Taking place next weekend (October 28 and 29), the Malta Comic Con [‘comic book convention’] is a vibrant event that brings together fans of comics, movies, TV shows and pop culture in general.

Both intimate and interactive, it’s a bustling gathering evoking a film set or another world, where enthusiasts of all ages come together to celebrate graphic novels, gaming, collectibles and more, and let their imaginations run wild.

“This year, the 13th edition, we’re excited to be taking over more space at MFCC for a bigger event than we’ve held before,” Malta Comic Con’s co-organiser and cosplay presenter Samantha Abela says. “Both local and international artists, actors, writers and creators will be chatting to fans, signing autographs and taking part in Q&A sessions.”

Dressed-up participants in a previous edition of the Comic Con.

Actors include Raymond Cruz from crime drama TV series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, in which he played the chilling drug lord Tuco Salamanca, who also starred alongside Sigourney Weaver in Alien Resurrection. He’ll be meeting fans and answering questions on his career.

Hot from the New York Comic Com, American comic book artist Joe Benitez, who has worked on titles including Titans and Superman/Batman (DC Comics), will present the latest adventure of Lady Mechanika. She’s a courageous but haunted heroine in a steampunk world of airships, monsters and clockwork automaton inspired by HG Wells, Mary Shelley and Jules Verne, that combines Victorian elegance with science fiction and gothic horror.

Treasures for those who are fans of the genre.

Live-sketching artists include Peter Magro, creator of the comic Energy Quest, who is launching Zero’s next chapter, A Piston Chronicle; Maria Bintzilaiou from Greece, known as ‘Seeker’, who is studying at the University of Fine Arts at Ioannina to combine the comics she loves with a painterly approach; and Italian Lorenzo Scipioni, the talent behind two editions of the dystopian series Blackbox and a disturbing comic adaptation of the film Hidden in the Woods directed by Patricio Valladares.

Other renowned guests include Kayden Phoenix, a writer/director from California who created A La Brava, the first Latina superhero team in comic book history, her mission to create a superhero mindset in every marginalised individual regardless of age, class or demographic; and Ellie Wright, a Ringo Award-nominated professional comic book colourist who works with some of the biggest comic book houses in the UK. Her titles include The Black Ghost (a New York Times recommended read), Transformers; Sherlock Holmes; Batman: James Bond: Goldfinger; and Welcome to Riverdale.

Comic Con visitors can just show up and sign up on the day

While these guests bring characters to life on the page and screen, over the weekend the convention floor will also be a parade of creativity as visitors dress in costumes inspired by, or replicating those of, their favourite characters, bringing comics, movies, games and more to life.

Editions of perennial favourites.

“We have opened up the cosplay competition this year so that Comic Con visitors can just show up and sign up on the day,” Abela explains.

“The international judges will be looking out for the best costumes from newbies, as well as experienced Cosplayers, and we’re encouraging everyone – from babies to oldies – to come dressed up, whether that’s in a Star Wars costume or as Harry Potter, as your favourite characters from a video game or Japanese manga. The joy of Comic Con is that you can express yourself in any way you’d like. We’ll have a dedicated area where people can have fun taking photographs against a fantasy and sci-fi backdrop with forests and castle.”

The event’s poster

“We’re excited to have live music on stage too for the first time, with a 30-minute set at 6pm each day from well-known singers Charlene Grima, Shana Woods, Roger Tirazona and Rita Pace, who are performing together like this for the first time. They’ll perform a number of songs from various animé TV hits that have been popular in Malta and will be familiar to those who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s watching Italian TV. We also have a ‘Music Tombola’ with snippets of well-known songs and soundtracks from popular culture for people to  guess what they are.”

The event also includes a gaming area for free play, table-top and console gaming tournaments organised by Nintendo Gamers Malta with Pokémon and Super Smash Bros, whether you’re an apprehensive amateur or a seasoned pro.

Other perennial favourites

Alongside, board gaming societies will have mini-exhibitions to showcase miniature figures, and keep your eyes open for a vast collection of Dragon Ball figurines at the Comic Con from Mic. Arguably the best anime of all time, Dragon Ball was originally inspired by the classical 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, and Mic, the biggest Dragon Ball collector in Malta, has ambitions to be the number-one collector in the whole world. And when the imagination runs wild, anything can happen!

For more information on Malta Comic Con, visit www.maltacomiccon.com. Early bird tickets are available from ticketmonti.com/.maltacomiccon2023 at €15. Children under 11 enter for free.