Mark Ryan, who played the character of Gates on hit TV series Black Sails, will be among the guests at this year’s Malta Comic Convention this weekend.
Mr Ryan’s extensive career in the film and theatre industry includes roles on titles like Evita, Transformers and King Arthur.
A host of other popular names, ranging from writers to artists and creators, will also be present to mark the event’s 10th anniversary. These include Jeff Richard, the brains behind the highly-popular role-playing games Guide to Glorantha and RuneQuest. Fans of the Star Wars franchise will be particularly enthused by the presence of artist Brian Ian Muir, who has worked on more than 70 major films and was responsible for sculpting Darth Vader’s and the Storm Trooper’s armour.
Christopher Muscat, from Wicked Comics, the organisation behind the event, says he has seen interest in the convention grow considerably since the first edition.
Mark Ryan in Black Sails.“Today, we average over 100 guests and exhibitors and the demand for stalls keeps increasing from both local and foreign creators,” he remarks.
Wicked Comics launched the first edition of the Malta Comic Con Summer Fest, which is set to become a permanent fixture in the organisation’s calendar, earlier this year.
Mr Muscat is particularly proud of the fact that the convention has been instrumental in offering a launching pad to local creators, with professional international creators lauding the standard of young Maltese artists.
Of course, coordinating a weekend event of this magnitude does not come without its challenges. Mr Muscat describes the organisational process as “continuous”, with work on future editions constant. “While we are making the finishing touches for one convention, we are usually already in talks to establish dates, venue and guests for the following one.”
In between, the organisation works on other events, such as the summer convention and the Gozo Comic Gathering, which typically takes place in spring, and a range of other activities.
“Throughout the year, we hold workshops, gatherings and we also take part in third party events. We also ensure that Free Comic Book Day, on the first Saturday of May, is celebrated properly in Malta,” Mr Muscat notes.
Demand keeps increasing from both local and foreign creators
It is this continuous stream of activity and presence on the local market, he believes, that ensures local creators have access to enough platforms to exhibit and sell their work.
One common misconception is that a comic convention is just about comics. Yet, Mr Muscat points out that the event covers many aspects of pop culture, in particular cosplay and gaming.
“The cosplay competition is always one of the highlights of the weekend and we have a variety of table top and role playing clubs running different games,” he says.
Those who attend can play modern and retro video games on several popular platforms, experience virtual reality gaming and take part in Escape Room challenges and in the sword-fighting arena hosted by the Martial Era Revivalists & Combat Society Malta.
The Malta Comic-Con takes place on Saturday and Sunday at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre, Ta’ Qali.