Wales Comic Con 2022 Was The Best One Yet

It’s been many years since I was last at a Wales Comic Con, the last time being while it was actually still in Wales. Semantical quibbles aside about it now taking placed in the unofficial, newfound Welsh principality of Telford, it’s fair to say that the change in venue has benefitted the event in a huge way. Emphasis on the “huge”.

While Glyndŵr University in Wrexham was a suitable home for a medium-sized con, Wales Comic Con always seemed to aspire to get bigger and better each year, meaning that it pretty much just became too big for its nest. Wales Comic Con needed a bigger location to house its bigger aspirations, and Telford’s The International Centre is maybe the perfect place for it to continue to pull in the bigger names.

Arriving on the Sunday meant that the con wasn’t quite as busy as the previous day, though it still felt like half of San Diego had descended on Telford. It was never too busy, though, as the queues were handled well and there was so much spread across three of its halls that there was rarely any real congestion. There was a bit of an oversight when Bruce Campbell and Andy Serkis were placed next to each other, creating quite the crowd, but the organisers were quick to notice and changed things accordingly.

It says a lot about how much WCC has risen in stature that it was no surprise to hear that they’d landed names like David Tennant, Evangeline Lily, and pretty much the whole cast of Vikings. It was even less of a surprise to see how in-demand they were, but also just as good to see how well supported the vendors were with there rarely being a stall with nobody near. While perhaps not as video game-centric as I’d personally have liked (and a couple of those that did sell games had put some random multiplier on eBay prices and called it a day), there was great variety to be found at the stalls.

From soaps to figurines to abstract art prints, there was pretty much everything for every fandom across Wales Comic Con. Actual comic book fans might have been disappointed by how few actual comic books were up for grabs, though the modern convention really needs that broader variety for the broader audience. It was also good to see how well indie comics were represented, with authors on hand to discuss their work and loads of underrated prints getting the exposure they deserve.

There were also plenty of other activities to take part in on the day and across the weekend, from talks to eSports tournaments to cosplay competitions. I couldn’t quite manage to cram it all in personally due to travel, but you could definitely squeeze in a lot over both weekends and still feel like you’ve not seen it all.

Wales Comic Con 2022 proved that sometimes bigger does indeed mean better, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next, which massive name it’s sure to snag, and how it continues to go from strength to strength for years to come. We will find out later this year when Wales Comic Con returns.

A press pass was provided by the organisers for the purpose of this coverage.

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