Oz Comic-Con is owned, produced and organized by ReedPOP, which is the pop culture group of Reed Exhibitions. ReedPOP is responsible for a wide array of pop culture conventions in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Its projects include numerous Comic Cons (including the New York City Comic Con), PAX gaming festivals, etc. ReedPOP acquired Oz Comic-Con in 2014, before that it had been organized by local enthusiasts for two years.
Oz Comic-Con comprises five pop culture festivals held in five Australian cities during the period from April to September. Each festival falls on a weekend and lasts two days. The opening Oz Comic-Con is held in Perth, while the closing convention typically takes place in Sydney, although this may change based on venue availability.
The programming of the convention comprises panels, photo ops and autograph sessions with special guests, panels and workshops with industry professionals, previews and screenings of movies, TV show pilots, cartoons and anime, gaming tournaments, cosplay contests and parades, and other events and activities which are typical for this kind of festival.
Each year, all five conventions feature special guests from different countries. All guests are somehow linked to the entertainment industry, they include actors, film directors and producers, voice actors, well-known cosplayers, writers, artists, comic book authors and publishers, etc. Some guests attend more than one convention due to close dates (festivals in Perth and Adelaide are held in April, while Brisbane and Sydney events take place in September).
The previous editions of Oz Comic-Con have featured Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, the X-Men franchise), Stan Lee (Marvel Comics), William Shatner (Star Trek: The Original Series), Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Pirates of the Caribbean), Robert Englund (the Nightmare on the Elm Street film series), Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon a Time), Kevin Smith (the View Askewniverse), etc.
Photo: invurt.com
