While Capital City Comic Con continues its hiatus for the second year in a row, the City of Langford has stepped up in a big way.
The inaugural Island FanCon — a two-day celebration of entertainment and pop culture —will be held at City Centre Park’s two arenas on Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14.
And already it’s announced a “mountain” of a name: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, the Icelandic professional strongman and actor best known for his role as The Mountain in the popular Game of Thrones TV show.
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The event has lined up celebrity guests from around the world for the event. More names will be released in the coming months.
Lonnie Eckardt, a lead organizer for Island FanCon, is also the board president of Northern FanCon in Prince George, which has attracted big names like William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Lou Ferrigno (Hulk), and Bret “The Hitman” Hart.
This year, the northern BC convention booked Ron Perlman (Hellboy), among others, and fans are already speculating that the island will welcome him too.
“For those folks that are familiar with Cap[itol] City Comic Con and have enjoyed that in the past, I think they will very much like what we do,” Eckardt said in a press release.
Like most comic book conventions, the event will see creators, actors, writers, producers, and directors from some of the best movies, television shows, and comic books, drop in to chat with fans and discuss their work. It’s also an opportunity for aspiring creators to learn about the entertainment industry.
The multi-day event is intended as a celebration of comic books, graphic novels, fantasy, and the culture surrounding it, with workshops, cosplay, and a chance for photos.
These events are typically well-attended — Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle and San Diego Comic Con draw crowds of around 100,000 attendees annually — and Eckardt said he is hopeful that Island FanCon can reach that magnitude too. “The key thing is really to bring in tourism.”
Island FanCon
Where: City Centre Park, 1089 Langford Parkway, Langford
When: April 13 and 14
Tickets: $55 for a full day, $32 for a single day, and kids attend free.