Wild North Comic Con

REMEMBER THE DAYS when being called a geek may have been intended as an insult? These days, you can proudly wear it like a badge of honour. After a hugely successful inaugural event in 2023, Wild North Comic Con – the first festival in the Territory dedicated to the art of comics – makes a triumphant return.

^{By Tierney White}

Embrace geek culture with comics and graphic novels that showcase original art by local and international artists, writers, and illustrators. Facilitated by not-for-profit arts organisation Wild North Arts Inc., the festival’s Creative Director Tim Parish says the event’s expanded in 2024 after a ripper first year.

“The first Wild North Comic Con … was a huge success, with dozens of artists involved and hundreds of patrons that filled the venue all day,” he says.

“This year, we’ve moved into the city and expanded our venue so we can host more artists, comic and zine makers in the Artist Alley, an art exhibition, and animation screenings.”

This year’s festival has grown from a six-hour event in 2023 to a three-day happening in bigger digs at Bustard Town, and in very handy timing, it also aligns with the school holidays.

“This free event is a great activity for the school holidays with something for the whole family, with cosplay, animation screenings, an art exhibition, a cosplay comp, guest speakers and live music performances,” Parish says.

“There will be a live comic painting and a virtual reality experience, photo booth, and more. Our venue – Bustard Town in the CBD – has wood-fired pizzas, bakery food and drinks available all day.”

There’s so much on offer in the 2024 program, with satellite events happening over the course of the three days, the main event rolling out on the Saturday. Parish says he’s particularly excited about showcasing the creatives behind the work.

“[I’m really looking forward to] our series of talks with local and international creators, including the BLAK POWER guest panel on First Nations superheroes, comic creators featuring Scott Wilson creator of the Indigiverse, and local artist Jonathon Saunders,” he says.

“There’s a live comic reading and musical performance by Joshua Santospirito, exploring the migration story of his new autobiographical comic, The Islands Where We Left Our Ancestors.”

So, head on down to Bustard Town and get your geek on.

WHEN FRI 28 – SUN 30 JUN | MAIN EVENT SAT 29 JUN, 12-6PM
AT BUSTARD TOWN
COST FREE
INFO wildnorthcomics.com