The long and tiring efforts of a small group of volunteers, for a festival focused exclusively on comics, became reality when Comicdom Press collaborated with the Hellenic-American Union and the Media Lab of Panteion University, to organize the first Comicdom Con Athens.
The event was based on the standards set by international comics conventions, (but with free admission for everyone, contrary to what happens abroad) and introduced this most interesting art form to the Greek audience, through the presence of internationally acclaimed creators, like Joseph Michael Linsner and Peter Milligan, as well as by organizing a series of sketch events, screenings, workshops, publisher spotlights and comics retailers and publishers bazaar.
During the weekend, a one-day conference was held with the subject of “Images of Ethics and Social Responsibility of Companies and Media in Comics”, with the participation of Academics, researchers, journalists, comic creators and executives from the comic industry.
In collaboration with the British Council, Comicdom Con Athens presented the work of charity organization “Draw the World Together” to the public, and organized a fund-raising sketch event, with the presence of the organization’s founder, Andrew Wildman, and more than 20 Greek comics artists participating.
Both Saturday and Sunday closed off with a fully packed Theatre, for screenings of the documentary THE MINDSCAPE OF ALAN MOORE (with the director, Dez Vylenz, present as well) and the annual Comicdom Awards ceremony, respectively.
According to the organizers calculations, almost 2,500 people visited the convention to see the wonderful world of comics! After the weekend ended, there were big smiles everywhere, and everyone had only one thing to say: Here’s to next year’s event!
- Date: May 6-7 2006
- International guests: Peter Milligan, Joseph Michael Linsner, Andrew Wildman, Dez Vylenz, Jim Demonakos
- George Komiotis illustrated the poster
- Joseph Michael Linsner illustrated the catalog cover
- Click here to see the winners of this year’s Comicdom Awards