time of writing is Dan Schoening (IDW’s Ghostbusters). A few more names may get announced as momentum goes on overdrive.
The Downtown Victoria Business Association, Tourism Victoria and Cherry Bomb Toys are organizing this show. In an interview from last year with Biagio Woodward of Cherry Bomb Toys, only so much can be done as this show develops and grows. They want feedback. Eventually, it will grow to be as big as the Victoria Film Festival and have the city painted amethyst than pink as more businesses (local and abroad) join in the fun. The exhibitor’s space has more craft fair style products mixed in with comic books and toys, and most local clubs are present. For entertainment, Paper Street Theatre and One Man Star Wars, are not part of the show (yet).
Instead, this year’s event has Vancouver, BC-based Geekenders providing burlesque entertainment. I saw them at Gottacon years ago and they are worth the price of a separate admission! Last year did not have any event because it fell on Saint Patrick’s Day and this year the organizers corrected this oversight.
In what makes this show notable is Chapter House Comics involvement. They are bringing Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts franchise) to this island show to keep things Canadian. He is promoting Moon Lake, which is now available in omnibus form. This horror comedy adventure series is one to enjoy, especially for fans of all things X-Files like, and the big question is will he pen more?
One huge name most likely to have this convention packed is Malcolm McDowell. From indie works like A Clockwork Orange to appearing in Star Trek–and lending his voice to many games–he’s a name not often seen at smaller shows. Props go to the team for bringing this talent in.
To keep the comic book world in perspective, two well-respected creators Larry Hama (Marvel’s GI Joe) and Bob McLeod (co-creator of The New Mutants) are coming to town. The latter appeared at last year’s Fan Expo Vancouver and is attending Emerald City Comic Con 2019. Generally, repeat appearances of any talent are inevitable. Vancouver-based production artist John Gallagher is often seen at most Pacific Northwest shows. He’s done illustration work for TheCW Network, namely The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.
It’s not too late to plan for this show taking place during Canadian Spring Break. When folks have done everything they want to do at this show, there’s the Royal BC Museum (current travelling exhibit is Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and starting in May is Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises) and the Parliament Buildings nearby! Beacon Hill Park is a great place to play hide and seek with Pokemon GO. When the day is over, Beacon Drive-In is considered the best soft-serve ice cream in town. Foodies and pop culture geeks will find plenty to do while in town. In what people cannot find at the show, Nerd Row is only six blocks away. Plus, visitors can check out the National Toy Museum of Canada!
Ed Sum is a journalist based out of Victoria, BC and tracks most things nerdy in his hometown! He also loves cinema, sci-fi, animation and documentaries. For more content, please check out otakunoculture.com or follow him on twitter @edohotep. He also writes for Absolute Underground Magazine and Drunk in a Graveyard.
