Comic Con Africa keeps getting bigger. Anyone over the age of ten will remember the event’s baby steps at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit, and how… small it was. Five years later, having made its home at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Comic Con Africa is again adding to its repertoire through its recent partnership with Afro Geek Fest to “expand on the diverse festival for fans of comic books and geek culture in Africa.”
Not like Afro Jack
Never heard of Afro Geek Fest before? We’re not surprised. It’s a rather new initiative that’s still finding its footing. Something that’ll become easier on a stage as large as Comic Con Africa’s. Afro Geek Fest was launched as a way of promoting African geekdom by celebrating comic books, artworks, and cosplayers from African communities.
According to the event’s co-founder, Neo Mothoagae, Afro Geek Fest began as a way of filling the void of African geeks in the local market, via bizcommunity.
“As a geek it’s been really great to see events like rAge and Comic Con keep growing in leaps and bounds. But we do find there to be disproportionate representation at events of this nature, and there are several socio-political reasons for that. So we started thinking about how cool it would be if there was a local event where afro geeks can congregate, and how we can effectively break down those barriers to entry.”
Afro Geek at Comic Con Africa
Afro Geek Fest is continuing its mission at this year’s Comic Con Africa in September. The partnership will take form in the inaugural Afro Geek Pavillion, which can be found in the pop culture hall alongside the mainstays of Comic Con Africa like Artist Alley and Streetcon. The Pavillion “serves as an opportunity for Afro geeks, creators, and fans to unite and share their passion for comics and all aspects of geek culture.”
Participating attendees will have access to a “massive” panel of guests that’ll be interviewed over the course of the weekend, though no particular guests have been announced yet. That’s in addition to the Afro Geek Pavillion where you’d find “exclusive art and comic books from the best talent in and outside the country,” while also being home to all aspects of geek culture like cosplay, gaming, and pop culture.
At the moment, a vague announcement is all we’re getting from the two organisations. Comic Con Africa has said there will be more updates to do with the Afro Geek Pavillion on social media in the weeks leading up to Comic Con, scheduled for 22-25 September at the Johannesburg Expo Centre.
