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<\/a>Cherry Bomb Toys will be at the event; co-owner Biagio Woodward, Candice\u2019s husband, attests to the fact that Comic Con encompasses far more than just comics. It\u2019s an entire world unto itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll have a Lego section where there\u2019ll 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,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe toy world and the comic world at one point were separate; now they\u2019re completely reliant on each other. Every movie that comes out has merchandising,\u201d he says, adding that it makes for a really exciting time to be a fan and shop owner.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen 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,\u201d he says, adding that the program at Camosun was created with that same mentality. \u201cOnce you have that skill set, there\u2019s nothing you can\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Capital City Comic Con, he says, allows people to celebrate geek culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always been there,\u201d he says, \u201cbut it\u2019s been sort of repressed\u2026People are now really celebrating the fact that they love this kind of popular culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steacy says that it\u2019s unfortunate that viewers are not necessarily tracing the movies back to their roots: comics.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately,\u201d says Steacy, \u201cI don\u2019t think a lot of people are leaving a great film like Black Panther<\/i>, or The Avengers<\/i>, Justice League<\/i>, or whatever, like, \u2018Wow, that was a comic book. Maybe I\u2019ll go to a comic shop and buy a comic book,\u2019 which is where that stuff came from.\u201d<\/p>\n
Biagio says it\u2019s a great time to be a fan because combining the two worlds means there\u2019s more for people to latch onto.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gives us things that we\u2019ve always wanted to see now more readily available and in better product,\u201d he says, adding that there is more of an element of competition now, with multiple companies making similar merchandise. \u201cA movie can definitely depict how well a toy line will do. Prime example\u2014G.I. Joe<\/i> wasn\u2019t that popular, so, sadly, the toy line didn\u2019t do so great for that show.\u201d<\/p>\n
Biagio says some comics are focused \u201con a commercial to push a toy line\u201d but the really good ones are focused on the storyline; the toys are a natural result. To him, Transformers<\/i> falls under this category.<\/p>\n
\u201cTransformers<\/i> has actually been a really interesting one,\u201d he says. \u201cThey actually won an award for dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome for soldiers. They were actually dealing with scenarios that other comics haven\u2019t been able to really attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
Biagio says Transformers<\/i> 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cTransformers<\/i> were in war for millions of years. Of course that\u2019s going to mess up people,\u201d he says. \u201cLook at our own soldiers that have gone into situations and how they\u2019ve come back. They\u2019re dealing with the realities of real beings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Respect is key at Comic Con, says Biagio. He stresses that everybody is equal and people shouldn\u2019t have to deal with unwelcome situations at events like this.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s cosplayers out there,\u201d he says. \u201cCosplay does not mean consent. That\u2019s a serious issue. That\u2019s something that we\u2019re addressing to make sure that people understand. We\u2019re all here to have fun. Don\u2019t get silly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Candice says they are hoping for about 12,000 people at the event and seconds Biago\u2019s thoughts about respect at Capital City Comic Con.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just want to make it a really safe environment for people,\u201d she says. \u201cIf someone doesn\u2019t want to get their picture taken, you have to respect that.\u201d<\/p>\n