The first edition of Comic Fiesta was a small exhibition held at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. It attracted only about 150 attendees. Nevertheless, it was made an annual event. In 2003, the convention moved to a larger venue, and the attendance doubled. It has been growing steadily ever since. For example, the 2015 edition of Comic Fiesta attracted 45,000 visitors in the span of two days. The convention has changed several venues over the years. As of 2016, it is held at the Putra World Trade Center.
Comic Fiesta hosts Malaysia’s largest amateur creative art market. It is somewhat similar to Japan’s Comiket, although not quite as large. Comic Fiesta’s creative art market features about 100 stalls and booths showcasing the work of up-and-coming comic book artists and illustrators. At the market, visitors can find an impressive choice of self-published comic books, artbooks, posters, and other merchandise.
Another major attraction at Comic Fiesta is the convention’s cosplay competition which draws a lot of visitors, cosplayers and spectators alike. The convention hosts both solo and group cosplay contests.
Alongside its two main events, the creative art market and the cosplay competition, the program of Comic Fiesta includes panel discussions, workshops and masterclasses, performances, parties, meet & greets with celebrity guests, a comics competition, and more.
Each year, the organizers invite a plethora of industry guests from Malaysia and abroad, including famous musicians, video game developers, cosplayers, artists and illustrators, comic book authors, etc. For example, the 2015 edition of Comic Fiesta welcomed the representatives of the Japanese video game developer and publisher Square Enix, best known for games such as Kindgom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider, Deux Ex, Hitman, and Dragon Quest.
Photo: dannychoo.com
