Winter is coming and so is the Iron Throne. The ultimate symbol of power in HBO’s hit show Game of Thrones is among the highlights of the second edition of Shanghai Comic Con (SHCC), which takes over Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing on November 5-6. Already, it was a huge hit at this year’s inaugural Beijing Comic Con (BJCC).
“Fans lined up like crazy for a photograph,” recalls ReedPOP China’s SHCC Project Manager Michael Chen.
“For Shanghai, we will have more for Game of Thrones fans like a green screen area where fans take photos with Drogon [the most prominent of the show’s dragons] and we got the license from HBO to produce show items exclusive to Shanghai Comic Con.”
As organizers of Comic Cons around the globe – including the world’s largest, New York Comic Con (NYCC) – ReedPOP entered the mainland last summer with the first SHCC.
Chen admits they “spent quite a lot of effort educating fans and vendors what a Comic Con is,” but is excited by the concept’s growth.
Over 16,000 people attended BJCC and he notes the upcoming SHCC will boast “more guests from abroad and other cities in China, more exhibitors with bigger sized booths and more things to show the fans.”
Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), Prison Break’s Robert Knepper, Person of Interest’s Amy Acker and Billy Boyd (Pippin in Lord of the Rings) will be the celebrity guests.
Other attractions include a screening of the first five episodes of HBO’s acclaimed robot cowboy drama West World, a Storm Troopers performance and displays celebrating hit titles like Adventure Time, Dragon Ball, Star Trek, Transformers, Doraemon and much more.
Acclaimed toy designers like Chunkies’ Alex Solis, Nathan Hamill and Jason Freeny will showcase their works, while the Cosplay Competition provides the winner an opportunity to compete in a global contest at next year’s Chicago Comic Con.
“The interaction between fans and the comic creators was extremely awesome during the first SHCC,” Chen says. “It told us that a lot of fans appreciate the art and would love to meet the creators face to face to chat with them. So this year, we invited almost 30 guests from abroad.”
Artists representing powerhouses Marvel (Arthur Adams and Salvador Larroca) and DC Comics (Marcus To) will be joined by Japanese comic artists Shoji Kawamori (Macross) and Hidetaka Tenjin (Saint Seiya: Legend of Sanctuary), as well as Hong Kong comic stalwarts Ya Jie Duo, Ye Ming Fa and Li Chong Hao for an international lineup.
“We’re also planning to have around 20 local creators,” Chen adds, noting Shi Tuzi and Ji Di have become “quite famous on Weibo so fans would love to see them on site.”
While Chen is confident that fans will be drawn to this year’s SHCC lineup, he’s even more excited to see how they will contribute to the proceedings.
“Last year, we had a lot of good costumes but some fans were a little timid about dressing up,” he says. “This year, they will not be shy and will show up fully dressed up whether it’s as something from manga, sci-fi movies or local content. Let’s see what kind of creativity fans will come up with.”
Nov 5-6, 9am-7pm, RMB200 (per day). Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing, see event listing.
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