Comics and graphic novels have created some of the most legendary memories for both children and adults. Capital City Comic Con is a chance for likeminded people to bask in the creativity the world of comics has created. Comic Con director and Cherry Bomb Toys co-owner Candice Woodward says that she is really into supporting pop culture.
“It’s really exciting,” she says. “We’re really excited to bring a comic con to downtown Victoria. And we’re also really excited to grow it every year, so we’ve got some really fun plans already in the works for 2019,” says Woodward. (However, she says the details for 2019 are a surprise. “It’s a secret,” she says with a laugh.)
Woodward says it’s been great to work together with lots of people on Capital City Comic Con.
“We all have our supportive roles and it’s just been an excellent team to do this big event,” she says.
Cherry Bomb Toys will be at the event; co-owner Biagio Woodward, Candice’s husband, attests to the fact that Comic Con encompasses far more than just comics. It’s an entire world unto itself.
“We’ll have a Lego section where there’ll be a mosaic build and then there will be contest builds and giant Lego displays; there will be people dressed up as Star Wars people,” he says.
Since Biagio began in this industry 20 years ago, the world of toys and the world of comics have meshed together into one, he says.
“The toy world and the comic world at one point were separate; now they’re completely reliant on each other. Every movie that comes out has merchandising,” he says, adding that it makes for a really exciting time to be a fan and shop owner.
Camosun Comics and Graphic Novels instructor and co-founder Ken Steacy says there will be a table at Capital City Comic Con for his students to display their work. Steacy says that a holistic approach to writing and drawing, which Steacy is known for in his own work, rather than visual storytellers taking on just one element of their craft, is important.
“When I got in the biz 40 years ago, everyone was a specialist in that you were a writer, or a penciller, or a inker, or a colourist; that never sat well with me. I always wanted to accept all the credit or take all the blame for everything I do, so I train myself to produce a complete story,” he says, adding that the program at Camosun was created with that same mentality. “Once you have that skill set, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
Capital City Comic Con, he says, allows people to celebrate geek culture.
“It’s always been there,” he says, “but it’s been sort of repressed…People are now really celebrating the fact that they love this kind of popular culture.”
Steacy says that it’s unfortunate that viewers are not necessarily tracing the movies back to their roots: comics.
“Unfortunately,” says Steacy, “I don’t think a lot of people are leaving a great film like Black Panther, or The Avengers, Justice League, or whatever, like, ‘Wow, that was a comic book. Maybe I’ll go to a comic shop and buy a comic book,’ which is where that stuff came from.”
Biagio says it’s a great time to be a fan because combining the two worlds means there’s more for people to latch onto.
“It gives us things that we’ve always wanted to see now more readily available and in better product,” he says, adding that there is more of an element of competition now, with multiple companies making similar merchandise. “A movie can definitely depict how well a toy line will do. Prime example—G.I. Joe wasn’t that popular, so, sadly, the toy line didn’t do so great for that show.”
Biagio says some comics are focused “on a commercial to push a toy line” but the really good ones are focused on the storyline; the toys are a natural result. To him, Transformers falls under this category.
“Transformers has actually been a really interesting one,” he says. “They actually won an award for dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome for soldiers. They were actually dealing with scenarios that other comics haven’t been able to really attack.”
Biagio says Transformers deals with serious subjects in a unique way because of the medium of comics; he says this is one of the beautiful things about the format.
“Transformers were in war for millions of years. Of course that’s going to mess up people,” he says. “Look at our own soldiers that have gone into situations and how they’ve come back. They’re dealing with the realities of real beings.”
Respect is key at Comic Con, says Biagio. He stresses that everybody is equal and people shouldn’t have to deal with unwelcome situations at events like this.
“There’s cosplayers out there,” he says. “Cosplay does not mean consent. That’s a serious issue. That’s something that we’re addressing to make sure that people understand. We’re all here to have fun. Don’t get silly.”
Candice says they are hoping for about 12,000 people at the event and seconds Biago’s thoughts about respect at Capital City Comic Con.
“We just want to make it a really safe environment for people,” she says. “If someone doesn’t want to get their picture taken, you have to respect that.”
Capital City Comic Con
Friday, March 16 to Sunday, March 18
Victoria Conference Centre and Crystal Garden
capitalcitycomiccon.ca