Montreal Comiccon was the first of the five events to be launched by CapeFlow Productions. Its first edition took place in 2006 at Place Bonaventure. Ottawa Comiccon debuted six years later, and the inaugural Quebec City Comiccon was held in 2014. The attendance of all three conventions grew every year, and soon the organizers realized that Montreal Comiccon with its 60,000 visitors had reached its limit.
This is how the team behind the conventions came up with the idea to launch another pop culture festival in the Montreal area of Quebec. Laval was chosen as the host city since it is the third-largest city in the province after Montreal and Quebec City (both of which already have their own Comiccons) and, being a suburb of Montreal, it is easy to get from there.
The inaugural Laval Comiccon was held on October 5 and 6, 2019 at Place Sports Experts, Laval’s largest exhibition hall located in the heart of the city. It had an attendance of about 15,000 people, which is four time less than that of Montreal Comiccon at its peak, but very impressive for a debut convention.
Laval Comiccon showcases all things pop culture, embracing various genres and types of media: sci-fi, fantasy, horror, anime and cartoons, manga, comic books, bande dessinée, tabletop and video games, cosplay, cinema and television, wrestling and martial arts, vlogging, and more. Here any geek will be able to find a kindred spirit!
The programming of Laval Comiccon is modeled after that of its sister conventions and numerous other pop culture events held across the world. It includes panels and workshops, an artist alley, a tabletop gaming zone, film screenings, and a costume contest and a masquerade for cosplayers. There’s also a family zone with a ton of fan activities for kids of all ages, from inflatable games to an archery contest.
Of course, the main attraction for many attendees is Q&As, autograph sessions and photo-ops with celebrity guests: actors, musicians, writers, video game developers, comic book authors, animators, internet personalities, martial artists and wrestlers, cosplayers, etc. For example, special guests at the inaugural Laval Comiccon included fantasy author and illustrator Jean-Baptiste Monge, comic book artists Marco Rudy and Djibril Morissette-Phan, and actor Daniel Logan, best known for portraying Boba Fett in the Star Wars franchise.
Another major attraction at Laval Comiccon is its exhibit hall with corporate and interactive booths, where about 200 exhibitors offer comic books, illustration, toys, action figures, T-shirts, DVDs and Blu-rays, and other collectibles and merchandise.
Photo: facebook.com/LavalComiccon
