Fans of Disney characters, manga, comic and video game heroes had a ball this weekend as the 11th edition of Malta Comic Con took place at the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre in Ta’ Qali.

The event, organised by Wicked Comics, once again attracted individuals, young and old, and families with children, lured by the works of local and foreign professionals in this particular field. Students in the areas of digital arts, illustrations and graphic design also had a field day.

Foreign guests this year included John Higgins, a comic book artist and colourist known for his work on Watchmen and The Killing Joke and Ron Marz, another comic book artist known for his work for both Marvel and DC comics.

Chinese actress Bai Ling, best known for her roles in The Crow (1994), Red Corner (1997) and the Lost series was one of the foreign actors who attended the two-day extravaganza.

Event provides platforms for local artists to showcase their skills

Others were actress and dancer Femi Taylor, known for portraying the alien Oola in the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI − Return of the Jedi, and Jorgito Vargas, who played the character of the Navy Thunder Ranger in the series Power Rangers Ninja Storm.

Those who were raised watching cartoons on Italian TV must have definitely been excited to meet Liliana Sorrentino, an Italian voice actress known for bringing to life many cartoon characters such as Pollon, in C’era una volta… Pollon, Sayaka Yumin in Mazinga Z, Maria Fleed in Ufo Robot Goldrake and Ritsuko Akagi in Neon Genesis Evangelion.

She also dubbed Mia Farrow, Patricia Clarkson, Cate Blanchett and Heather Locklear among other actors and a host of high-pitched characters in 1960s films such as Mary Poppins, The Thrill of It All and The Sound of Music.

This year, the event hosted bigger gaming areas, cosplay competitions and various workshops.

Wicked Comics teamed up with Heritage Malta and Arts Council Malta to launch the publication Wicked Ghost Stories of Malta, featuring ghost stories from Malta, some of which are in comic book format.

The comic book section was a collaboration of local and foreign comic artists, some of whom are established in the comic industry, like Ian Richardson, Mario Torrisi, Luisa Russo, Tim Perkins, Kevin Enhart and Jenika Ioffreda.

Ever since its inception in 2005, Wicked Comics has given the local comic artists and enthusiasts the opportunity to learn more about this component of popular culture and have continued to provide suitable platforms for local artists to hone and showcase their skills.

Scroll right to see more photos.