Oz Comic-Con Canberra is back this weekend – here’s what you want to know

Posted on 21 August, 2024

Oz Comic-Con Canberra might be one of the younger comic conventions around the world, but it certainly has the best title alliteration! And it’s back this weekend!

Running from Saturday 24 until Sunday 25 August, the annual event is back for it’s third year at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) . Our city is about to become the place where favourite characters, stories, and fandoms come to life.

From movies, TV shows, comics, anime, the two-day event has something for everyone and for every age. This year general admission tickets include free entry for kids aged five  to 12 (inclusive), while children aged four and under are always free.

Jess Yates, who arranges the events on-site, told us about why she loves this unique celebration of fandom.

“This is my 13th year working on Oz Comic-Con,” Jess says. “Canberra is such a joy to work on because the community just really shows up for the event. It’s a great atmosphere of people enjoying themselves and the things they love no matter where you look.”

This year the on-site attractions include local Aussie comic artists and authors, table-top role-playing gaming (TTPRG) and tournaments, artist alleys where illustrators showcase their work, as well as dedicated zones console gaming, cosplay, and workshops that let you dive deeper into the world of comics and storytelling.

And of course there is merchandise you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. In previous years a close friend became a member of the United Federation of Planets at the Star Trek stand – I’m still jealous of her badge!

Oz Comic-Con goes out of its way to connect people and Jess says that if you don’t have anyone to come with, there’s an activity area where everyone is welcome to sit and interact with new people.

“Our speed friending sessions are first thing each morning in the CommUnity Space or you can join in on a TTRPG session in the Tabletop Gaming area,” Jess explains.

“Find something that you’re interested in on the Cosplay or CommUnity Meetup schedules and head over to join in with people who share your passion for that particular pop culture obsession. All these activities are free to do once you enter the show.”

Photo: Andrew Lee.

There’s also Canberra preliminaries for the Australian Championships of Cosplay. It’s a chance for the best of the best cosplayers to be chosen for the ultimate high-stakes competition – where cosplayers across the country battle it out to represent their state. Each Oz Comic-Con event hosts a preliminary round, with state winners heading to Sydney to compete for the coveted title of ‘Australian Champion of Cosplay.’

There’s also a stella line of local guests to meet and hear from.

Authors Kaaron Warren (The Underhistory), Daniel O’Malley (The Rook) and T.R. Napper (36 Streets) will be joined by Aussie creatives who have been making a name for themselves with Marvel – Mat Groom and Ben Bradi. Guests will be available at panels and industry workshops to share their experience as creative artists. Over in Cosplay Central digital artist MissJazznarka will be making a splash, showing why she was Championship of Cosplay winner in Sydney last year.

Credit: Andrew Lee.

And if you need a bit of down time you can always head to the Comic Book Lounge (presented by King’s Comics,) for a cosy retreat away from the show floor. Just pull up a beanbag and explore titles from an extensive comics and manga library.

Jess can’t wait to see Canberra fans join the fun.

“Whether you want to dress up as your beloved character, or simply soak in the atmosphere, Oz Comic-Con is an inclusive, fun, and community-driven experience where everyone shares a common passion for pop culture.”

Credit: Andrew Lee.

Images supplied.