Victoria is getting its own celebration of comic-book culture 鈥� the inaugural Capital City Comic Con is planned for March at various locations around the city.
The first edition of what is expected to become an annual event will take place primarily at the Victoria Conference Centre and Crystal Garden March 16-18, it was announced Thursday.
Capital City Comic Con, patterned after similar conventions across North America, will showcase products and personalities from the comic-book, toy, gaming and movie industries at these and other locations.
鈥淲e are hoping for 20,000 people,鈥� said Candice Woodward, who owns and operates Cherry Bomb Toys on Broad Street with her husband, Biagio. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to try to rope in as many people from the community as possible.鈥�
Cherry Bomb Toys has partnered with the Downtown Victoria Business Association and Tourism Victoria to produce the event, which will feature guest speakers, autograph-signing opportunities and product vendors. The convention is expected to generate more than $250,000 in revenue from ticket sales, exhibitor booths and sponsorships, according to a Tourism Victoria spokesperson.
Capital City Comic Con was designed to capitalize on Victoria鈥檚 fast-growing taste for pop culture. Blockbuster comic-book adaptations from the X-Men and Deadpool franchises have shot scenes in Greater Victoria, and Woodward noted that downtown is home to pop-culture-themed stores ranging from Legends Comics and Books to Curious Comics, Games Workshop, Yellowjacket Comics and Toys, Dragon Impact and Fan Favourites Games and Movies.
鈥淭here鈥檚 really quite a hub on Johnson Street and Broad Street,鈥� Woodward said.
The three-day event has been in the planning stages for a year, she said. The Cherry Bomb couple is behind the Ultimate Hobby & Toy Fair, which takes place twice a year at Pearkes Arena. Due to demand, the hobby and toy fair 鈥� whose second edition of 2017 runs Sunday at Pearkes Arena 鈥� will be expanding to two days for both instalments in 2018. That bodes well for Capital City Comic Con, she said.
鈥淧eople have been asking us to do a Comic Con for quite a few years. We think it will be really popular, because of the nerd culture we have here.鈥�
Victoria鈥檚 convention falls during spring break next year, a move designed to keep fans in Victoria at home during the break. Woodwards said the timing also capitalizes on momentum generated by Seattle鈥檚 Emerald City Comic Con, set for March 1-4. The four-day Seattle event drew 91,000 fans this year, according to its website.
The Seattle conference attracted a starry lineup of guests, including former Marvel Comics chief Stan Lee, Jeremy Renner (The Avengers), Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger of The聽Nightmare on Elm Street franchise), professional wrestler Ric Flair, Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy), Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and shock rocker Alice Cooper, among others.
The lineup of guests for Capital City Comic Con will not be announced until next year, Woodward said, but fans should expect notable names.
鈥淲e have people in mind, absolutely. We are in negotiations right now, and will be releasing those names as soon as contracts are signed.鈥�
Another plus: With the stratospheric success of Wonder Woman 鈥� a film that grossed more than $821 million US at the worldwide box office 鈥� comic books and related conventions are no longer the sole territory of men.
鈥淔rom other comic-convention stats that we鈥檝e seen, it鈥檚 pretty much 50-50 women and men,鈥� Woodward said. 鈥淎nd it is all ages.鈥�