Comic convention swinging into Brandon

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/05/2019 (2552 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall building in a single bound!

It’s a bird!

It’s a plane!

No, it’s the Friendly Neighbourhood Comic Convention.

The Friendly Neighbourhood Comic MegaCorp will be launching its contribution to the fandom multi-verse with the inaugural Brandon comic convention Oct. 19 and 20 at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium this year.

The epic event has been a long time coming to the city, business development executive director Scott Bradley said.

“This is something the city has needed and wanted forever,” Bradley said. “To bring something here to our home and walk across the street to, it is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

The convention will be a recognition of the artistry that goes into the creation of comics paired with a celebration of unique and talented guests, community engagement and educational director Michelle Boudreaux said.

The group has been working around the clock to connect with artists from all over the world to bring them to the Wheat City, and plan to expand the universe into 2020 and 2021.

The board of directors for the organization are all Brandonites who hold a passion and dedication to the pursuit and promotion of education and literacy. These elements will be added into the Brandon convention like the Infinity Stones in the Infinity Gauntlet.

“We’re a conglomerate of artists and true believers who have a mutual admiration (for comics),” Boudreau said.

With great power comes great responsibility, so the group is aiming for a high-quality and intimate experience for fans at the event, while highlighting the importance of the educational aspect of comics.

They hope to create more public awareness of these skills by placing an emphasis on fun entertainment and arts-based experiences.

As an added power-up, Bradley said, the convention means comic book fans no longer need to travel across the country or to the United States to get their fandom fix.

They are proud of talent they have already been able to bring in, Boudreau said, and recently announced a selection of guests that will be making an appearance.

Comic artist Sam De La Rosa will be making his first Canadian appearance at the event. De La Rosa is known for his work on multiple Spider-man series, Venom: Lethal Protector and more than 200 other titles.

Renowned Calgary artist Dawn McTeigue will also be visiting the event. McTeigue has been featured in DC, Image Comics, Zenescope and other publications.

“She’s my favourite artist, I love her,” Bradley said.

More guests will be announced closer to the event.

The convention is in a unique position, Bradley said, because of the quality of guests and vendors who will be in attendance.

The family-friendly event will feature celebrity guests, cosplayers, comic creators and artists and more. As part of the festivities, they will have autograph and photo opportunities, panels, contests, gaming events and other content.

“It’s all about the people, it’s about the people that we’re bringing the art to,” Boudreau said. “We’ve been listening to fans, we’ve been listening to community people, people who come to our comic chop, they’ve been telling us what they want to see.”

They have seen a growing demand for unique events to come to Brandon, guest experience director Brandon Fordyce said, and the comic convention will be one way to meet this need.

“This event will benefit all of Brandon,” Fordyce said.

Friendly Neighbourhood Comic MegaCorp has teamed up with Brandon First along with other local businesses and organizations to help nurture the convention and help it take flight.

The group is looking for help in creating an official name for the Brandon comic convention.

They launched a contest May 10 on their website asking for people to submit their titles and ideas. The contest runs until May 24, and anyone who enters an idea will be entered into a draw for unique prizes.

More information and updates on the convention can be found on the website fncmc.com.

“We want to engage our community, and we want to give an opportunity, as always, to give back,” Boudreau said.

This effort is entirely separate from the Brandon Comic Con — last year’s cancelled event that was being organized by River City Conventions.

Fordyce said that local comic fans can rest assured that they would not pull the pin at the last minute and that this October’s event would take place no matter what.

» ckemp@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp